The NBA Draft format explained: How many rounds are there? How many players are selected?
The Dallas Mavericks will get the No. 1 overall pick after lucking out in the lottery. Here’s how the 2025 NBA Draft works...
There’s just a few hours left until 2025 NBA Draft gets underway at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The two-day spectacular will take place across Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 June with the cream of the crop of college and overseas talent preparing to take their first steps into the professional game.
After lucking out in the draft lottery, the Dallas Mavericks will get the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and are expected to land generational prospect Cooper Flagg. There will be plenty of razzamatazz on show in Brooklyn for the draft. Here’s everything you need to know about the format and order of the draft...
How many rounds are there in the 2025 NBA Draft?
The NBA Draft is divided into two rounds with one pick for each of the 30 NBA teams. A total of 60 players will be selected.
As for the order of draft selection, that is determined by a lottery system that is weighted in favour of the worst teams from the previous season. The teams with the 14 worst records from 2024/25 were placed into a weighted lottery system to assign their pick orders. The Mavs had just a 1.8% chance of bagging the top pick but, nevertheless, they end up with the No. 1 pick.
NBA Draft pick order: Round 1
- Dallas Mavericks
- San Antonio Spurs
- Philadelphia Sixers
- Charlotte Hornets
- Utah Jazz
- Washington Wizards
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Brooklyn Nets
- Toronto Raptors
- Houston Rockets (Reportedly traded to the Phoenix Suns)
- Portland Trail-Blazers
- Chicago Bulls
- Atlanta Hawks (Via Sacramento Kings)
- San Antonio Spurs (Via Atlanta Hawks)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (via Miami Heat)
- Memphis Grizzlies (via Orlando Magic)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (via Detroit Pistons)
- Washington Wizards (via Memphis Grizzlies)
- Brooklyn Nets (via Milwaukee Bucks)
- Miami Heat (via Golden State Warriors)
- Utah Jazz (via Minnesota Timberwolves)
- Atlanta Hawks (Reportedly traded to Brooklyn)
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Oklahoma City Thunder (via LA Clippers)
- Orlando Magic (via Denver Nuggets)
- Brooklyn Nets (via New York Knicks)
- Brooklyn Nets (via Houston Rockets)
- Boston Celtics
- Phoenix Suns (via Cleveland Cavaliers)
- LA CLippers (via Oklahoma City Thunder)
What are the NBA draft eligibility requirements?
Traditionally the NBA Draft was designed to evenly allocate the top players from the college game into professional teams. But as the game has become more global an increasing number of players in the draft are coming from professional leagues overseas, or may have featured in the developmental NBA G League.
To be eligible for the draft a player has to be at least 19 years old during the calendar year of the draft. The player must also have graduated high school at least one NBA season previously.
Beyond those age restrictions, the only real requirement is that the player in question has officially declared for the draft. To do so, individuals must express their interest to the NBA at least two months ahead of the draft and fill in the relevant paperwork. Of course in doing so they must also forfeit the rest of their college eligibility, but that’s all it takes for a talented young player to be in contention for the NBA Draft.
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