The league on Wednesday announced the adjustment, which has been in the works for several months. This year’s first round of the draft will take place on Wednesday, June 26 at New York’s Barclays Center. Round 2 will take place on June 27 at ESPN’s Seaport District Studios in New York.
Last year’s draft, which saw Victor Wembanyama go first overall to the San Antonio Spurs, lasted nearly five hours and finished about 12:45 a.m. Eastern, which is one of the key reasons for the two-day format.
The duration between picks in the first round will be five minutes. It will grow from two to four minutes. Teams have a flurry of business to attend to in the hours following the draft, including striking deals with undrafted free agents and finding players to complete squads for upcoming summer leagues. The league also wants draft broadcasts to end at a more acceptable hour, making them more appealing to viewers.
The draft begins on June 26, three days after Game 7 of this season’s NBA Finals, assuming the series goes the distance. The finals are slated to start on June 6.
The order for this season’s draft will be determined at the draft lottery on May 12. The draft combine in Chicago is slated for May 13-19 this year, according to new rules.
To be eligible for the draft, all prospects invited by the NBA must attend the combine, which includes talent evaluations, height and wingspan measures, medical checks, team interviews, media sessions, and more. Prospects will not be required to participate in scrimmage games that are part of the combine program. This represents a big departure from previous years, when several high selection prospects elected to forgo the combine entirely.
