Andrew Pace
The NBA draft is an annual event that has taken place every year since 1947. The draft is an opportunity for NBA teams to select new players who have never played in the NBA before. These players are typically former professional players from other leagues around the world or athletes who have previously played college basketball. Players who are eligible for the draft must be 19 or older and must have been out of high school for at least one year. The order in which teams pick players is based on the previous year's standings in reverse order, with the team that performed the worst getting the first pick. The NBA draft is designed to ensure that good players are spread evenly among all the teams, creating a more balanced league with fairer teams.
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What You'll Learn
Player eligibility requirements
The eligibility rules for players to be drafted into the NBA have changed eight times during the history of the league.
To be eligible for the NBA draft, players must be 19 years old during the calendar year of the draft. They must also be at least one year removed from their high school graduation class. Players who have attended college are eligible for the draft four years after their high school graduation, or once they have graduated from college. College players who have finished their four-year college eligibility are automatically eligible for selection, while underclassmen must declare their eligibility and give up their remaining college eligibility.
International players who are at least 22 years old are automatically eligible for selection, while younger players must declare their eligibility. International players must also have signed a contract with a professional basketball team outside the NBA and played under that contract.
High school players are no longer allowed to enter the NBA draft directly. However, some players have circumvented this rule by attending prep schools and academies, graduating a year early, and then applying to college at 17 or 18 years old. They can then be drafted at a similar age as high schoolers used to be.
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Draft order
The NBA draft is an annual event that has taken place every year since 1947. The draft gives teams in the league the opportunity to select players who have declared for the draft and are eligible to join their organisation. The current NBA consists of 30 teams, and all 30 teams have at least one pick across the two draft rounds.
The order in which teams get to pick players is determined by how well they performed during the previous season. The 14 teams that are part of the NBA draft lottery make their selections first, followed by the remaining 16 teams, with the NBA champions picking last. The NBA draft lottery ensures that the team with the worst record receives no worse than the fifth pick. Teams pick players in reverse order based on the previous year's standings, with the team with the worst record picking first.
In the early years of the draft, teams would select players until they ran out of prospects. The number of rounds has varied over the years, from as many as 21 rounds in 1960 and 1968 to as few as seven rounds in 1985. Since 1989, the drafts have been limited to two rounds, giving undrafted players the chance to try out for any team.
The draft exists to promote parity in the league by ensuring that good players are spread evenly among all the teams. This helps to maintain a good level of competition and connect college sports with professional sports.
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Player selection
The NBA draft is an annual event that has taken place every year since 1947. It is a chance for the 30 teams that make up the National Basketball Association (NBA) to select new players who have never played in the NBA before.
Each team gets one selection in the first round and one in the second round. The order in which teams get to pick players is based on their performance during the previous season, with the worse-performing teams picking first. The NBA champions pick last. This ensures a more balanced league with fairer teams.
Players who are eligible for the draft must be 19 or older and have graduated high school. They must also be at least one year removed from their high school graduation class. College players who have finished their four-year college eligibility are automatically eligible for selection, while underclassmen must declare their eligibility and give up their remaining college eligibility. International players who are at least 22 years old are automatically eligible, while those younger than 22 must declare their eligibility.
In the early years of the draft, teams would select players until they ran out of prospects. The number of rounds has varied over the years, from 21 rounds in 1960 and 1968 to 10 rounds in 1974, and eight rounds in 1977. Since 1989, the drafts have been limited to two rounds, which gives undrafted players the chance to try out for any team.
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Player signing
The player signing process in a basketball draft involves teams selecting players they wish to recruit to their roster. The draft order is typically determined by the previous season's performance, with worse-performing teams picking first. Teams have a certain amount of time to negotiate and sign their chosen player, known as the "rookie contract". This contract is standardised, and the player's salary is predetermined based on the draft slot. For example, the player picked first generally receives a higher salary than the player picked last.
During the draft, teams have a specific amount of time, usually a couple of minutes, to make their selection. They announce their pick, and the player is then considered signed to that team. This process continues until all teams have had the opportunity to select players, often over multiple rounds. Teams may also choose to trade their draft picks, allowing another team to select a player instead, in exchange for a current player, a future draft pick, or other negotiated terms.
