NBA Draft 2020: picks, players, trades

That brings the first round of the NBA draft 2020 to a conclusion. Thanks for following!
 

Desmond Bane (SG, TCU) is the final pick of the first round, going to the Memphis Grizzlies.

Boston Celtics are up next, but it's going to Memphis, who get a pick in the first round.

The Toronto Raptors have pick 29 and go for Malachi Flynn (PG, San Diego St.)

Minnesota go for Jaden McDaniels (PF, Washington) at #28

Aaron Nesmith to Boston Celtics

Utah Jazz up next and they've gone big with Udoka Azubuike (C, Kansas)

Payton Pritchard to Celtics at #26

Payton Pritchard (PG, Oregon) is pick 26 - off to the Boston Celtics. 

Boston Celtics on the clock here

Fast pick here at No. 25: Immanuel Quickley (PG/SG, Kentucky) goes to the Knicks.

Denver use their traded 24 pick for RJ Hampton (PG/SG, New Zealand Breakers (NBL))

Wait, Denver Nuggets are getting 24 here. 

Argentinean Leandro Bolmaro (PG/SG, Barcelona (Spain)) is heading to the Minnestota Timberwolves (trade from Knicks), but in principle he won't be coming now, he's staying in Spain for one more year. 

Pick 22: Zeke Nnaji (PF/C, Arizona) to Denver.

Denver taking their time over this pick...

Tyrese Maxey (SG, Kentucky) goes to the 76ers as 21st pick.

Precious Achiuwa (PF, Memphis) is pick 20, heading to Miami Heat. 

Miami Heat are on the clock...

Detroit Pistons trade into 19 and go for Saddiq Bey (SF, Villanova) after already picking up Killian Hayes (PG) and Isaiah Stewart (PF).

Three team trade! Detroit Pistons, LA Clippers and the Brooklyn Nets - meaning Detroit Pistons get pick number 19. 

Clippers get Luke Kennard, Nets get Landry Shamet and Pistons get this 19th pick. 

Detroit Pistons' number 7 pick.

Pick 18! Josh Green (SC, Arizona) goes to the Mavs.

Oklahoma Thunder pick Aleksej Pokusevski (C, Olympiacos B (Greece)). He's a full 7 feet, but needs to fill out. 

Pick number 14 Aaron Nesmith...

Detroit Pistons also take Isaiah Stewart (PF/C, Washington) with their traded pick at 16

Official: Oklahoma City Thunder receive 17th pick and Timberwolves get Ricky Rubio (going back!) plus 25th pick and 28th pick this year. 

There's a whole lot of emotion in this video... fair point though.

15th pick is in! Cole Anthony (PG, North Carolina) to Orlando Magic. 

Aaron Nesmith (SG/SF, Vanderbilt) is the 14th pick, going to the Boston Celtics. 

Trade rumour being reported. Oklahoma City Thunder receive 17th pick and Timberwolves get Ricky Rubio (going back!) plus 25th pick and 28th pick this year. 

That's just a rumour at the moment.

Kira Lewis (PG, Alabama) goes 13 to the New Orleans Pelicans.

New Orleans Pelicans are on the clock...

That's a low-key tweet welcome from the Suns for Jalen Smith. No video, no graphics. 

Sacramento Kings don't waste any time and they go for Tyrese Haliburton (PG, Iowa St.), a great defensive option, a great value option. 

Spurs go for Devin Vassell (SG, Florida St.)

Spurs pick coming up...

Phoenix Suns with the 10th pick: Jalen Smith (PF, Maryland). Interesting pick from Phoenix. 

Suns were on the Twitter bandwagon earlier on today... they're on the clock right now.

Deni Avdija (SF, Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel)), the earliest taken Israeli in draft history, goes nine to the Washington Wizards!

What exactly does Okoro bring to the Cavs?

Nice vid from the Pistons.

Knicks were excited... and there we go, he's all the way there.

6ft 11inch 22-year-old Obi Toppin (PF, Dayton) does indeed go to the New York Knicks! 

New York Knicks are on the clock...

