All signs are pointing to the Nov. 18 NBA Draft going off without a hitch.
ESPN announced Thursday it will host the virtual draft in its Bristol, Conn. studios at 6 p.m CT — the first time the draft will be held at that location. Commissioner Adam Silver and deputy commissioner Mark Tatum will be present in the studio to announce first and second round picks, as is custom, and some prospects will make virtual appearances, a release said.
The league has pushed back the draft date a few times in the wake of its COVID-19 affected 2019-20 season. Previously, it had reportedly been scheduled for Oct. 16 — just five days after the Finals ended up concluding — but was pushed back to Nov. 18 to allow time for the NBA and NBPA to digest the financial impact of the pandemic and iron out modifications to the CBA before being thrust into personnel decisions.
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The presumptive deadline for those negotiations was also recently delayed to Oct. 30. NBPA executive director Michelle Roberts said in an interview with The Athletic that she expects free agency to occur by Dec. 1.
So, the wait continues, but it grows shorter and more certain by the day. The Bulls own the No. 4 and No. 44 overall picks in this year's draft.