NBA takes next step towards two-night Draft

The two-round NBA Draft might turn into a two-night NBA Draft soon.

On Thursday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that more overtures have been made toward making a two-night NBA Draft a reality. In fact, we might be close to the finish line.

“The NBA is still working on final sign-off from the Players Association, but the 2024 NBA Draft is preparing to move to two days,” Wojnarowski posted. The NBA insider listed the potential days of June 26 and 27, as it’s also still scheduled to take place in Brooklyn. The first round would be on Wednesday and the second round would be aired Thursday.

ESPN Sources: The NBA is still working on final sign-off from the Players Association, but the 2024 NBA Draft is preparing to move to two days – June 26 and 27 – in Brooklyn. Wednesday for the first-round picks and Thursday for the second-round. pic.twitter.com/IJJYGEku2b

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 11, 2024

This is… an ambitious idea. Traditionally, a lot of the attention in the NBA Draft comes in the lottery. That’s where you “want” to be if you want a high-quality player. After the lottery, it’s a really mixed bag. The attention often wears off, and by the time the second round comes around, it’s hard to get jazzed up for it. If you don’t take our word for it, consider that a team drafted a future two-time league MVP during a Taco Bell commercial.

On the flipside, is that a reason to air the second round like an event? It certainly helps give the players a focus they wouldn’t normally get. That’s a plus. But the interest level over players in the second round probably leans way more hardcore than casual.

If they did this, it would be interesting to see if the network would cover it in a traditional sense or try to attach some more bells and whistles. It’s not like that would be uncommon. For the NBA Draft though, you have to wonder how this all would work.

[Adrian Wojnarowski]