Every June, the best young basketball players in the world wait to hear their names called. The NBA draft decides which team each new player joins, and it can change the future of a franchise overnight. This guide explains how the NBA draft works, from the lottery to the final pick.
What is the NBA draft?
The NBA draft is the yearly event where teams choose new players who are entering the league. Instead of signing any player they like, teams take turns to pick. Weaker teams generally pick earlier, which helps keep the league competitive.
The draft usually takes place in late June, a few days after the NBA Finals. Today, it runs over two nights, with one round on each night.
Who can enter the NBA draft?
To be eligible, a player must be at least 19 years old during the calendar year of the draft. He must also be at least one year out of high school.
Most players come from American college basketball. However, many others come from professional leagues abroad, especially in Europe. For example, Nikola Jokiฤ and Giannis Antetokounmpo both joined the league from overseas clubs.
The draft lottery
The order of the early picks depends on the draft lottery. The 14 teams that miss the playoffs take part. The lottery takes place in May and decides the first four picks.
The three teams with the worst records each have a 14 percent chance of landing the first pick. Since 2019, the odds have been flatter than before. The league made that change to stop teams from losing on purpose, a practice fans call tanking.
After the first four picks, the rest of the lottery teams pick in reverse order of their records.
The rest of the order
Once the lottery teams have picked, the playoff teams follow. Again, they pick in reverse order of their regular season records. So the team with the best record in the league picks last in each round.
Two rounds
The draft has two rounds. First-round picks usually get guaranteed contracts, with salaries based on where they were picked. Second-round picks, on the other hand, often sign cheaper deals or two-way contracts, which let them split time between the NBA and its development league, the G League.
Trading picks
Teams can trade draft picks, both before and during the event. Many big trades include future picks, sometimes several years ahead. Because of this, fans often watch the draft to see which teams move up or down, not just who gets picked.
Famous draft stories
The draft has produced some legendary moments:
- 1984: Michael Jordan went third overall. The Houston Rockets took Hakeem Olajuwon first, while the Portland Trail Blazers picked Sam Bowie second.
- 1996: Kobe Bryant went 13th overall, straight out of high school.
- 2003: LeBron James went first to his hometown-area team, the Cleveland Cavaliers.
- 2014: Nikola Jokiฤ went 41st overall, in the second round, and later won multiple MVP awards.
These stories show that the NBA draft is never an exact science. Great players can come from anywhere in the order.
Why the NBA draft matters
For struggling teams, the NBA draft is the main path back to success. One great pick can turn a team around for a decade. That is why fans follow the lottery, the mock drafts and the big night itself so closely.
To see where the draft fits into the year, read our guide to the NBA season format. You can also find draft news on the official NBA website, or explore more NBA guides.