The NBA is intrigued with the prospect of moving its draft after July 1 and making it a back-to-back spectacle with a season-ending award program, according to a source close to USA Today.
The source who requested anonymity since negotiations are still underway, said that the league office is thinking of making an award show to be followed by its annual rookie draft on consecutive nights. The belief is that the awards program will further promote the rookie draft.
However there are concerns about this plan. One is that moving the draft back will have an impact on the free aency period. Also, there is the need to negotiate the draft schedule with the league's TV partners. The NBA's coverage agreement with ESPN, ABC and Turner Sports will expire after the 2016 season.
There are also concerns about delaying free agency which may happen should the plan to have a season-ending awards show and NBA draft happen in July. However, if there is a guarantee that the free agency period will be wrapped by the end of July, then there's a chance that the plan to have an awards show and the NBA draft on consecutive nights will transpire. The league does not want to have free agency happen in August.
Still, everything is on the drawing board according to the USA Today source. The same media outlet is also reporting that the NBA has been impressed with the NBC coverage of the NHL, and that the network is expected to bid for the NBA coverage as well in the future.
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