NBA DRAFT EXPLAINED: Where to watch, who to keep an eye on and which teams own the top picks ahead of basketball’s marquee event TONIGHT
- A new rookie class will be welcomed to the NBA this week during the draft
- And stars of the future posed for their official portraits in Times Square before
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
On Thursday night, 58 players will hear their names called in the NBA Draft as they embark on the next stage of their basketball careers.
Hailing from France to Alabama, there are plenty of exciting prospects to be excited about, from seasoned college stars to talented-yet-raw teenagers.
But what are the details of the NBA’s biggest night?
Here, Mail Sport takes you through the event.
Victor Wembanyama speaks to the press on June 21 ahead of the NBA Draft
When is it?
The draft will be held this Thursday, June 22.
The first round (of two) will begin at 7:30ET.
Where is it?
The draft will take place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
The arena is home to the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets, as well as the WNBA’s New York Liberty.
The draft will be held at the Barclays Center, home of the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets
Where can I watch?
The event will be broadcast on ABC, ESPN and the ESPN app.
However, ABC will only be showing the first round – the first 30 picks – while ESPN will have you covered for the entire event.
Who has the No. 1 pick?
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The San Antonio Spurs landed the No. 1 overall pick after winning the draft lottery on May 16.
The Hornets will pick next at No. 2 while the Blazers round out the top three.
Spurs owner Peter J. Holt with NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum after Tatum announced that the Spurs won the first pick in the NBA draft
Who are the big names to watch out for?
Even more than usual, the No. 1 pick was highly coveted this year with 7-foot-5 French phenom Victor Wembanyama in the draft.
The Spurs are widely expected to select him first overall.
Meanwhile, Brandon Miller (University of Alabama) and Scoot Henderson (G League Ignite) are expected to be picked second and third respectively, while twins Amen and Ausar Thompson look like surefire top 10 picks.
Victor Wembanyama will be a member of the Spurs on Thursday barring a huge shock
Scoot Henderson is expected to be taken by the Blazers though the Hornets are also in play
Twin brothers Ausar (L) and Amen (R) Thompson could realistically be taken inside the top five
Why are there only 58 picks?
The NBA Draft normally has 60 picks, but will have two less this year.
That’s because the Bulls and 76ers each had to forfeit a second-round pick after violating free agency tampering rules, according to the NBA.
Who are the favorites to win next year’s Championship?
After winning their first NBA Championship, the Nuggets are considered slight favorites to lift the Larry O’Brien trophy at +460, with FanDuel putting the Celtics at +470 and the Bucks at +500.
From there, the Suns (+650) are the only other team in the hundreds after their blockbuster acquisition of Bradley Beal.
The Warriors (+1300), Lakers (+1500), 76ers (+1600) and Eastern Conference champions Heat (+1800) can be considered dark horse candidates.
