There's continued to be hype and buzz surrounding the 2020 NBA draft, despite the 2019-20 season's suspension in mid-March creating uncertainty about when the event would even arrive.
But with the season set to resume Thursday, there's now a clearer timeline. The draft lottery is set to take place Aug. 20 and the draft will be held after the season is completed in October. And once the order is set, it will be easier for teams to make plans about which players they could select.
Here's an updated mock for the first round of this year's draft, followed by a breakdown of the top three point guards likely to come off the board.
NBA Mock Draft, 1st Round
1. Golden State Warriors: Anthony Edwards, SG, Georgia
2. Cleveland Cavaliers: James Wiseman, C, Memphis
3. Minnesota Timberwolves: LaMelo Ball, PG, Illawarra Hawks
4. Atlanta Hawks: Deni Avdija, SF, Maccabi Tal Aviv
5. Detroit Pistons: Obi Toppin, PF, Dayton
6. New York Knicks: Killian Hayes, PG, Ratiopharm Ulm
7. Chicago Bulls: Tyrese Haliburton, PG, Iowa State
8. Charlotte Hornets: Onyeka Okongwu, PF/C, USC
9. Washington Wizards: Devin Vassell, SF, Florida State
10. Phoenix Suns: Isaac Okoro, SF, Auburn
11. San Antonio Spurs: Aaron Nesmith, SF, Vanderbilt
12. Sacramento Kings: Precious Achiuwa, PF, Memphis
13. New Orleans Pelicans: Cole Anthony, PG, North Carolina
14. Portland Trail Blazers: Saddiq Bey, SF, Villanova
15. Orlando Magic: Tyrese Maxey, SG, Kentucky
16. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Brooklyn Nets): Patrick Williams, PF, Florida State
17. Boston Celtics (via Memphis Grizzlies): Josh Green, SG, Arizona
18. Dallas Mavericks: R.J. Hampton, SG, New Zealand Breakers
19. Milwaukee Bucks (via Indiana Pacers): Jaden McDaniels, PF, Washington
20. Brooklyn Nets (via Philadelphia 76ers): Tyler Bey, SF, Colorado
21. Denver Nuggets (via Houston Rockets): Nico Mannion, Arizona
22. Philadelphia 76ers (via Oklahoma City Thunder): Theo Maledon, PG, ASVEL
23. Miami Heat: Tre Jones, PG, Duke
24. Utah Jazz: Jalen Smith, PF, Maryland
25. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Denver Nuggets): Leandro Bolmaro, SG, FC Barcelona
26. Boston Celtics: Isaiah Stewart, C, Washington
27. New York Knicks (via Los Angeles Clippers): Aleksej Pokusevski, PF, Olympiacos B
28. Toronto Raptors: Vernon Carey Jr., C, Duke
29. Los Angeles Lakers: Kira Lewis Jr., PG, Alabama
30. Boston Celtics (via Milwaukee Bucks): Jahmi'us Ramsey, SG, Texas Tech
Top Point Guards
LaMelo Ball, Illawarra Hawks
It's a pretty safe bet that LaMelo Ball is going to be the first point guard selected in this year's draft. The only question will be just how quickly he will come off the board.
A lot could depend on the draft order. Several teams believe Ball wants to join the New York Knicks, according to Ian Begley of SNY, but unless they get lucky at the lottery and obtain one of the top three or so picks, it could be difficult for them to make that happen without trading up. Will New York consider that if it owns a selection around No. 5 or No. 6? That's unclear.
But Ball is unlikely to fall out of the top five because of his talent and potential. The soon-to-be 19-year-old has grown up a lot over the past couple years, including last season while playing for the Illawarra Hawks of Oceania's NBL.
One team that could draft Ball if they own an early selection is the Timberwolves. Don't be surprised if Minnesota adds him to its young core, hoping he develops into a star player in the years to come.
"It's ambitious to think he can step in and be a third banana right away alongside D'Angelo Russell and [Karl-Anthony] Towns, but it's not an implausible gamble given his high hoops IQ and skill level," Kyle Boone of CBS Sports recently wrote.
Killian Hayes, Ratiopharm Ulm
The Knicks need a point guard they can add to their young core, and if they can't get Ball, perhaps they could draft Killian Hayes, one of the top international prospects in this year's class.
Begley recently reported that Hayes had a video interview with New York, according to Hayes' agent, Yann Balikouzou. However, he's also spoken with "dozens of teams," so it's not too clear how much interest the Knicks have in drafting the point guard, who turns 19 on Monday.
Hayes has a high ceiling, though, and it's possible he could play alongside RJ Barrett in the Knicks backcourt for years to come. He also has strong passing and playmaking skills, so he could make some of New York's other young players better.
The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor has Hayes as the No. 1 prospect in the class on his big board, noting that he's a "fluid ball-handler" who can "whip passes off the dribble with accuracy and hit cutters or rollers with precision." Not all draft analysts are that high on Hayes, but it shows that there has been some buzz surrounding his playmaking abilities.
There's a solid chance that if New York picks just outside the top five, Hayes will be the best point guard available.
Tyrese Haliburton, Iowa State
One of the top point guards coming the from the college ranks is Iowa State's Tyrese Haliburton, who averaged 15.2 points, 6.5 assists and 5.9 rebounds in 22 games as a sophomore this past season. He shot 50.4 percent from the field and was even more impressive than he was during his freshman campaign.
According to ESPN's Jonathan Givony, the Warriors are "high" on Haliburton. But Golden State could own a top-three pick. Would it consider drafting him over other prospects such as Edwards, Wiseman and Ball? Would it trade down in that scenario?
The prediction here is that the Warriors would take one of the other prospects unless they fall a bit lower. And if that's the case, Haliburton could go to the Chicago Bulls, who could add the former Cyclone to a guard rotation that includes Coby White and Zach LaVine.
If Chicago picks just outside the top five and Haliburton is still on the board, it could pick him as the best player available, even if guard isn't its top need. The Bulls are at a stage when they should probably add the most talent, which is what they would be doing by drafting Haliburton.
Regardless of what happens, Haliburton is likely to be a top-10 pick and one of the first point guards drafted.
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