What day is the 2021 NBA Draft? Here's all you need to watch out for on the big day!
With the 2021 NBA Finals played to its conclusion, all focus is on the 2021 NBA Draft. The draft is scheduled to be held on July 29 by 8 pm at the Barclays Center, after which the 2021 NBA free agency commences on August 2.
Several franchises are looking forward to this day as it is their first step to building a roster that can compete in the 2021-22 season. The 2021 NBA Draft Lottery has given us an idea of how the picks are expected to play out. However, there will be a lot of changes on draft day as teams will be looking to move up on the draft.
Which teams will likely trade their 2021 NBA Draft picks?
As expected, a few teams will be more interested in players that can help them win now rather than rookies for the future. Recent reports suggest that the Golden State Warriors, Indiana Pacers, and Sacramento Kings are top franchises that will be more interested in swapping their picks for established talents that can help them compete in the 2021-22 season and beyond.
The Orlando Magic, Houston Rockets and Toronto Raptors have also been linked with trade rumors as they are all willing to trade up the draft. Although the Houston Rockets landed the second overall pick during the 2021 NBA Draft Lottery, rumors are circulating that they are interested in trading up to select Cade Cunningham.
Given that these are rumors and no official deals have been made, it is almost certain that some franchises will move up in the 2021 NBA Draft while others will trade their chances of selecting a youngster.
Which players will be present at the 2021 NBA Draft?
The 2021 NBA draft is about a week away, and twenty prospects have been invited to attend the ceremony and stay in the green room. History has shown that players invited have a higher chance of getting selected earlier in the draft. However, that has not always been the case.
Regardless, getting an invite to the green room is an honor, and twenty prospects have received invites. Although a few names on the list were expected, some others came as a surprise.
Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green, Evan Mobley and Jonathan Kuminga are some of the names that were expected to make an appearance in the 2021 NBA Draft green room. Other notable names that received invites include Davion Mitchell, Scottie Barnes, Jalen Suggs and Corey Kispert.
The last time the NBA Draft green room took place (2019), Zion Williamson and Ja Morant were invitees. They were both selected as the first and second overall picks and have gone on to flourish in the NBA. Bol Bol and Nicolas Claxton both received invites but were drafted in the second round.
The 2021 NBA Draft will be broadcasted live on ABC and ESPN on July 29 by 8 pm.