The next great basketball talent generates anticipation and excitement for the NBA draft. In 2023, the arrival of French phenom Victor Wembanyama—the most tantalizing NBA prospect since LeBron James in 2003—was met with well-deserved hype.
After a 2024 draft featuring good but not great options, a presumptive No. 1 overall pick and other electrifying talents have brought new intrigue to the NBA draft.
When Is the 2025 NBA Draft?
The 2025 NBA draft will take place on Wednesday, June 25, and Thursday, June 26. It is held in late June after the league crowns a champion in the NBA Finals. A potential Game 7 of the 2025 finals is scheduled for Sunday, June 22—three days before the start of the draft.
The draft's first night will comprise every selection in the first round. The second night covers the second round. Each round begins at 8 p.m. ET.
The NBA draft lottery determines which team receives the No. 1 overall pick. This year's lottery took place on Monday, May 12, at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
The NBA draft combine is the showcase event of the pre-draft process, as it brings together the top prospects to participate in workouts before each team's front office personnel. The league invited 75 players to this year's combine, which was held May 11–18 at Wintrust Arena and the Marriott Marquis in Chicago.
Where Will the 2025 NBA Draft Be Held?
The NBA draft will once again be held at the home of the NBA's Brooklyn Nets and WNBA's New York Liberty—Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.
The Barclays Center has hosted the NBA draft every year since 2013 except for 2020, when the draft was conducted virtually from ESPN in Bristol, Conn. due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
From 1992 to 2000, the NBA moved the draft to a different city every year before settling on a permanent home at Madison Square Garden, which hosted the event from 2001 to 2010. After a two-year stint at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., the draft was relocated in 2013 to Barclays Center nine months after the $1 billion arena's opening.
Breaking Down the 2025 Draft Format
NBA teams with draft picks will add players for the present and the future by choosing young talent from college programs and overseas leagues.
The selection order is determined by win-loss records from the 2025 regular-season standings and set in reverse order of finish. The 14 franchises that don't reach the postseason fall into the draft lottery, which determines the first 14 picks of the first round.
Non-playoff teams who previously traded their 2025 first-round choice may retain their lottery pick depending on the terms of the deal. For example, the Philadelphia 76ers, owners of the fifth-worst record, would have had to relinquish their first-rounder to the Oklahoma City Thunder if the selection ended up No. 7 or lower in the lottery. The Sixers, who received the No. 3 pick, got to keep the pick because it remained in the top six (i.e. top-six protected).
On draft night, each team is on the clock to make its pick. The first round has a five-minute time limit, and each second-round selection must be made in four minutes.
With 30 NBA teams, the draft typically has a total of 60 picks. This year's event will have one fewer selection due to a free agency rules infraction and penalty.
Key Developments for the 2025 NBA Draft
This year's draft will comprise 59 selections instead of the usual 60 picks after the New York Knicks lost a 2025 second-round choice due to a violation of the league's free agency rules.
The NBA penalized the Knicks in 2022 after an investigation revealed the team had engaged in free-agency discussions involving guard Jalen Brunson before such talks were allowed. Brunson, one of the most sought-after free agents that offseason, signed a four-year, $104 million contract with New York.
The 2025 draft also drew the lowest number of early entrants since 2015 due to increasingly lucrative offers in college basketball from Name, Image and Likeness (NIL). Only 106 players with remaining NCAA eligibility declared for the draft—a near 40% drop from the 2024 draft, which had 174 early entrants.
The deadline for early entrees to withdraw from the draft is 5 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 15.
Who Are the Top Prospects for the 2025 NBA Draft?
Cooper Flagg had been anointed the presumptive No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 NBA draft before playing a single minute of college basketball. The 6'9" forward starred at high school powerhouse Montverde Academy in Florida and went viral with impressive shotmaking in a Team USA scrimmage.
Flagg's spectacular freshman season at Duke confirmed his No. 1 status. The 18-year-old has the skill set to be a perennial All-Star and remains the safest best of the 2025 draft class.
The next-best prospects both played one season at Rutgers. Dylan Harper, a 6'6" dynamic scorer, possesses lead guard potential, while Ace Bailey, a 6'10" forward, is a raw talent with franchise player upside.
The consensus top five prospects is rounded out by two athletic wings—6'6" Tre Johnson from Texas and 6'5" VJ Edgecombe from Baylor.
How to Watch the 2025 NBA Draft
If you're not planning to be in the Barclays Center stands, you can watch the 2025 NBA draft on ABC and ESPN.
The first round will be broadcast on ABC and ESPN and will begin at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, June 25. The second round will be aired on ESPN at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, June 26.
More NBA Draft on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as 2025 NBA Draft: Date, Location, Changes and Key Details.
