NBA draft facts for kids
The NBA draft is a special yearly event for the National Basketball Association (NBA). It started way back in 1947. During the draft, NBA teams pick new players to join their organizations. These players must be old enough and have said they want to be part of the draft.
Today, the NBA has 30 teams. Every team usually gets at least one chance to pick a player in each of the two rounds of the draft. Most players chosen in the NBA draft used to come from college basketball teams.
Now, players also come from professional leagues in other countries. Some come from the G League Ignite team or other youth professional basketball leagues. College players who have finished their four years of college are automatically ready to be picked. Younger college players, called "early-entrants," must say they want to enter the draft. If they do, they give up their chance to play college basketball anymore. International players who are at least 22 years old are also automatically ready. Younger international players must also declare their eligibility. Choosing the right player in the draft is a very big decision for NBA teams. It can really change how a team plays, not just for one season but for many years.
The draft usually happens in late June, when the NBA season is over. Since 1989, the draft has only two rounds. This is much shorter than drafts in other big sports leagues in the United States and Canada, which often have seven or more rounds. Sixty players are chosen in each NBA draft. A player cannot sign with the NBA until they have been eligible for at least one draft.
In the past, players could be drafted right after high school. But starting with the 2006 draft, high school players could not go straight into the NBA. Now, high school players must wait one year after they graduate. They also need to be at least 19 years old by the end of the year the draft takes place.
Some players have chosen to play professionally overseas for that year. For example, Brandon Jennings played in Italy, Emmanuel Mudiay in China, and Terrance Ferguson in Australia. Thon Maker was able to enter the 2016 draft even though he didn't go to college. He took an extra year of school after high school, which made him eligible.
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How Players Get Picked in the Draft
To be drafted, players must be at least 19 years old during the year of the draft. If a player finished high school basketball in America, they must also be at least one year past their high school graduation. There are rules about players signing with agents and about entering the draft then changing their mind. Most of these rules are from the NCAA, which governs college sports, rather than the NBA.
Before 2005, 45 players were drafted directly from high school into the NBA. This became more common in the late 1990s and early 2000s. After Darryl Dawkins was drafted in 1975, not many high school players went straight to the NBA for almost 20 years. This was because college games offered a lot of exposure for players.
In the early days of the draft, teams would keep picking players for many rounds. The 1960 and 1968 drafts had as many as 21 rounds! By 1974, it usually had 10 rounds. This lasted until 1985, when it was shortened to seven rounds. Since 1989, the draft has been limited to two rounds. This gives players who are not drafted a chance to try out for any team they want.
From 1956 to 1965, teams could use a "territorial pick." This meant they gave up their first-round pick to choose a player from their local area. This was supposed to help get more fans interested. Territorial picks were stopped in 1966. After that, a coin flip decided who got the first pick. The 1966 draft is seen as the first modern NBA draft.
From 2009 to 2015, college players could withdraw from the draft and keep their college eligibility. They had to do this by the day before the April signing period. Since 2016, players can enter the draft and even take part in the NBA draft combine (a tryout event) multiple times. They can still keep their college eligibility if they withdraw from the draft within 10 days after the combine ends in mid-May.
NBA Draft Lottery Explained
The NBA draft lottery is a yearly event where teams that did not make the playoffs get a chance to pick players earlier in the draft. It's like a lottery drawing. Until 2018, the lottery decided the first three picks. After 2018, it was increased to the first four picks. The team with the worst record has the best chance of getting the first pick.
The NBA started the lottery process in 1985. Before that, the two worst teams would flip a coin for the first pick. The league wanted to stop teams from trying to lose games on purpose to get a better chance at the top pick.
The draft lottery is very important for deciding the order of the top 14 picks. These "lottery picks" go to the 14 teams that missed the playoffs the season before. In the lottery system, the league uses a "ping-pong ball machine with 14 balls numbered 1–14." They assign 1,000 four-digit number combinations to the 14 lottery teams.
Until 2018, the worst team got 250 combinations, the second worst got 199, and so on. The first three draft picks were decided this way. Starting in 2019, the three worst teams each get 140 combinations. This means they all have an equal chance of winning the top pick. The fourth worst team gets 125 combinations, and so on. After the first four picks are chosen, the rest of the teams pick in reverse order of how well they did in the previous season.
The lottery usually happens in the third or fourth week of May. The NBA works hard to make sure the process is fair. The actual drawing happens in a separate room just before it's shown on TV. Only a few media members, NBA officials, team representatives, and people from an accounting firm are allowed to watch. They are not allowed to use cell phones or other electronics until the number one pick is announced on TV.
Trading Draft Picks
NBA teams are allowed to trade their draft picks. They can trade all of their first and second-round picks for the next 7 drafts.
Draft picks can be "unprotected" or "protected." If a pick is unprotected, the team that receives it is guaranteed to get it, no matter where it ends up in the draft order. A protected pick means the team trading it can keep it if it falls within a certain range (like being a top-5 pick). If they keep it, they often agree to give the other team an unprotected pick in the next year's draft instead. Because of this, unprotected picks are usually worth more.
