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The NBA has set the NBA Draft Lottery for August 25 and the actual NBA Draft for Oct. 15, Adrian Wojnarowski reported today.
NBA has set an August 25 Draft Lottery and October 15 Draft, sources say.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 4, 2020
The original dates were moved due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the announcement of the changes comes on the heels of the NBA’s proposed restart to the season.
The NBA season matters little for college basketball fans outside of enjoying sports on TV, but the draft news will have deep repercussions throughout college hoops. The Zags specifically have three players who have declared for the NBA Draft: Filip Petrusev, Corey Kispert, and Joel Ayayi. All declared without hiring an agent, so they will be able to return to the university.
On a brighter world timeline, players had until June 3 to withdraw from the NBA Draft, which was scheduled for June 25.
Doing the math, if players have 22 days before the draft to withdraw, college players will not have to make a decision until mid-to-late-September. Assuming a scenario in which the college season starts relatively on time, practices usually begin in late-September, so things might get a little dicey for coaching staffs around the nation as they navigate these changes.
As of right now, the NCAA hasn’t made any determinations on its early entry withdrawal date.
Update:
New NCAA Draft withdrawal deadline is until 10 days after the NBA draft combine or Aug. 3, whichever comes first.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) June 4, 2020