When the coronavirus pandemic halted the NBA season, it also delayed one of the league's biggest offseason events in the NBA Draft.
Now with a set date and location in place, some of the top prospects like LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards and James Wiseman can begin to prepare for their big day.
MORE: 2020 NBA Mock Draft
When is the 2020 NBA Draft?
Date: Thursday, November 19, 2020 (IST)
Time: 4:30 a.m. IST
Location: Hosted virtually at ESPN studios in Bristol, Conn.
In an official press release from ESPN Press Room, ESPN and the NBA announced that ESPN’s Bristol, Conn. studios will host the virtual 2020 NBA Draft presented by State Farm on Wednesday, November 18, at 7 p.m. ET (Thursday, Nov. 19 at 4:30 a.m. IST). The event will air live on ESPN, ESPN Radio and the ESPN App in the United States. This is the first NBA Draft to be held at ESPN’s Bristol, Conn. studios.
Commissioner Adam Silver and Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum will appear in studio at ESPN to announce the selections for the first and second rounds, respectively. Select draftees, including many of the potential top picks, will appear virtually.
After winning the Draft Lottery, the Minnesota Timberwolves will have the first pick of the 2020 NBA Draft.
The lottery process was introduced by the NBA in 1985 when the NBA Board of Governors voted to adopt a lottery system among the non-playoff teams to determine their order of selection in the first round of the NBA Draft. The team with the worst record receives the best odds of winning the lottery and as a result, the right to pick No. 1 in the NBA Draft.
In 2017, a rule, that would be effective from the 2019 Draft, was approved where the three worst teams, by record, receive an equal 14% chance to win the lottery. The Draft selections for the remainder of the first round (No. 15-30) and the entire second round (No. 30-60), are determined by reverse order of regular-season record.
Draft Order
For the second time in franchise history, the Timberwolves won the right to pick first in the NBA Draft. They have a total of three picks in the 2020 Draft - #1, #17, #33.
Here's a look at the complete Draft order:
| Pick | Round 1 | Round 2 |
| #1 | Minnesota Timberwolves | Dallas Mavericks |
| #2 | Golden State Warriors | Charlotte Hornets |
| #3 | Charlotte Hornets | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| #4 | Chicago Bulls | Philadelphia 76ers |
| #5 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Sacramento Kings |
| #6 | Atlanta Hawks | Philadelphia 76ers |
| #7 | Detroit Pistons | Washington Wizards |
| #8 | New York Knicks | New York Knicks |
| #9 | Washington Wizards | New Orleans Pelicans |
| #10 | Phoenix Suns | Memphis Grizzlies |
| #11 | San Antonio Spurs | San Antonio Spurs |
| #12 | Sacramento Kings | New Orleans Pelicans |
| #13 | New Orleans Pelicans | Sacramento Kings |
| #14 | Boston Celtics | Chicago Bulls |
| #15 | Orlando Magic | Orlando Magic |
| #16 | Portland Trail Blazers | Portland Trail Blazers |
| #17 | Minnesota Timberwolves | Boston Celtics |
| #18 | Dallas Mavericks | Golden State Warriors |
| #19 | Brooklyn Nets | Philadelphia 76ers |
| #20 | Miami Heat | Atlanta Hawks |
| #21 | Philadelphia 76ers | Golden State Warriors |
| #22 | Denver Nuggets | Sacramento Kings |
| #23 | Utah Jazz | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| #24 | Milwaukee Bucks | Indiana Pacers |
| #25 | Utah Jazz | Brooklyn Nets |
| #26 | Boston Celtics | Charlotte Hornets |
| #27 | New York Knicks | LA Clippers |
| #28 | Los Angeles Lakers | Philadelphia 76ers |
| #29 | Toronto Raptors | Toronto Raptors |
| #30 | Boston Celtics | New Orleans Pelicans |
Only four teams in the Rockets, Pacers, Clippers, and Grizzlies don't own a first-round pick.
Meanwhile, there are nine teams who don't own a second-round pick - Cavaliers, Bucks, Rockets, Lakers, Nuggets, Heat, Suns, Jazz, and the Pistons.
Top prospects
The quartet of LaMelo Ball (Illawarra Hawks - NBL, Australia), James Wiseman (Memphis), Anthony Edwards (Georgia), and Deni Avdija (Maccabi Tel Aviv - EuroLeague, Israel) have been considered for the top four picks.
For more on the top prospects, here's the latest mock Draft.
The most fundamental rule of eligibility is that every prospect must be at least 19 years old during the Draft calendar year and one year removed from high school.