NBA free agency and the draft could go hand-in-hand for the Chicago Bulls later this month, really crunching the timeline for this offseason.
Fans and media around the basketball landscape got great news on the night of Nov. 5 that the 2020-21 NBA regular season is set to begin pre-Christmas, specifically on Dec. 22. A report from ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, among other sources, confirmed the start date of the planned 2020-21 regular season for the league on Dec. 22. Finally it will just be six or seven weeks before the official return of Chicago Bulls basketball.
That would mean that this Bulls team will get to play in another meaningful game in all likelihood this calendar year. The last time that the Bulls played in a meaningful game was back in mid-March, in a home win at the United Center over the divisional foe Cleveland Cavaliers.
But before the 2020-21 altered regular season schedule can begin, there’s a lot for the NBA to get through this offseason. For the remainder of the offseason, the league still has to get through the 2020 NBA Draft, this cycle of free agency, and the opening of the trade market.
Among NBPA player reps on tonight’s call, there was some curiosity about starting free agency prior to Nov. 18 Draft, sources tell ESPN. For a few reasons, it isn’t possible under these circumstances. However, it is an idea that's had some support among teams in ordinary times.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 6, 2020
The 2020 NBA Draft is now set to take place on the night of Nov. 18 (a little less than two weeks away). And it sounded like the plan at one point was to have the next cycle of free agency begin within 48-72 hours after the conclusion of draft night (possibly around Nov. 20 or 21).
That date now could be moved ahead of the start of the 2020 NBA Draft, since the offseason timeline was officially shortened by the announcement of the new tip off date for the next regular season. Executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas might have a lot of decisions to make a lot faster than he and the new look Bulls front office regime/coaching staff originally anticipated.
The Bulls finished up the shortened 2019-20 regular season with a record of 22-43 under the direction of former head coach Jim Boylen, good for 11th place in the Eastern Conference standings. Karnisovas and Marc Eversley took over as the lead voices in the front office for John Paxson and Gar Forman too.