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The modern NBA draft takes place every year and consists of two rounds. Historically, the draft used to have more rounds, and from 1960 to 1968, it had an incredible 21 rounds.
Since then the number of rounds has been cut down slowly. In 1989, the draft was shortened to its current format of two rounds. The league determined that two rounds provided a balanced approach for teams to acquire new talent while allowing flexibility for undrafted players to sign with teams.
In the first round of the draft, there are 30 picks. Each of the 30 NBA teams (excluding those that have traded away their first-round selections) has the opportunity to choose a player in reverse order of their regular-season record from the previous season.
The top four picks are a bit more tricky though and the NBA draft lottery determines who gets the top four picks.
The first round of the draft is extremely important because it features the most talented and highly sought-after players. Teams often use their first-round picks to select prospects who possess the potential to become the face of their franchise.
The second round consists of 30 additional picks, making a total of 60 for the entire draft. The order for the second round is also determined by the reverse order of the previous season's standings.
The second round is equally significant to the first and many notable players, such as Nikola Jokic, Manu Ginobili, and Draymond Green, were selected in the second round. Teams often use their second-round selections to target players with specific skill sets or hidden gems who may have been overlooked.
Teams are also allowed to trade picks on draft night. These trades can alter the original draft order significantly, making it a dynamic and exciting part of the NBA draft process.
Undrafted players who haven't been selected by any team become free agents and can sign with any team.
How does the NBA draft lottery work?
The NBA recently changed the draft lottery system. Under the new format, the NBA draft lottery ensures that the team with the worst record will receive no worse than the fifth pick.
The new system guarantees that the teams with the three worst regular-season records will each have a 14 percent chance of winning the lottery. Prior to these changes, the top seed had a 25 percent of winning the lottery, the second seed had a 19.9 percent and the third seed had a 15.6 percent.
After the first four picks of the draft, the other teams will continue to pick in inverse order of their regular-season record.