Another common trade is a "pick swap." In this trade, one team gets the right to switch picks with another team if their pick is higher. Or, they can keep their own pick if it turns out to be higher than the other team's pick.
There's a rule called the "Stepien Rule" that says a team must have at least one first-round pick (either their own or another team's) in every other draft.
Global Impact on the Draft
For many years, college players from the U.S. were almost the only ones drafted into the NBA. From 1995 to 2005, many talented high school players like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Garnett, Dwight Howard, Tracy McGrady, and Amar'e Stoudemire were drafted. To change this, the NBA added an age rule in July 2005. This meant high school seniors could no longer enter the NBA draft directly starting in 2006.
The league did allow high school postgraduates to be drafted. They had to be at least one year out of high school and 19 years old when they entered the league. This happened first in 2015 when Satnam Singh Bhamara from India was drafted. Then in 2016, Thon Maker from South Sudan and Australia was drafted in the first round.
Picking Players from Other Countries
Players from other countries have really changed how teams draft. At first, foreign players were not part of the draft. The NBA was mostly popular in the United States and wasn't trying to grow internationally yet. The first player from another country to be picked first overall was Mychal Thompson from The Bahamas in 1978. However, Thompson had lived in Florida for much of his childhood and played college basketball in the U.S.
One of the first foreign players drafted to play in the NBA was Manute Bol from Sudan in 1983. He was picked in the 5th round by the San Diego Clippers, but his selection was later canceled. Two years later, Bol was drafted again in 1985. He was known for being one of the tallest players ever at 7 feet 7 inches. The next two years, two more players born outside the U.S. were picked first overall: Hakeem Olajuwon from Nigeria in 1984 and Patrick Ewing from Jamaica in 1985.
By the late 1990s, many more foreign-born players were being drafted. Some people mistakenly thought Tim Duncan, the top pick in the 1997 NBA draft, was the third international player picked number 1. But Duncan is from the United States Virgin Islands and is a U.S. citizen. He also played college basketball in the U.S. Not counting Duncan, 11 international players were picked in the 1997 draft. Five of them had played college basketball in the U.S. The 1998 draft saw another foreign player picked first, Michael Olowokandi from Nigeria, but he also played college basketball in the U.S.
In 2001, Pau Gasol was the highest-drafted foreign player, picked third overall. In 2002, Yao Ming became the first foreign player without U.S. college experience to be picked number 1 overall. That year, five more players in the first round were also from overseas. In total, the 2002 draft had 17 international players. Only three of them had played college basketball in the U.S.
International Players Picked Number 1 Overall
Before 2002, four international players had been picked first overall. However, all of them had played college basketball in the U.S. It wasn't until 2002 that an international player without U.S. college experience, Yao Ming, was picked first. His selection was a huge moment for the NBA and had a big impact in his home country of China. People said Yao "single-handedly transformed his countrymen from nameless, faceless millions into mighty men who can jam with the very best." Yao helped the NBA become popular all over the world. TV ratings for NBA games in China went way up because people wanted to watch Yao's Houston Rockets.
Yao averaged 19.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.89 blocks per game in his career. From 2013 to 2016, the number one pick in the draft was an international player for four years in a row. This streak ended in 2017.
International players have been picked first overall in the 2002, 2005, 2006, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2023, and 2024 NBA drafts.
In 2005, the Milwaukee Bucks picked Andrew Bogut from Australia. He had played at the University of Utah. The next year, the Toronto Raptors drafted Andrea Bargnani from Italy. He was the second foreign player without U.S. college experience and the first European to be picked number 1. In 2011, Kyrie Irving, born in Australia, was picked by the Cleveland Cavaliers after playing one year at Duke.
In 2013, the Cleveland Cavaliers picked Anthony Bennett, who played at UNLV. He was the first Canadian to be drafted at No. 1. In the 2014 NBA draft, the Cavaliers again picked No. 1, choosing Canadian Andrew Wiggins. During the 2015 NBA draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves picked Karl-Anthony Towns. He was born in the U.S. but also has citizenship from the Dominican Republic through his mother. He was the first player from the Dominican Republic to be picked No. 1.
During the 2016 NBA draft, the Philadelphia 76ers picked Australian Ben Simmons as the No. 1 selection. In the 2018 NBA draft, the Phoenix Suns picked Deandre Ayton from the Bahamas. He was the second Bahamian picked at No. 1. In the 2023 NBA draft, the San Antonio Spurs picked Victor Wembanyama from France. He was the first French player and the third foreign player without U.S. college experience to be picked No. 1. In the 2024 NBA draft, the Atlanta Hawks picked Zaccharie Risacher, also from France, as the No. 1 selection.
Famous NBA Drafts from the Past
Some of the most well-known NBA draft years are 1984, 1996, and 2003. The 2003 NBA draft was famous for bringing many future superstars into the league. These included LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, and Chris Bosh. The 1986 draft was also notable because many good players were chosen in later rounds. Sadly, some players faced challenges that affected their careers.
