NBA

2025 NBA Draft: why are there only 59 picks this year?

The Dallas Mavericks will get the first of 59 picks this year, when there will be one selection fewer than normal.

David Banks

Scottish sports journalist and content creator. After running his own soccer-related projects, in 2022 he joined Diario AS, where he mainly reports on the biggest news from around Europe’s leading soccer clubs, Liga MX and MLS, and covers live games in a not-too-serious tone. Likes to mix things up by dipping into the world of American sports.

Update: Jun 24th, 2025 13:06 EDT

With the NBA Finals now over, attention now turns to the 2025 NBA Draft in the world of basketball. And we don’t have to wait long to have our appetite whetted for next season, with franchises getting ready to (further) reshape their rosters with new talent.

When and where is the 2025 NBA Draft?

The 2025 NBA Draft will take place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on Wednesday, June 25 and Thursday, June 26.

The event will get underway on Wednesday, June 25 at 8pm ET.

One More Day. #NBADraft pic.twitter.com/dV6MG2y7Jc
— No Ceilings (@NoCeilingsNBA) June 24, 2025

2025 NBA Draft order in full

The first round of the draft will take place on Wednesday, June 25, with 30 young, up-and-coming stars to achieve their dreams of getting onto an NBA roster.

Thanks to winning the NBA Draft Lottery, the Dallas Mavericks get first pick and are expected to select Duke forward Cooper Flagg, who put together one of the best seasons in college basketball history.

2025 NBA Draft: first-round pick order

1. Dallas Mavericks
2. San Antonio Spurs
3. Philadelphia 76ers
4. Charlotte Hornets
5. Utah Jazz
6. Washington Wizards
7. New Orleans Pelicans
8. Brooklyn Nets
9. Toronto Raptors
10. Phoenix Suns
11. Portland Trail Blazers
12. Chicago Bulls
13. Atlanta Hawks (from Sacramento Kings)
14. San Antonio Spurs (from Atlanta Hawks)
15. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Miami Heat via LA Clippers)
16. Memphis Grizzlies (from Orlando Magic)
17. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Detroit via New York, Oklahoma and Houston)
18. Washington Wizards (from Memphis Grizzlies)
19. Brooklyn Nets (from Milwaukee via New York, Detroit, Portland and New Orleans)
20. Miami Heat (from Golden State Warriors)
21. Utah Jazz (from Minnesota Timberwolves)
22. Atlanta Hawks (from the Lakers via New Orleans)
23. New Orleans Pelicans (from Indiana)
24. Oklahoma City Thunder (from LA Clippers)
25. Orlando Magic (from Denver)
26. Brooklyn Nets (from New York)
27. Brooklyn Nets (from Houston)
28. Boston Celtics
29. Phoenix Suns (from Cleveland via Utah)
30. Los Angeles Clippers (from Oklahoma City)

The second round of the draft follows on Thursday, June 26, but this time there will only be 29 picks instead of the usual 30, taking the total to 59 rather than 60, which is the norm.

The disappearing 60th draft pick

The reason there is one pick fewer than normal in the 2025 NBA Draft is due to the New York Knicks being forced to forfeit their second-round pick because of a tampering violation related to their signing of Jalen Brunson in 2022.

The NBA ruled the Knicks had “engaged in free agency discussions involving Jalen Brunson prior to the date when such discussions were permitted,” resulting in this year’s punishment.

The Knicks had been due to have the 56th pick but, also without a first-round pick, will now only have the 50th pick in the draft, which means their participation will be severely limited. By contrast, the Brooklyn Nets will have five selections, four of which are in the first round, the most of any team.

2025 NBA Draft: second-round pick order

31. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Utah)
32. Boston Celtics (from Washington via Detroit and Brooklyn)
33. Charlotte Hornets
34. Charlotte Hornets (from New Orleans via San Antonio, Phoenix and Memphis)
35. Philadelphia 76ers
36. Brooklyn Nets
37. Detroit Pistons (from Toronto via Dallas and San Antonio)
38. San Antonio Spurs
39. Toronto Raptors (from Portland via Sacramento)
40. Washington Wizards (from Phoenix)
41. Golden State Warriors (from Miami via Brooklyn and Indiana)
42. Sacramento Kings (Chicago via San Antonio)
43. Utah Jazz (from Dallas)
44. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Atlanta)
45. Chicago Bulls (from Sacramento)
46. Orlando Magic
47. Milwaukee Bucks (from Detroit via Washington)
48. Memphis Grizzlies (from Golden State via Washington and Brooklyn)
49. Cleveland Cavaliers (from Milwaukee)
50. New York Knicks (from Memphis via Oklahoma City and Boston)
51. Los Angeles Clippers (from Minnesota via Atlanta and Houston)
52. Phoenix Suns (from Denver via Charlotte and Minnesota)
53. Utah Jazz (from LA Clippers via LA Lakers)
54. Indiana Pacers
55. Los Angeles Lakers
— New York Knicks (forfeited)
56. Memphis Grizzlies (from Houston)
57. Orlando Magic (from Boston)
58. Cleveland Cavaliers
59. Houston Rockets (from Oklahoma City via Atlanta)

How to watch the 2025 NBA Draft

The upcoming draft will be broadcast on both ESPN and ABC, and can also be streamed on NBA Pass.