How many Picks are there in the NBA draft?

Think of the NBA Draft as a game of chess where teams are huddled in a large area strategizing their moves in order to secure the future of their team. Each team aims to secure the “next big thing” in basketball through the draft, an event that aims to replenish basketball talent.

However, teams build towards this moment from the very beginning of the previous season. Based on their performance in the ongoing season, NBA teams strategize to influence their draft pick in multiple ways such as tanking and trading amongst one another.

For players, the period marks a turning point in their lives, fulfilling for many, the dream of playing basketball at the biggest stage in the NBA. Known to be college stars and top professional prospects, the players are now hopeful to transition to being recognized as rising stars in the NBA and being in an unknown environment with a great deal of responsibility.

With the draft order being determined by a mixture of luck and the team’s performance in the regular season, each team is extremely selective about who they choose, taking a gamble on the players’ and teams’ futures.

The NBA draft night is in essence, the platform through which NBA teams come together to determine the future of basketball and fuel the growth and reach of basketball as a sport and the NBA as a league.

Number of Picks in the NBA Draft

There are a total of 60 picks in the NBA Draft each year — 30 in the first round and 30 in the second round. The draft allows players from all over the world to try and fulfill their NBA dream. The draft happens in two rounds, with each team being allotted at least one pick in each round.

It may so happen that a team has no picks or has more than one pick in the rounds. This may happen in the event of a trade involving draft picks between NBA teams. Typically each NBA draft has 60 players who will take part in the draft, fulfilling the requirement of each team having the chance to secure two new talents to their roster.

Prior to each NBA Draft is the Draft Combine. This is a period where top prospects and college basketball players are invited by the league to take physical measurements, medical tests, drills and interviews of the invitees. How players perform at the Draft Combine significantly influences their placement in the NBA draft. 78 players have been invited to participate in the 2024 NBA Draft.