NBA Draft 2020, Explainer: Rules, top prospects, order and everything you need to know

The much-awaited NBA Draft is set to take on November 18 at the ESPN Headquarters in Connecticut as one the most exciting features of the off-season returns. The NBA Draft is filled with hopes and anticipation of which team will go on to pick the next future star of the NBA.

How does NBA Draft works?

The NBA Draft has two rounds with 30 picks allotted to each round. The draft lottery, which took place on August 20, 2020 allows the 14 teams that failed to qualify for the NBA playoffs – aligned from worst to best – to get the #1 draft pick, hence giving the worst three teams the highest chance to get that #1 pick.

2020 NBA DRAFT ORDER

• 1. Minnesota
• 2. Golden State
• 3. Charlotte
• 4. Chicago
• 5. Cleveland
• 6. Atlanta
• 7. Detroit
• 8. New York
• 9. Washington
• 10. Phoenix
• 11. San Antonio
• 12. Sacramento
• 13. New Orleans
• 14. Boston (from Memphis)
• 15. Orlando
• 16. Portland
• 17. Minnesota (from Brooklyn via Atlanta)
• 18. Dallas
• 19. Brooklyn (from Philadelphia via LA Clippers)
• 20. Miami
• 21. Philadelphia (from OKC via Orlando and Philadelphia)
• 22. Denver (from Houston)
• 23. Utah
• 24. Milwaukee (from Indiana)
• 25. Oklahoma City (from Denver)
• 26. Boston
• 27. New York (from LA Clippers)
• 28. Los Angeles Lakers
• 29. Toronto
• 30. Boston (from Milwaukee via Phoenix)
• 31. Dallas (from Golden State)
• 32. Charlotte (from Cleveland via LA Clippers and Orlando)
• 33. Minnesota
• 34. Philadelphia (from Atlanta)
• 35. Sacramento (from Detroit via Phoenix)
• 36. Philadelphia (from New York)
• 37. Washington (from Chicago)
• 38. New York (from Charlotte)
• 39. New Orleans (from Washington via Milwaukee)
• 40. Memphis (from Phoenix)
• 41. San Antonio
• 42. New Orleans
• 43. Sacramento
• 44. Chicago (from Memphis)
• 45. Orlando
• 46. Portland
• 47. Boston (from Brooklyn via Charlotte, Orlando and Philadelphia)
• 48. Golden State (from Dallas via Philadelphia)
• 49. Philadelphia
• 50. Atlanta (from Miami via Sacramento, Cleveland and Boston)
• 51. Golden State (from Utah via Dallas, Detroit and Cleveland)
• 52. Sacramento (from Houston)
• 53. Oklahoma City
• 54. Indiana
• 55. Brooklyn (from Denver)
• 56. Charlotte (from Boston)
• 57. LA Clippers
• 58. Philadelphia (from Los Angeles Lakers via Orlando)
• 59. Toronto
• 60. New Orleans (from Milwaukee)

NBA Draft 2020: LOOKING OUT FOR NO. 1

The Minnesota Timberwolves are set to make the first pick in the NBA Draft for the second time in franchise history. In 2015, the Timberwolves used the top pick to select two-time NBA All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns.

In August 2014, the Timberwolves acquired the top pick in the 2014 NBA Draft (Andrew Wiggins) and the top pick in the 2013 NBA Draft (Anthony Bennett) from the Cleveland Cavaliers in a three-team trade that also included the Philadelphia 76ers.

In the common era of the NBA Draft (since 1966), Duke and Kentucky have had the most first overall picks with three each. The Blue Devils’ No. 1 selections are Elton Brand (1999), Kyrie Irving (2011) and Zion Williamson (2019). The Wildcats’ No. 1 selections are John Wall (2010), Anthony Davis (2012) and Karl-Anthony Towns (2015).

Since the NBA Draft Lottery began in 1985, four of 35 No. 1 overall picks have won an NBA championship with the team that drafted them: David Robinson (San Antonio Spurs; first pick in 1987), Tim Duncan (Spurs; first pick in 1997), LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers; first pick in 2003) and Kyrie Irving (Cavaliers; first pick in 2011). James’ NBA championship with the Cavaliers came in his second stint with the team.

