Here are my top 5 NBA draft prospects based on name value (how much their name sounds like an iconic basketball player): 1. Reed Sheppard 2. Hunter Sallis 3. Oso Ighodaro 4. KJ Simpson 5. Kel’el Ware
The NBA regular season is nearly over, which means we are close to enjoying what will surely be an exciting and possibly very surprising postseason. The biggest basketball event of the year, the Finals, is just a few months away now.
But there are many other important dates on the NBA's schedule right now, providing fans, analysts, and writers a lot to look forward.
The first comes on April 27, which is the deadline for early entrants to declare themselves for the NBA Draft. This will be the date that many college players and international stars submit their names to be in the draft pool. This is for early entrants only and once the list of players is set, NBA teams are able to conduct workouts with players.
On May 12, the NBA Draft lottery will be held. This will be the moment when teams find out where they will land in June's revamped draft. The league's worst team has a 14% shot of earning the No. 1 overall pick, as opposed to the 25% chance they had in 2019.
Although nothing is guaranteed, one of the league's three worst teams has been given the top spot in the draft in each of the last four lotteries, including last year when the San Antonio Spurs were set on a path to landing Victor Wembanyama.
Also on May 12 is the NBA Draft Combine, which gives teams a chance to see what each potential rookie is capable of. The combine lasts a whole week and takes place in Chicago.
The draft will be different this year, held on two consecutive nights, June 26 and 27. During these nights, all of the league's new rookies will be selected by their respective teams. Typically, the draft has been held on only one night but the NBA recently changed that approach and will now hold the event over multiple nights, much like the NFL.
While this change might help television ratings, it'll also give teams a chance to regroup after night one and figure out their plans before starting night two. It could change the approach for many teams and also draw more attention to second-round rookies.
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