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:
Saddiq Bey | Villanova | wing
STATS: 16.1 PPG | 47.7 FG% | 45.1 3-PT%
USA Today SMG‘s own Bryan Kalbrosky has the Nets selecting the 6-foot-8, 20-year-old wing in the 2020 NBA Draft. The big reason being Bey’s 3-point shooting:
… with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant set to return from injuries, Brooklyn will need as many knock-down shooters as possible.
Kalbrosky also added, “Bey is able to contribute well without being the focal point of an offense.”
Although he needs to get a bit stronger, physically, Bey is also switchable on the defensive end.