NBA Draft 2020: PICKING AND CHOOSING

• The Golden State Warriors are picking second for the first time in the common draft era. The Warriors have made the first pick twice since 1966: Joe Barry Carroll (1980) and Joe Smith (1995). Golden State has picked third four times in the common draft era: Clyde Lee (1966), Chris Washburn (1986), Penny Hardaway (1993) and Mike Dunleavy Jr. (2002).
• The Charlotte Hornets are picking third for the third time in franchise history. The Hornets previously selected Baron Davis (1999) and Adam Morrison (2006) with the third pick.
• The Chicago Bulls (fourth pick) will make their highest pick since selecting Derrick Rose with the first pick in 2008. The Bulls have had the fourth pick four other times: Tom Boerwinkle (1968), Kelvin Ransey (1980) Marcus Fizer (2000) and Eddy Curry (2001).
• The Boston Celtics are set to make three picks in the first round (Nos. 14, 26 and 30) for the second year in a row and one pick in the second round (No. 47). If the Celtics make all four picks, that would give them a league-high 25 draft selections since 2015.
• The San Antonio Spurs (11th pick) will make their first selection in the NBA Draft Lottery since 1997, when they selected 15-time NBA All-Star and five-time NBA champion Tim Duncan with the first pick. The Spurs’ highest selection since Duncan was Lonnie Walker III with the 18th pick in 2018.

Top prospects in this NBA Draft

• The younger brother of New Orleans Pelicans guard Lonzo Ball and former UCLA forward LiAngelo Ball, the youngest Ball brother was named the 2019-20 NBL Rookie of the Year after forgoing college to play professionally.
• He played with his brothers Lonzo and LiAngelo as a freshman at Chino Hills, helping the team to a 35-0 record and a state championship, and scoring a career-high 92 Points (41 PTS in the fourth quarter) vs. Los Osos High School on 02/07/2017.
• As the son of BBB founder LaVar Ball, LaMelo was featured in the reality TV show "Ball In The Family,” which aired on Facebook Watch.

• When Edwards was in eighth grade, his mother, Yvette, and his grandmother, Shirley, both passed away from cancer within eight months of each other. He wears No. 5 in honor of them both, because they both died on the fifth of the month.
• If Edwards gets drafted in the top 5, he will join Dominique Wilkins (No. 3 in 1982 NBA Draft) as the only players from the University of Georgia to be taken in the top 5 in the NBA Draft.
• A very good football player – Edwards played tailback, cornerback, and quarterback growing up and was also nicknamed ‘Ant Man.’

• Avdija played on the same team as former NBA players Omri Casspi and Amar’e Stoudemire and considers them mentors and was the youngest person to ever play for Maccabi.
• He won MVP honors at the Basketball Without Borders European Camp in 2018 and at the Basketball Without Borders Global Camp in Charlotte in 2019 and also won back-to-back gold medals at the U20 European Championships.

• After studying Mandarin in high school, Wiseman is now fluent in the language. In the future, he wants to be a philanthropist in his hometown of Memphis and own fast food restaurants. An entrepreneur at heart, Wiseman reads business books in his spare time but also is a man of his generation as an active TikToker.
• Wiseman (Memphis) is among the top prospects in the NBA Draft as a mobile 7-footer and outstanding rebounder with the potential to make an impact at both ends of the court.

• Dayton forward Obi Toppin’s remarkable rise has made him one of the most coveted players in the NBA Draft. Born in born in Bushwick, Brooklyn, Toppin played one season of varsity basketball in high school and did not have any Division I scholarship offers as a senior. A late growth spurt and a developmental year at a prep school raised his profile and led him to Dayton, where he blossomed into the consensus 2019-20 National Player of the Year as a sophomore. An electrifying athlete who has drawn comparisons to former NBA All-Star Amar’e Stoudemire, Toppin recorded more than 100 dunks last season.
• Obi has never owned a pair of jeans and/or suit until recently because he was always more comfortable wearing sweatpants. He is now embracing dressing up and has a three-piece suit he plans to debut on Draft night. He recently became a dog owner to Peaches during the pandemic and regularly schedules doggy playdates with fellow prospect Myles Powell’s dog.