With no obvious top talent expected to be the first overall pick, this year’s NBA draft will offer surprises right from the start. The Atlanta Hawks hold the first pick, and it’s anyone’s guess as to who they’ll select or if they’ll trade out of the top spot. The Washington Wizards pick second, followed by the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons to round out the top five.
A pair of prospects from France — center Alex Sarr and small forward Zaccharie Risacher — are at or near the top of every draft prospect list, along with two players who helped lead UConn to its second straight national championship, center Donovan Clingan and guard Stephen Castle.
We will also get to see where Bronny James lands to begin his professional career. Having completed his freshman year at USC, the son of LeBron is draft-eligible but more likely to be a Day 2 pick than hear his name called on the draft’s first night. That’s right: The NBA draft has expanded and will now take place over two nights.
The pieces will start falling into place tonight. The first round begins at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT) on ABC and ESPN. The draft’s second round will follow tomorrow. Here’s how you can watch all the picks without cable wherever you are in the world.
Zaccharie Risacher, a 6-foot-9-inch forward from France, could be the first pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
When is the NBA draft?
The NBA draft takes place in New York City on Wednesday, June 26, and Thursday, June 27.
The first round starts on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT). The second round will take place on Thursday starting at 4 p.m. ET (1 p.m. PT).
What is the draft order?
The Atlanta Hawks won the NBA draft lottery and have the first pick. Here’s how the 14 lottery picks shape up:
1. Atlanta Hawks
2. Washington Wizards
3. Houston Rockets (from Brooklyn)
4. San Antonio Spurs
5. Detroit Pistons
6. Charlotte Hornets
7. Portland Trail Blazers
8. San Antonio Spurs (from Toronto)
9. Memphis Grizzlies
10. Utah Jazz
11. Chicago Bulls
12. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Houston)
13. Sacramento Kings
14. Portland Trail Blazers (from Golden State via Boston and Memphis)
You can see the full draft order for both rounds here.
How can I watch the draft on TV?
The first round of the draft will be broadcast on ABC and ESPN. The second round will be shown on ESPN only.
Livestream the draft in the US
You can livestream the draft on WatchESPN.com or the WatchESPN app, but you will need to prove you have a TV subscription that includes ESPN or an ESPN Plus account. If you don’t have a cable or satellite TV subscription, you can watch the NBA Draft with a live TV streaming service. All five of the major services offer ABC and ESPN.
Alternatively, if you live in an area with good reception, you can watch the first round of the draft on ABC on over-the-air broadcast channels just by attaching an affordable (under $30) indoor antenna to nearly any TV.
YouTube TV costs $73 a month and includes ABC and ESPN. Plug in your ZIP code on its welcome page to see which local networks, including ABC, are available in your area.
Fubo’s basic $80-a-month Pro package includes ABC and ESPN, but Fubo charges an RSN fee (either $12 a month if you get one RSN or $15 a month if you have two or more in your area) that raises the monthly charge to $92 or $95. Click here to see which local channels you get.
How to watch the NBA draft from anywhere using a VPN
If you find yourself unable to view the NBA draft locally, you may need a different way to watch it — that’s where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds by encrypting your traffic, and it’s also a great idea if you’re traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.
With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the draft. So if your internet provider or mobile carrier has stuck you with an IP address that incorrectly shows your location in a blackout zone, a VPN can correct that problem by giving you an IP address in your correct, nonblackout area. Most VPNs, like our Editors’ Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.
Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Canada, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you’re streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.
Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals taking place right now.
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Livestream the NBA draft in the UK
Hoop fans in the UK can watch the draft live on Sky Sports. The NBA draft will be broadcast on its Sky Sports Main Event channel. Coverage begins at 1 a.m. BST on Thursday, June 27.
Viewers in the UK will be able to watch the NBA draft on Sky Sports Main Event channel. Subscribers can also stream the action via the Sky Go app. Sky subsidiary Now (formerly Now TV) offers streaming access to Sky Sports channels with a Now Sports membership. You can get a day of access for £12 or sign up for a monthly plan from £21 per month for the first six months (and £35 a month after that).
Livestream the NBA draft in Canada
Canadian basketball fans can watch the draft on TSN4 with coverage starting at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
The NBA draft will be broadcast in Canada on TSN4, which you can watch with the TSN Plus streaming service. It costs CA$20 a month or CA$200 per year.
Livestream the NBA draft in Australia
The NBA draft can be watched Down Under on ESPN via streaming service Kayo Sports. The first round will start at 10 a.m. AEST on Thursday.
A Kayo Sports subscription starts at AU$25 a month and lets you stream on one screen, while its Premium tier costs AU$35 a month for simultaneous viewing on up to three devices.
The service gives you access to a wide range of sports including F1, NRL, NFL, F1, NHL and MLB, and there are no lock-in contracts.
Better still, if you’re a new customer, you can take advantage of a one-week Kayo Sports free trial.
Quick tips for streaming the NBA draft using a VPN
- With four variables at play — your ISP, browser, video streaming provider and VPN — your experience and success when streaming the NBA draft may vary.
- If you don’t see your desired location as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the “search for city or country” option.
- If you’re having trouble getting the tournament after you’ve turned on your VPN and set it to the correct viewing area, there are two things you can try for a quick fix. First, log into your streaming service subscription account and make sure the address registered for the account is an address in the correct viewing area. If not, you may need to change the physical address on file with your account. Second, some smart TVs — like Roku — don’t have VPN apps you can install directly on the device itself. Instead, you’ll have to install the VPN on your router or the mobile hotspot you’re using (like your phone) so that any device on its Wi-Fi network now appears in the correct viewing location.
- All of the VPN providers we recommend have helpful instructions on their main site for quickly installing the VPN on your router. In some cases with smart TV services, after you install a cable network’s sports app, you’ll be asked to verify a numeric code or click a link sent to your email address on file for your smart TV. This is where having a VPN on your router will also help, since both devices will appear to be in the correct location.
- And remember, browsers can often give away a location despite using a VPN, so be sure you’re using a privacy-first browser to log into your services. We normally recommend Brave.
