NBA Rumors: 'Select Players' Receive Combine Invites; No Date, Location Given

The NBA has reached out to "select players" about the possibility of a rescheduled scouting combine, according to ESPN's Jonathan Givony.

The league postponed the combine and draft lottery due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Givony reported a new date and location for the combine has yet to be finalized.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported the league will stage the lottery Aug. 20 and the 2020 draft Oct. 16. While the two present logistical problems amid the pandemic, the WNBA and NFL showed the template for a remote, virtual draft.

The combine would require more moving pieces in terms of getting players and team personnel to one location. Replicating the "bubble" atmosphere the league established in Orlando, Florida, may not be feasible.

Former NBA executive vice president Stu Jackson explained why a combine invite would be a meaningful distinction on its own:

College players have until Aug. 3 to determine whether they will stay in the 2020 draft pool or return to school. The pandemic has robbed them of the traditional showcases and individual workouts that generally provide insight about their draft stock.

Now, draft-eligible stars have at least one indicator as to how they're viewed in NBA circles.

The NBA announced in April that 205 players—163 from the college ranks and 42 from overseas—formally declared themselves as early entrants for the draft. That list will likely dwindle by the start of August since only 60 players will be selected this fall.