NBA reportedly finalizing plans to split draft across two days with 2024 NBA Draft
In a bit of an interesting change, the draft looks set to be split across two days for the 2024 NBA Draft in June.
In a move that mirrors one made by the NFL years ago, the NBA is reportedly splitting up its draft into a two-day affair, according to a report from Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN on Thursday. For 2024, that means the draft would take place on June 26 and 27, specifically.
The league did, to their credit, acknowledge the media rights being a factor in this, as well as GMs and front offices who can’t move quickly on draft night, or something like that, according to Woj’s report.
Among a number of reasons for the expansion of the event, including the programming for television rights partners, the NBA and teams are hopeful that the hours between Wednesday night’s first round and Thursday’s second round will give teams more time to make trades and plan out strategies for the second night.
Teams have been frustrated with the chaotic speed of the second round round and believe there could be more order in the process with a day between the picks.
It’ll certainly be interesting to see how many tune into the second day of this. The opening round and picks of the draft always have fanfare to them, but that wavers into the back of the first round and certainly throughout the second round, where very few people are actively watching. Making that entire second day its own broadcast is...risky.
For the Lakers, specifically this season, it means an even longer wait until they make their selection. As things stand, the team doesn’t have a first round pick with the Pelicans having the option between the Lakers 2024 and 2025 first round picks.
Their own second round pick was sent to Memphis as part of the trade that sent Marc Gasol to the Grizzlies. They do, however, have the Clippers’ second round pick as part of the Thomas Bryant trade last season. Both considering how well the Clippers have played of late, that’s a pick that’s going to be at the tail end of the draft.
And if the draft is two days? That’s a lot of waiting.
What do you think of the change? Will the league find success in making this a two-day affair?
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