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NBA postpones combine and draft lottery

The draft lottery was set for May 19, while the draft combine was scheduled for May 21-24 in Chicago.

David Griffin, the New Orleans Pelicans' executive vice president of basketball operations, holds up placards after it was announced that the Pelicans had won the first pick during last year's draft lottery.
David Griffin, the New Orleans Pelicans' executive vice president of basketball operations, holds up placards after it was announced that the Pelicans had won the first pick during last year's draft lottery.Read moreNuccio DiNuzzo / AP

On Friday, the NBA announced the postponement of the NBA Draft lottery and combine, scheduled this month in Chicago. The lottery was set for May 19, while the combine was scheduled for May 21-24.

These moves should come as no surprise.

The league said more information would be provided at a later date, as it continues to monitor the coronavirus pandemic.

The draft is scheduled for June 25 in New York, but it is likely that it will be postponed as well.

The league’s regular season was suspended March 11, after Utah center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. Commissioner Adam Silver announced the next day that play would be halted for at least 30 days.

Now, the expectation is that he NBA might not resume until July, if at all.

The league has not set a cutoff date for canceling the season and focusing on the 2020-21 campaign. The NBA also hasn’t ruled out finishing the regular season when it returns.

“Everything is on the table,” Silver said on April 17. "I mean, it’s clear that if we are to resume play, we’re looking at going significantly later than June, which is historically when our season and draft would have been completed.

“The direction that the league office has received from our teams is, again, all rules are off at this point, given the situation we find ourselves in, that the country is in.”

The league cannot place teams in their proper predraft lottery order until the regular season is officially concluded.