For several years, the NBA Draft Day has been a one-day event with all 60 picks happening in a matter of hours. That could change soon… as we’ve seen with leagues like the MLB and NFL, a multiple-day affair is a bit more successful.
When the General Managers met on Wednesday, they discussed the possibility of making it a two-day event. Shams Charania of The Athletic first reported on the news. As Charania explains, the idea has come up more frequently in recent meetings, since team executives believe they would benefit from having more time to make picks in both the first and second rounds.
The annual NBA Draft Day has always taken place on a Thursday evening. Each team typically gets five minutes to pick in the first round and two minutes per selection in the second round. The second round moves rather quickly, but still the full event typically wraps up pretty late. After the event, GMs typically meet with the media to discuss their picks. Then the reports of undrafted free agents reaching contract agreements with NBA teams pour in well past midnight Eastern time.
The Positives:
Transitioning to a multiple-day Draft event would result in better-scouted picks. Providing each team with more time to make their selection, the draft committees for each team can thoroughly think about who the best players available are. It would allow for better strategies and some time to regroup ahead of the second round.
Television programs would not be in a rush. Especially in the second round. History has shown that TV partners are rushed to get through their programming and list of advertisements. During ESPN’s broadcast of 2014 draft, Two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic was famously drafted during a Taco Bell commercial.
The Negative:
With a two-day event less people may tune into the broadcast of the second day. In contrast, to the NFL the second and third days of the NFL Draft are followed through a draft tracker by a majority of people due to the time of the draft being during the day.
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