About the NBA Draft
The NBA Draft is an annual selection ceremony where National Basketball League clubs declare their rights to new basketball players who have just graduated from college. According to new NBA rules, athletes must be at least 19 years old and receive their high school diploma no earlier than a year before the draft. The draft is held at the end of the regular season at Barclays Center (the arena is home to the Brooklyn Nets).
The main aim of the NBA draft is to give each club the opportunity to get a strong basketball player into their squad. That's the difference between the selection in Europe, where mostly rich clubs have a good chance of getting the best players.
2027 National Basketball Association Draft
The 2027 NBA Draft is expected to take place in late June 2027 in New York. The exact date and venue have not yet been announced. NBA teams will select new players who can begin their professional careers in the league.
Date and Location
The 2027 NBA Draft is expected to be held in New York in late June 2027. The NBA will announce the exact date and arena at a later stage.
For comparison, the 2026 NBA Draft was held on June 23–24 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn and featured two rounds.
NBA Draft Format
The NBA Draft consists of two rounds. Teams select players in an order determined by regular-season results and the Draft Lottery.
Starting with the 2027 NBA Draft, the NBA will introduce a new lottery system. The lottery will expand from 14 to 16 teams, with the new 3-2-1 system changing the odds for the top picks.
Prospects and Participants
The final list of NBA Draft 2027 participants will be confirmed closer to the event. It may include players from US college basketball as well as international prospects.
The leading candidates for the top picks will become clearer during the 2026/27 season.
Why the NBA Draft Matters
The NBA Draft is one of the main ways teams add young talent to their rosters. A high draft pick can give a franchise access to a promising prospect, while for players, the Draft represents an important step toward an NBA career.
The 2026 National Basketball Association draft is scheduled for June 24. It is expected to take place in Brooklyn, New York, at the Barclays Center, where the NBA has held most of its drafts in recent years.
As in previous seasons, the event will take place on one day and will bring together the most promising young basketball players who dream of getting into the strongest clubs in the league. Analysts have already identified several names to keep an eye on: Cameron Boozer, Darrin Peterson, AJ Daibantsa and Nate Ament are all considered favorites for the upcoming draft.
The full list of participants, the selection order and the teams holding the picks will be announced closer to the date of the event. The draft always generates great interest, because this is where the path of future NBA stars begins.
History of drafts
The first NBA draft took place in 1947. The idea for the NBA draft was taken from the National Football League draft, which had been in existence for over 10 years at the time. Over the years, the rules of the draft changed and adjusted.
Until 1965, the NBA had a "territorial draft picks" rule, which allowed a club to draft athletes from nearby colleges without a turn. Later, this rule was abolished due to league expansion. Meanwhile, the right to select was played by tossing a coin between the clubs that were ranked in the last two places in their conference. Some clubs started to take advantage of this system and began to purposely lose matches to be among the first to be selected.
Since 1994, it was established that the worst team had only a 25% probability of being the first choice. From then on, losing matches became less attractive and promising.
Results of the previous NBA drafts
| The year | Venue | First pick |
| 2026 | Brooklyn, New York (USA) | professional basketball team - "Washington Wizards" basketball player - A.J. Dibanza |
| 2025 | Brooklyn, New York (USA) | Dallas Mavericks, professional basketball team basketball player - Cooper Flagg |
| 2024 | Brooklyn, New York (USA) | Atlanta Hawks, professional basketball team basketball player - Zakkari Risashe |
2028 National Basketball Association Draft
There is no information on the dates of the 83rd NBA Draft Lottery and NBA Draft Ceremony at this time.
Keep an eye on the dates of basketball games and other events in our Sporting Events Calendar.
