Starting 5, June 26: Two-night NBA Draft set to begin

When you go from national champs to potential lottery picks…

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THE LINEUP

What’s inside today’s edition?

Round 1 In 1 Minute: Everything you need to know before the Draft begins tonight

Consensus Mock Draft: The final compilation of mock drafts entering the first round

Exclusive Q&A: Prospects discuss their pre-Draft experiences and feelings entering tonight

Team Needs: A closer look at how the first five teams on the clock could utilize the Draft

Draft Day Fits: Iconic images of some of the most memorable fits from past NBA Drafts

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BUT FIRST … ⏰

Night one of the 2024 Draft is just hours away …

The first two-day NBA Draft tips off tonight in Brooklyn (8 ET, ABC & ESPN). Stay tapped into the NBA App for the latest news and access.

Lynx Win The Cup: Bridget Carleton (23 pts) and Napheesa Collier (21 pts) combined for 44 points and nine 3s as Minnesota dethroned New York as WNBA Commissioner’s Cup champions with a 90-86 win.

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1. NBA DRAFT: ROUND 1 IN 1 MINUTE

The anticipation is over. The 2024 NBA Draft presented by State Farm is finally here.

The next generation of stars will find new homes tonight as the league’s first two-day Draft commences from Brooklyn, N.Y.

Below is everything you need to know before Commissioner Adam Silver announces the first overall pick.

Full Two-Day Schedule

• Round 1: Wednesday, June 26, 8 ET | ABC/ESPN (Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.)
• Round 2: Thursday, June 27, 4 ET | ESPN (ESPN’s Seaport District Studios in New York)

Round 1 Watch Guide

• NBA Today (3 ET): Hosted by Christine Williamson alongside analysts Kendrick Perkins, Austin Rivers and CJ McCollum
• NBA Today Red Carpet Special (5 ET): Hosted by Cassidy Hubbarth alongside analysts Kendrick Perkins and Richard Jefferson
• NBA Draft, ESPN (7:30 ET): Hosted by Malika Andrews, joined by college basketball analyst Jay Bilas, NBA analyst Richard Jefferson and reporter Andraya Carter
• NBA Draft, ABC (8 ET): Hosted by Kevin Negandhi alongside Stephen A. Smith and Bob Meyers
• Additional Appearances (ESPN/ABC): Senior NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski, reporter Monica McNutt, analyst Jonathan Givony and Front Office Insider Bobby Marks will appear on both broadcasts

Top Storylines

• Inaugural Two-Day Draft: The NBA Draft has consisted of two rounds since 1989, but this is the first time in league history that the second round will be held on its own night
• On The Clock: The Atlanta Hawks are slotted to make the No. 1 overall pick for the first time since 1975 despite holding just 3% odds to win this year’s Lottery
• No Clear No. 1: While some Drafts come with a unanimous top pick, it’s unclear who Atlanta will select first overall, with multiple players in contention, including Alex Sarr (France), Zaccharie Risacher (France), Donovan Clingan (UConn) and others
• French Phenoms: If Sarr or Risacher is selected first overall, they will join Victor Wembanyama (2023 No. 1 pick) as the first back-to-back No. 1 picks to both hail from France and not have NCAA experience
• Global Game: Before Wembanyama, a college freshman was the No. 1 overall pick for 13 straight Drafts; however, at least two international players have been selected in the top 10 in each of the last 11 Drafts
• Full Draft Order: See which teams hold each of the 58 picks in this year’s Draft

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2. CONSENSUS MOCK DRAFT: FINAL UPDATE BEFORE FIRST ROUND

NBA.com’s Consensus Mock Draft provides a compilation of the best mock drafts around the web. Catch up on Ben Couch’s final estimates before the first round begins tonight.

1. ⬆️ Zaccharie Risacher | Atlanta Hawks (Previous: 2)
2. ⬇️ Alexandre Sarr | Washington Wizards (Previous: 1)
3. ↔️ Reed Sheppard | Houston Rockets (Previous: 3)
4. ↔️ Stephon Castle | San Antonio Spurs (Previous: 4)
5. ⬆️ Donovan Clingan | Detroit Pistons (Previous: 6)
6. ⬇️ Matas Buzelis | Charlotte Hornets (Previous: 5)
7. ⬆️ Cody Williams | Portland Trail Blazers (Previous: 10)
8. ↔️ Dalton Knecht | San Antonio Spurs (Previous: 8)
9. ⬆️ Tidjane Salaun | Memphis Grizzlies (Previous: 13)
10. ⬆️ Devin Carter | Utah Jazz (Previous: 11)
11. ⬆️ Nikola Topic | Chicago Bulls (Previous: 12)
12. ⬇️ Ron Holland II | Oklahoma City Thunder (Previous: 9)
13. ⬇️ Robert Dillingham | Sacramento Kings (Previous: 7)
14. ⬆️ Ja’Kobe Walter | Portland Trail Blazers (Previous: Out)

Five key takeaways from the previous update:

