External video 2020 NBA Draft Lottery Drawing, NBA's official YouTube channel. August 20, 2020.The NBA draft lottery is held annually to determine the draft order for the teams that did not make the playoffs in the preceding season. Every NBA team that missed the NBA playoffs holds a chance at winning a top-four pick, but teams with worse records have a better chance at winning a top-four pick, effective as of the 2019 draft. After the lottery selects the teams that receive a top-four pick, the other teams receive an NBA draft pick based on their winning percentage from the prior season. As it is commonplace in the event of identical win-loss records, the NBA performs a random drawing to break ties for not just lottery teams, but also for playoff teams with equal records. This year, the Sacramento Kings won a tiebreaker for the draft lottery over the New Orleans Pelicans despite having a better overall record to conclude the regular season, bubble games included.
The draft was originally scheduled to be held at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on June 25, but was instead conducted at ESPN's facilities in Bristol, Connecticut, with the event held via videoconferencing. National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur United States college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players. The draft lottery was originally scheduled to take place on May 19, 2020, but due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it was instead held on August 20, 2020.
The first pick was made by the Minnesota Timberwolves, who selected Anthony Edwards out of Georgia. Bouknight was projected to come off the board as high as No. 6, and becomes a strong value pick here for the Hornets. While not a perfect fit on a roster that already features a number of ball-dominant players, the selections of Bouknight and LaMelo Ball in consecutive drafts have significantly enhanced the team's talent base.
Charlotte will now hope that's their backcourt of the future. Bouknight is an explosive, inventive scorer with better feel than advertised, and one of my favorite prospects in the draft. If he hits his potential, this could be a pick we look back on in a few years and wonder about. The Pelicans made this pick on behalf of the Grizzlies, who will officially receive it after their recent trade is consummated in August. In that deal, Memphis moved up to No. 10 from No. 17, but ultimately selected a player here in Williams who was widely projected to be on the board at that point.
Williams significantly helped himself in the predraft process with a series of strong workouts, and his size, shooting ability and ball skills have always pointed to impressive upside. But many teams were concerned with his history of inconsistency and lack of physicality, and he was expected to come off the board later in the draft. Memphis has drafted well in recent years and deserves the benefit of the doubt here—if Williams can reach his potential, he can be a meaningful addition to their core.
But this is a high-risk, high-reward move that will need time to properly evaluate. This is the draft's first major surprise pick, but it's one I kind of love for the Thunder, who kept their interest in Giddey well under wraps. After trying and ultimately opting not to move up in the draft, Oklahoma City is taking a chance on Giddey's incredible passing ability. He had a prodigious season as a teenager in his native Australia, and emerged as an elite prospect after spending time developing in the NBA's Global Academy Program.
The Thunder are focused on adding talent, and his size, skill level and low-maintenance game fit their preferences. He's ultimately more NBA-ready than the other players on the board here, and his youth and advanced game point to room for growth. Whether he's a full-time point guard or a wing, Giddey has the type of flexible approach that should allow him to excel. Shot creation is one of the most important skills in today's league.
The 2020 draft is littered with 3-and-D wings of many different varieties. There are players who need to improve their jumpers but already defend as if it's their way of life, like Auburn's Isaac Okoro. There are those who can shoot the lights out but need to improve their man-to-man defense, such as Vanderbilt's Aaron Nesmith. And there are players who flash star ability like Maccabi Tel Aviv's Deni Avdija.
But Florida State wing Devin Vassell, who ranks sixth on my board, is arguably the best of the bunch. Vassell is an excellent defender who disrupts action off the ball and who has the length and agility to defend quicker guards in addition to opposing wings. On offense, he shot 42 percent from 3 and as a sophomore he displayed flashes of being more than a spot-up shooter. The Pacers were tabbed as suitors for Davion Mitchell, Duarte and Kispert here, and wound up with Duarte, whom a number of teams tried to trade up and draft in the lottery. Indiana aims to compete for the playoffs under Rick Carlisle next season, and Duarte should be able to give them immediate minutes. Although he's one of the oldest draft-eligible players in the class, Duarte put on a convincing display this season at Oregon, shooting the ball extremely well, playing strong defense and earmarking himself as a solid 3-and-D wing.
While his upside likely isn't immense, he makes a great deal of sense for Indiana. This year, 205 underclassed draft prospects (i.e., players with remaining college eligibility) had declared by the initial April 26 deadline, with 163 of these players being from college or were high school postgraduates. The names left over mean they have hired an agent, or have announced that they plan to do so before the night of the draft. Additionally, one more academy postgraduate student managed to enter at the new underclassman deadline.
