Among the uncertainties surrounding the NBA as the novel coronavirus continues to be a major issue in the U.S. is the 2020 draft.
NBA teams won’t be able to look at college players during March Madness, and the rest of the pre-draft process is expected to be limited. The matter of when the draft will actually happen is up in the air, as well. Especially if the league tries to crown a 2020 champion.
For the Brooklyn Nets, based on where the standings were when the league went on hiatus, their first-round pick would convey to the Timberwolves. Minnesota acquired Brooklyn’s top-14 protected pick from the Hawks, which the Nets sent to Atlanta in a trade that delivered Taurean Prince.
But the Nets will not be without a first-round selection. They have Philadelphia’s top-14 protected pick, which Brooklyn acquired when they sent the No. 27 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft — which wound up being Mfiondu Kabengele — to the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Nets’ second-round pick belongs to the Boston Celtics, but Brooklyn the Denver Nuggets’ second-round selection.
Right now, the Nets fall have the No. 20 and No. 55 picks.
Here’s a look at one player Brooklyn could take at No. 20:
Theo Maledon | ASVEL | Wing
STATS: 7.4 PPG | 3.1 APG | 36.7 3-PT%
A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston feels the 6-foot-5 wing’s “pass-first game, would mesh well with the direction of the Nets.”
The soon-to-be 19-year-old still needs some more seasoning. Another year of development in the EuroLeague might help with that.
But Maledon’s length (6-foot-9 wingspan, per Blakely) and skillset make him a worthwhile option for the Nets if they aren’t looking for an instant impact player in the 2020 NBA Draft.