Remember they have the 23rd pick too, which they traded from Utah Jazz for 27th and 38th picks (plus Ante Tomic to the Knicks too)

Detroit Pistons go across the pond and pick Frenchman Killian Hayes (PG, ULM (France)). He's a potential point guard of the future...

And Onyeka Okongwu (PF/C, USC) is a lightning fast pick from the Atlanta Hawks! They did not have to think about that one. He is reportedly suffering from a fractured toe, but that's not expected to keep him out of action for the start of the season.

Isaac Okoro (SG/SF, Auburn) is exactly what Cleveland needed and it's exactly what they've got with the fifth pick.

Well, the expected top three went first, and then Patrick Williams at four to the Chicago Bulls, which was somewhat of a surprise. 

Cleveland Cavaliers on the clock and another team who are apparently calling round trying to trade down...

Surprise of the drafts so far. Patrick Williams (SF/PF, Florida St) picked at four by the Chicago Bulls! He was expected a fair bit further down.

Welcome for James Wiseman!

Chicago Bulls are up next...

Number three pick is LAMELO BALL. The Illawarra Hawks point guard goes to Charlotte Hornets.  

Charlotte Hornets are on the clock...and their pick is in

Golden State take James Wiseman (C, Memphis) - safe pick from them, could start right away. 

Congrats to Anthony Edwards!

Golden State Warriors are on the clock now.

Minnnesota Timberwolves have kept their opening pick and gone with Anthony Edwards (SG, Georgia)!

LaMelo Ball with his family... he's said he was born to be first pick. One minute left for the Timberwolves.

Five minutes... Timberwolves are ON THE CLOCK. Reports are they are still trying to trade down. 

Adam Silver introducing the draft, and the Timberwolves are deciding what they do. Could they still trade their first pick?

Ready!

Sheck Wes? In the draft?

He says he is, but maybe it's just a publicity stunt, which... oh, appears to have worked to some extent.

Great talent, little info

Bill Reiter at CBS has some interesting chat on how this draft has been fascinating and difficult for two reasons - firstly there is plenty of talent on offer, with an "abundance of real talent to be had in picks 10 through 40" but given the covid-19 pandemic the major issue has been a dearth of information:

"Has [the pandemic] put us in unchartered territory and waters for the first time in our history? Absolutely, he said. "There's always been the pre-draft camp, medical testing, interviews, scouting into March. It is all about information gathering -painting your decision-maker's picture. It's been very, very challenging."

"I don't know what to say"

Zion Williamson - 1st pick last year. 

LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, James Wiseman

A look at the top picks this year with 19-year-old Ball expected to go first, with shooting guard Anthony Edwards and center James Wiseman very close behind. 

NBA 2020

NBA draft 2020: picks, players, trades, updates

LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, James Wiseman

A look at the top picks this year with 19-year-old Ball expected to go first, with shooting guard Anthony Edwards and center James Wiseman very close behind. 

Power forward Jaden McDaniels

20-year-old McDaniels looking sharp. He's expected to go late in the first round.

Trade watch

Couple of trades so far: 

New York Knicks have taken the Utah Jazz's 23rd pick and Ante Tomic, ceding their 27th and 38th picks. 

The Bucks get the Orlando Magic's 45th pick for two future second round picks (Indiana's in 2022, 2023 or 2024 and Milwaukee's in 2026). Love the long term planning trades. 

2020-21 season schedule

Tonight's picks will be heading into the new season, with the tentative schedule now announced by the NBA. The regular season starts on Tuesday, 22 December and features 72 games for each team. Training camps start on 1 December. 

Teams will play three games against each intraconference opponent (42 games) and two games against each interconference opponent (30 games) 

Draft calendar: 

Dec. 11-19, 2020: Preseason games

Dec. 22, 2020 – March 4, 2021: First Half of regular season

March 5-10, 2021: All-Star break

March 11 – May 16, 2021: Second Half of regular season

May 18-21, 2021: Play-In Tournament

May 22 – July 22, 2021: 2021 NBA Playoffs

Social media presence 

Ball already has five million followers on Instagram, which is pretty impressive. Here he is with his brothers.