At the start of this year's draft combine, only 60 prospects were confirmed to participate in this event. J. Hampton was also invited as an automatically eligible draft prospect for this year, both representing Australia's NBL as outsider Rising Stars for different teams. Like with prior years, players still held the option to either sit out the combine or have only limited participation there, such as with LaMelo Ball doing interviews with teams only.
In the second half of the combine, teams were allowed to meet with any candidate that had mutual interest in them back, though each team had a set limit of meetings with players in mind before the draft began. These meetings with players allowed teams to properly gauge each player to the best of their abilities during this time. For the first part, players began their league and team interviews via videoconference feeds, similar to this year's draft lottery. Then, in the second part, players began their individual, on-court programs at the NBA team facility nearest the player's home or interim residence instead of at one standardized area. While players were allowed to continue working out on their own even back in September 2020, this section lasted from October 16 until November 16.
This program included strength and agility tests, anthropometric measurements, shooting drills, medical testing and examinations, and a "Pro Day" video filmed via HomeCourt, a mobile basketball training application. The NBA also expanded their Combine HQ tool for this period. The NBA also gave a limit of 10 meetings total with the candidates there, with any extra meetings with someone cutting into their amount allowed for this year.
Whether the Hornets trade for Russell Westbrook or not (which would be quite ill-advised), they'll want to pick the prospect with the most upside at no. 3 regardless. So while Onyeka Okongwu has been linked to Charlotte here, the right choice is the ultra-talented, ultra-risky LaMelo Ball. Despite his shaky shot selection and allergy to playing defense, Ball is the only player in this draft with elite playmaking abilities.
Nba Draft 2020 1St Pick Time And, at 6-foot-7, he could be a potential nightmare of a mismatch for opposing guards once he learns the NBA game. NBA coaches will love Haliburton because he does all the little things that contribute to winning. He swings the ball, takes the right shots, and makes smart defensive rotations. Haliburton makes for an appealing prospect in the mid-to-late lottery of any draft class; he ranks no. 4 on my board this year, and to put the strength of the 2020 class in perspective, he would have ranked seventh in 2019.
Haliburton is one of many lottery guards available this year who could eventually run effective offenses. My top-ranked prospect is French guard Killian Hayes, who projects as a productive playmaker and scorer. There's a speedy shot creator in Alabama's Kira Lewis Jr., a freshman with a knack for making clutch plays in Kentucky's Tyrese Maxey, and a sharpshooter in Stanford guard Tyrell Terry—among others. Not all of them will necessarily find success at the next level, but they're all appealing talents for teams to pluck from the crop.
Any NBA team would obviously rather draft its own Steph Curry or LeBron James in the lottery, rather than its own Shaun Livingston or Tristan Thompson. But every championship team in history has featured secondary guys who complement and enhance its best players—like Livingston's playmaking did for the Warriors and Thompson's rebounding did for the Cavaliers. And aren't we all watching The Last Dance, which details how the Bulls front office built a strong supporting cast around Michael Jordan? The 2020 NBA draft class lacks the type of elite one-name prospects, like Luka or Zion, that we've been spoiled by in recent years. But while it doesn't have star power, it does have depth and a plethora of potential high-end role players who could develop into the missing ingredient of a championship team's recipe. The Thunder appear to have no interest in winning until they get a shot at drafting 7'3 French phenom Victor Wembanyama in 2023.
By that time, Kuminga could be ready to contribute at a high level. One of the youngest players in this class, Kuminga is a big 6'8 wing who showed off poor shooting touch in the G League, but has all the tools to eventually be the type of two-way foward teams covet. He just feels more likely to be OKC's selection given their history than someone like UConn sophomore James Bouknight, who has also been getting buzz. While there's a good chance that the Bucks move this pick in a deal to acquire more "win-now" players to appease Giannis Antetokounmpo, if they keep the pick, Cole Anthony should be the guy. If he's available at 24, the Bucks should grab him and hope that when he's tasked with a reasonable role, like being a heat-check guard off the bench, he can regain that swagger that made him such a big-time prospect not too long ago.
This pick was traded to Charlotte, who were intrigued by drafting Jones at No. 11 before James Bouknight surprisingly slipped to them, and were able to find a way back in to select their guy. Jones has a good deal of upside as a rangy defender who can switch onto wings or defend bigs, and combines that with intriguing skill potential and basic shooting ability. He'll be a bit of a project for the Hornets, but playing with a special passer like LaMelo Ball could really enhance his impact as a lob-catcher . Charlotte has the makings of an exciting team—it just may take some time.
The addition of Suggs strongly enhances Orlando's backcourt, and while it's unclear how they sort out all the young guards on the roster, the dynamic he brings adds a different dimension to their personnel. A stellar, physical athlete, Suggs was one of college basketball's top players as a freshman and has one of the best competitive motors in the draft. He's able to impact games as a scorer, playmaker and defender—sometimes, all at once—and while his jumper has to improve, Suggs can play in any lineup and is willing to do the small things to win. It's hard to find guards like that who also possess his elite strength and speed. We did our first mock draft for this class the day after the 2020 NBA Draft.