• Risacher On Top: Zaccharie Risacher has tightened his grasp on the projected top spot, sitting atop eight of the 10 mock drafts compared to five of 10 last week.
• Consensus Top 4: Frenchman Alex Sarr (No. 2 in nine mocks), Kentucky’s Reed Sheppard (No. 3 in nine mocks) and UConn’s Stephon Castle (No. 4 in seven mocks) rounds out the top four
• Defense Rising: Defensive standouts Cody Williams of Colorado (jumping from 10th to 7th) and Tidjane Salaun (jumping from 13th to 9th) were the highest risers on the final board
• Biggest Drop: Kentucky guard Robert Dillingham fell from 7th to 13th since last week, but remained in the lottery. USC’s Isaiah Collier was overtaken by Ja’Kobe Walter for the final lottery spot in the projections
• Lottery 10: A total of 10 players appeared in the lottery in all 10 of the mock drafts used for the consensus: Risacher, Sarr, Sheppard, Castle, Matas Buzelis, Donovan Clingan, Dalton Knecht, Williams, Salaun and Ron Holland II

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3. STARTING 5 GOES 1-ON-1 WITH TOMORROW’S STARS

How does it feel to be a projected NBA Draft pick just days before taking the stage?

We sat down with 10+ prospects on Tuesday for exclusive 1-on-1 interviews to discuss their pre-Draft experiences and feelings heading into tonight.

You’re a day away from achieving your dreams. How have you kept your feet on the ground and stayed in the moment?

• ️ Matas Buzelis: “I don’t think it’s hit me yet. I think it’s gonna hit me tomorrow when I’m on stage.
• ️ Donovan Clingan: “Just taking it all in and being humble. Realizing that my dreams are right around the corner … Whatever happens is meant to be.”
• ️ Dalton Knecht: “This is my first time in New York, so just enjoying it and trying to take it all in.”
• ️ Rob Dillingham: “Staying level headed, praying and not worrying about things that don’t matter.”
• ️ Carlton Carrington: “This process kind of forces you to. You don’t really have that time to just sit down and dwell on your thoughts … So, I feel like basketball itself is keeping me grounded.”

Describe one memorable experience from your pre-Draft process.

• ️ Carrington: “When I went to the Spurs, just seeing Wemby actually in person is kind of unreal. He’s not 7-foot-4, he’s probably 8-foot-9.”
• ️ Kyle Filipowski: “It was actually my first interview. I show up and the team is like ‘before we get started I wanted to show you this quick video’ and it was a TikTok I did with one of their players (Grady Dick) like three years ago, and they’re like ‘walk me through this’ … I couldn’t help but laugh.”
• ️ Yvis Missi: “One time I got locked out (of my hotel). I think it was midnight and I stayed outside the hotel for like 40 minutes because they couldn’t let me in.”

How will you react when your name is called? Should we expect any tears?

• ️ Stephon Castle: “I’m probably gonna cry … I know my parents will cry.”
• ️ Reed Sheppard: “My mom and dad will probably cry, so that will probably make me cry … And it’s my mom’s birthday too, so that will be really special.”
• ️ Ja’Kobe Walter: “My mom’s definitely gonna cry, 100%. My dad’s gonna try to play it cool — He’s gonna cry later.”
• ️ Carrington: “I’m not crying. I’m not a crier … probably gonna be smiling a lot. But the fam, they’re gonna be crying … They’re all criers, terrible criers. Boohoo criers.”
• ️ Devin Carter, jokingly: “I might go hit a TikTok or something.”

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4. DRAFT PREVIEWS FOR THE TOP 5 TEAMS

The first five teams on the clock tonight find themselves in different positions in their respective journeys in building a contender.

We break down each situation and how the draft could help address their needs. And, don’t worry if your team isn’t in the top five. We have previews for all 30 teams.

Atlanta Hawks (Picks: 1)

• The Hawks don’t fit the typical profile of a team holding the No. 1 pick in the draft. Coming off a Play-In appearance and a 36-46 season – the best record of a team picking first since the 1993 Magic – the Hawks can go in a variety of directions
• Do they build around the No. 1 pick? Do they look to move the pick for more immediate help? How do the players available fit with their current roster?

Washington Wizards (Picks: 2, 26, 51)

• Coming off the fewest wins in franchise history, the Wizards could be looking long-term on the type of player they’re looking at with the No. 2 pick
• Popular names at the top of mock drafts include Zaccharie Risacher, Alex Sarr and Reed Sheppard. Washington also faces a potential hole at PG if unrestricted free agent Tyus Jones leaves

Houston Rockets (Picks: 3, 44)

• The Rockets rebuild made a major leap last season with their young core improving, along with key veterans and a new head coach setting the tone
• Houston has options – they can hold the pick and look to add a shooter or lockdown defender – or could potentially move the pick if they can find a deal for an established player

San Antonio Spurs (Picks: 4, 8, 35, 48)

• After drafting their franchise player with last year’s No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs will look to build around him with four draft picks – including two in the top eight – this year
• Pairing Wemby with a high-level point guard counts as a big opportunity for San Antonio. Whether the Spurs draft their point guard of the future, use their draft capital to acquire one via trade, or look to free agency, they have plenty of options

Detroit Pistons (Picks: 5, 53)

• The Pistons hold the No. 5 pick for the third straight year – having selected Jaden Ivey in 2022 and Ausar Thompson in 2023. Can they find another young player to add that core that also includes 2021 No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham?
• Adding a shooter for the 26th rank 3-point shooting team would help. Detroit can also look to move the pick and add a veteran as the team embarks on next season with a new head coach

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5. SOME ICONIC DRAFT DAY FITS

The NBA Draft is no stranger to fashion, so today we’re opening the scrapbook to celebrate some of the most memorable fits in the event’s history.