LaMelo Ball has made no secret that he thinks he’s going to be No. 1 pick.

“I don’t look at anything like that as pressure. Being the No. 1 pick definitely holds a lot, but I feel like I was born for it,” said Ball on a Zoom interview yesterday. And he’s making the most of it: “You only go through this process once. So, I’m really just enjoying all of it.”

Of course as the youngest of the Ball Bros. he’s seen a lot already growing up and following in the footsteps of Lonzo, No. 2 pick in 2017 (currently with the New Orleans Pelicans) and LiAngelo who is in the NBA G-league. 

Remember that LaMelo has already played professionally, in the Australian  NBA and in Lithuania. “I feel like when you go overseas, it’s a whole new different style of play; something that you can just add to the arsenal,” Ball said. “So, I feel like it helped me in that aspect.”

Asked about the role he envisions for himself as a rookie, Ball didn’t hesitate: “Pretty much whenever I get there, and [whatever] the coach asks me to do, I’m gonna do,” he said.

Those pick lists in full

Here's how things stand at the moment, but expect some trades before we get underway:

Round 1:
1. Minnesota Timberwolves

2. Golden State Warriors

3. Charlotte Hornets

4. Chicago Bulls

5. Cleveland Cavaliers

6. Atlanta Hawks

7. Detroit Pistons

8. New York Knicks

9. Washington Wizards

10. Phoenix Suns

11. San Antonio Spurs

12. Sacramento Kings

13. New Orleans Pelicans

14. Boston Celtics

15. Orlando Magic

16. Portland Trail Blazers

17. Minnesota Timberwolves

18. Dallas Mavericks

19. Brooklyn Nets

20. Miami Heat

21. Philadelphia 76ers

22. Denver Nuggets

23. New York Knicks

24. Milwaukee Bucks

25. Oklahoma City Thunder

26. Boston Celtics

27. Utah Jazz

28. Los Angeles Lakers

29. Toronto Raptors

30. Boston Celtics 

Round 2:
31. Dallas Mavericks

32. Charlotte Hornets

33. Minnesota Timberwolves

34. Philadelphia 76ers

35. Sacramento Kings

36. Philadelphia 76ers

37. Washington Wizards

38. Utah Jazz

39. New Orleans Pelicans

40. Memphis Grizzlies

41. San Antonio Spurs

42. New Orleans Pelicans

43. Sacramento Kings

44. Chicago Bulls

45. Milwaukee Bucks 

46. Portland Trail Blazers

47. Boston Celtics

48. Golden State Warriors

49. Philadelphia 76ers

50. Atlanta Hawks

51. Golden State Warriors

52. Sacramento Kings

53. Oklahoma City Thunder

54. Indiana Pacers

55. Brooklyn Nets

56. Charlotte Hornets

57. Los Angeles Clippers

58. Philadelphia 76ers

59. Toronto Raptors

60. New Orleans Pelicans
 

First five picks

First up tonight are the Minnesota Timberwolves, (needing PF, SF, PG) and are expected to go for LaMelo Ball. The Timberwolves have also taken the Brooklyn Nets 17th pick and currently have the 3rd pick in the second round. 

Second pick goes to Golden State Warriors who are expected to select center James Wiseman.

Third pick is for the Charlotte Hornets, who finished 10th in the Eastern Conference, and they could be going for Shooting Guard Anthony Edwards.

Chicago Bulls are fourth, who could take Power Forward Obi Toppin, who was player of the year at Dayton. 

Cleveland Cavaliers are fifth and if he's not gone before Israeli prospect Deni Avdija would be a fine choice, with the Short Forward, widely recognised as this year's best international player. 
 

Good evening and welcome to our live coverage of the 2020 NBA Draft, the first to be held outside June since 1975. That's because of the coronavirus pandemic that has thrown schedules into disarray this year - and it also means tonight's draft will virtual due to covid-19 and the need for social distancing - so no fans or players in attendance as Adam Silver announces the picks on TV. 

Things get underway at 7 p.m. ET, with the first pick - from the Minnesota Timberwolves - expected around 7.30 p.m.