International players like Josh Giddey and Alperen Şengün have emerged as likely lottery picks after great seasons in pro leagues overseas. The end result is a 2021 draft class that feels extremely talented within the top-four and then becomes something of a grab bag throughout the rest of the lottery. Best of luck to Mr Merrill, it's never fun to be picked last, but it still means that you're an NBA Player. You may remember Isaiah Thomas, the point guard who helped reform the Boston Celtics into an unlikely playoff team and who eventually became the player in the middle of a trade for Kyrie Irving. The two-time All-Star was the 60th pick of the 2011 NBA Draft. Once you're in the league, you have a chance, and it will be a long, long time before anybody will ever be able to truly judge the results of this draft.
The draft is a beginning and not an end and that's why it's always worth watching every year even after all the players you recognize are taken off the board. Wiseman is a potential star, but he's not the only potential contributor. It's easy to envision USC's Onyeka Okongwu or Dayton's Obi Toppin also finding NBA roles.
Okongwu lacks Wiseman's ceiling because of his offensive shortcomings, but he has a higher floor because of his handle, passing vision, and defensive instincts. Toppin looks like a modern Amar'e Stoudemire on offense, even if he has glaring warts on defense. Rankings are all over the place for each big because of differing philosophies around the league about the position's value in an era that puts a premium on shooting and playmaking. But their potential to contribute is undeniable, and if one of them end up falling in the lottery, they could be cost-effective role players for a team in immediate need of a big man. This pick was traded from the Suns to the Nets earlier in the day, in a deal that sent Landry Shamet to Phoenix.
This is one of my favorite picks in the first round, as Sharpe is a terrific fit for Brooklyn, and a potentially starting-caliber center in the long run. There was chatter that Sharpe could come off the board a bit earlier than this after a strong predraft process, and the Nets sorely need a rugged, rebounding center in their rotation. Sharpe is also a terrific passer and has some upside shooting the ball, and could help Brooklyn sooner than you think. This pick was acquired by the Knicks, who traded back off No. 21 to grab Grimes. I like this fit for New York, who ultimately walked away from their widely rumored interest in Isaiah Jackson and made a more methodical play for a wing who can help them immediately.
Grimes's well-rounded offensive game should enhance the team's offense, and he's regarded as a rock-solid locker room guy, as well. He's a winning role player and should be able to help the Knicks. The Wizards acquired this pick as part of the Russell Westbrook trade, then flipped it to Indiana in a trade that saw them move back to No. 31.
The Pacers drafted Jackson, who will be a long-term developmental big for them. Jackson is an elite run-jump athlete, but his basketball skills are a work in progress. Teams hope he can fit into a rim-running role, block shots and provide energy, and Indiana has enough talent up front that they won't have to rush him.
If all goes well, he could eventually supplant Myles Turner at center, and allow them to play faster. Jackson was a bit polarizing among scouts, and he's not my favorite fit here, but the pick makes some sense for the Pacers. Johnson was once projected as a potential late-lottery pick, but his stock fell a bit in the predraft process, due in part to concerns around his shooting, and also due to concerns over his medical, per sources. But this isn't too bad of a fall for him, and he's a very nice project for the Clippers here.
Loves defensive-minded, tough, versatile players, and Johnson fits that bill—it just may take him some time. If his ballhandling and jump shot come around, he could be an extremely valuable, high-energy piece for them. After all the chatter around the NBA surrounding Kuminga and whether he'd fall in the draft, the Warriors took the biggest upside swing available here, taking him off the board. There's no arguing Kuminga's long-term potential, as one of the draft's best all-around athletes with considerable scoring upside. But given Golden State's circumstances—they need to win this season—taking Kuminga here as a long-view choice is worth a bit of scrutiny.
This is ultimately a similar approach to the one the Warriors took at No. 2 last year, when they took James Wiseman based on upside and positional fit, and left LaMelo Ball on the board. That's not to say they made the incorrect choice, and Kuminga could also be a valuable piece of a future trade for a star talent that fits their timeline. The Warriors also explored trade opportunities with this pick, sources said.
Having said all this, Golden State needs to think about the post-Curry future, too. Cunningham checks just about every box for a perimeter player, with no glaring holes in his game, the ability to play with and without the ball, and an unwavering, focused, team-first approach. He's one of the most impressive prospects to come along in the past decade. Detroit hopes he's the player to bring the franchise back to the playoffs. Barnes is a Florida kid who played his entire high school career in the state. He fits the Magic's longstanding history of favoring players who are, well, long.