After a team announces its selection, the player becomes that team's exclusive property, and they can begin negotiating a contract. While the team has the right to negotiate with the player, the player cannot negotiate with other teams once they are selected. This process is known as the "rookie scope" and is a standard part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the league and the players' union.
The length of a rookie contract is often predetermined, and players usually sign contracts that last between two and five years. These contracts often include a team option, allowing the team to extend the contract for an additional year, typically at a higher salary. This option provides teams with flexibility in evaluating the player's performance and potential before committing to a longer-term contract.
Rookie contracts are crucial for players to establish themselves in the league and build their reputation. While salaries are predetermined, players can negotiate performance incentives and bonuses within the contract. These incentives may be related to playing time, statistical achievements, or team success, providing additional financial opportunities.
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Historical changes to the draft
The NBA draft has undergone several significant changes since its inception in 1947. Initially, the draft was a much simpler process, with teams selecting players in a specified order based on the previous season's performance. The first major change came in 1966 with the introduction of the coin flip to determine the top pick between the worst teams in each division. This added an element of chance to the process and was an early attempt to deter teams from intentionally losing games to secure the top pick. In 1985, the NBA introduced the lottery system, which is still in use today. The lottery involves a drawing of ping-pong balls to determine the order of selection for the teams that did not make the playoffs. This system reduced the incentive to "tank" and increased the importance of the regular season performance, as only the worst-performing teams are entered into the lottery.
Over time, the NBA has adjusted the lottery odds to strike a balance between rewarding the worst teams and maintaining fairness. At first, the team with the worst record had just a 16.7% chance of winning the top pick, but over time, this has increased to a 25% chance, giving greater incentive for teams to pursue a high draft position. Another key change came in 1989 with the introduction of the draft lottery tiebreaker system. This system was designed to break ties between teams with identical records, further refining the draft order and ensuring a fair process.
The NBA has also made adjustments to the number of rounds in the draft. Initially, the draft consisted of many rounds, sometimes as many as 21, but over time, the league reduced this number. Since 1989, the NBA draft has been a two-round event, with each team getting two selections, unless they have traded them away. This reduction in rounds reflects the increasing importance of free agency and the development of the G-League, which provides an alternative pathway for players to enter the NBA.
One of the most significant changes to the draft process came in 2005 with the introduction of the "one-and-done" rule. This rule requires players to be at least one year removed from their high school graduation to be eligible for the draft, leading to an influx of talented young players spending a year in college before entering the NBA. This change has had a profound impact on the league, with teams now having the opportunity to scout and evaluate players more thoroughly before making their draft selections.
Finally, the NBA has made efforts to increase the diversity of the draft process. In 2001, the league introduced the "Early Entry" rule, allowing players to test the waters and declare for the draft without hiring an agent. If they go undrafted, they can withdraw their names and maintain college eligibility. This rule gives players more flexibility and control over their paths to the NBA. Additionally, the league has implemented the "Draft-and-Stash" strategy, where teams draft international players and allow them to continue developing overseas before bringing them to the NBA. This approach has added a global dimension to the draft and further enhanced the talent pool.
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Frequently asked questions
The NBA draft is an annual event in which teams select players from American colleges and international professional leagues to join their rosters.
Players who are up for the NBA draft have to be 19 or older and have to have been out of high school for at least one year. College players who have finished their four-year college eligibility are automatically eligible for selection, while the underclassmen have to declare their eligibility and give up their remaining college eligibility.
The order in which teams get to pick players depends on how well they did during the previous season. The worst-performing teams get to pick at the top of the draft, which means they have access to the best incoming talent. The first 14 picks of the first round are decided by the NBA draft lottery, which determines the order of selection for teams that didn't reach the playoffs in the previous regular season. The remaining 16 picks are decided by the previous regular season's standings in reverse order.
Yes, draft picks can be traded among teams both before and during the draft. These trades can include picks alone, or a combination of players and picks. For example, in 2019 the Minnesota Timberwolves traded the No. 11 pick and forward Dario Saric to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for the No. 6 pick.
The NBA draft usually takes place in the third week of June – around a month after the lottery and a week or two after the finals end.