On the other hand, the 2000 draft is often called one of the worst in NBA history. Sports Illustrated even called its first round "a horrible group of players." The 2013 draft was also considered not very strong at first. However, Victor Oladipo and Rudy Gobert later became All-Stars, and Giannis Antetokounmpo became an NBA MVP twice!
NBA 1st Overall Picks since 2000
| Draft | Selected by | Player | Nationality | Position | College/ high school/ former club |
NBA rookie statistics | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PPG | RPG | APG | |||||||
| 2000 | New Jersey Nets | Kenyon Martin |  United States |
Forward | Cincinnati | 12.0 | 7.4 | 1.9 | |
| 2001 | Washington Wizards | Kwame Brown | United States |
Center | Glynn Academy HS (Brunswick, Georgia) | 4.5 | 3.5 | 0.8 | |
| 2002 | Houston Rockets | Yao Ming |  China |
Center | Shanghai Sharks (China) | 13.5 | 8.2 | 1.7 | |
| 2003 | Cleveland Cavaliers | LeBron James | United States |
Forward | St. Vincent–St. Mary HS (Akron, Ohio) | 20.9 | 5.5 | 5.9 | |
| 2004 | Orlando Magic | Dwight Howard | United States |
Center | SACA (Atlanta) | 12.0 | 10.0 | 0.9 | |
| 2005 | Milwaukee Bucks | Andrew Bogut |  Australia |
Center | Utah | 9.4 | 7.0 | 2.3 | |
| 2006 | Toronto Raptors | Andrea Bargnani |  Italy |
Forward/center | Benetton Treviso (Italy) | 11.6 | 3.9 | 0.8 | |
| 2007 | Portland Trail Blazers | Greg Oden | United States |
Center | Ohio State | 8.9 | 7.0 | 0.5 | |
| 2008 | Chicago Bulls | Derrick Rose | United States |
Guard | Memphis | 16.8 | 3.9 | 6.3 | |
| 2009 | Los Angeles Clippers | Blake Griffin | United States |
Forward | Oklahoma | 22.5 | 12.1 | 3.8 | |
| 2010 | Washington Wizards | John Wall | United States |
Guard | Kentucky | 16.4 | 4.6 | 8.3 | |
| 2011 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Kyrie Irving | United States |
Guard | Duke | 18.5 | 3.7 | 5.4 | |
| 2012 | New Orleans Hornets | Anthony Davis | United States |
Forward/center | Kentucky | 13.5 | 8.2 | 1.0 | |
| 2013 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Anthony Bennett |  Canada |
Forward | UNLV | 4.2 | 3.0 | 0.3 | |
| 2014 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Andrew Wiggins |  Canada |
Forward/guard | Kansas | 16.9 | 4.6 | 2.1 | |
| 2015 | Minnesota Timberwolves | Karl-Anthony Towns |  Dominican Republic |
Center | Kentucky | 18.3 | 10.4 | 2.0 | |
| 2016 | Philadelphia 76ers | Ben Simmons |  Australia |
Forward/guard | LSU | 15.8 | 8.1 | 8.2 | |
| 2017 | Philadelphia 76ers | Markelle Fultz | United States |
Guard | Washington | 7.1 | 3.1 | 3.8 | |
| 2018 | Phoenix Suns | Deandre Ayton |  Bahamas |
Center | Arizona | 16.3 | 10.3 | 1.8 | |
| 2019 | New Orleans Pelicans | Zion Williamson | United States |
Forward | Duke | 22.5 | 6.3 | 2.1 | |
| 2020 | Minnesota Timberwolves | Anthony Edwards | United States |
Guard | Georgia | 19.3 | 4.7 | 2.9 | |
| 2021 | Detroit Pistons | Cade Cunningham | United States |
Guard | Oklahoma State | 17.4 | 5.5 | 5.6 | |
| 2022 | Orlando Magic | Paolo Banchero | United States |
Forward | Duke | 20.0 | 6.9 | 3.7 | |
| 2023 | San Antonio Spurs | Victor Wembanyama |  France |
Center/forward | Metropolitans 92 (France) | 21.4 | 10.6 | 3.9 | |
| 2024 | Atlanta Hawks | Zaccharie Risacher |  France |
Forward | JL Bourg (France) | 12.6 | 3.6 | 1.2 | |
| 2025 | Dallas Mavericks | Cooper Flagg | United States |
Forward | Duke | ||||
NBA Draft on TV
The NBA draft has been shown on television since 1980. USA Network first broadcast the draft until 1984. Then, TBS took over starting in 1985. From 1990 to 2002, TNT showed the draft.
When ESPN got the rights to the NBA in 2002, ESPN started broadcasting the draft. This began with the 2003 and continues today. The draft was also shown on regular broadcast TV for the first time on ABC in 2021. NBA TV has also had its own coverage of the draft since 2008.
See also
In Spanish: Draft de la NBA para niños
- List of first overall NBA draft picks
- Draft bust
- Expansion draft
- Haywood v. National Basketball Association
- Mock draft
- NBA high school draftees
- WNBA draft
