With the NBA Finals having finished a little over a month ago, the 2020 NBA Draft is now officially upon us. Following an unprecedented season that finished on a closed campus in Orlando due to the COVID-19 pandemic, tonight’s draft will look different as well. 

The NBA draft is usually held in June, right before the league’s free agency period begins. However, since the season did not conclude until October due to the mid-season hiatus caused by COVID-19, the draft and free agency were pushed back. Like in previous years, free agency will begin in the coming weeks after the draft.

After the NFL conducted a fully virtual draft this past April, the NBA will take a similar route, as NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum will announce this year’s picks from ESPN studios in Connecticut. The event will not be held in-person, and players will instead find out which team they will be joining from their homes. 

While the circumstances of this year’s draft are unusual, there are still plenty of talented players in this year’s draft class. It remains unclear who the Minnesota Timberwolves will select with the first pick (or if they will keep the pick at all, as there have been several trade rumors involving the pick), but one player who is commonly predicted by analysts to go first this year is Georgia guard Anthony Edwards. 

Edwards boasts a strong scoring ability and impressive athleticism, which has led to some comparing him to legendary shooting guard Dwayne Wade. Edwards and Wade have both approved this comparison, with Edwards noting that he hopes he can eventually surpass Wade and live up to the hype that comes with being the first pick in the draft.

Other notable names in this year’s draft class include Memphis center James Wiseman, who faced several eligibility issues while in college but still managed to succeed, and former Chino Hills High School guard Lamelo Ball, the younger brother of New Orleans Pelicans point guard Lonzo Ball.

It will also be worth keeping an eye on any surprise trades during the draft. Former Oklahoma City Thunder guard Dennis Schröder has already been unofficially traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for the 28th pick in this year’s draft and guard Danny Green. With trade rumors flying across the league as the offseason begins to heat up, it will be worth keeping an eye on any possible player and pick movement in the draft this year.