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NBA locks in Nov. 18 for this year's draft

The NBA has locked in Nov. 18 for the 2020 draft, which will air on ESPN, the league announced Wednesday.

The previously scheduled date had been Oct. 16. However, the NBA and National Basketball Players Association had been discussing a new date, creating a delay that would allow the league and union to negotiate amendments to the collective bargaining agreement and agree on 2020-21 salary cap and luxury tax thresholds.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have the No. 1 pick in the draft.

The start of free agency is expected to follow relatively soon after the draft.

Teams had significant concerns that a mid-October draft would leave them without the necessary information about future salary caps to conduct the typical draft night business of making trades, buying and selling picks, and selecting players.