NBA draft time has finally arrived for the league. The 2017 NBA Draft begins on Thursday evening (June 22) with the Philadelphia 76ers already on the clock for the first overall selection. The Boston Celtics were the team that actually won the NBA Draft Lottery, but the Celtics worked out a deal to trade the No. 1 pick to the 76ers. A report by ESPN breaks down how the trade worked, with the 76ers giving up the No. 3 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, as well as a future first-round draft pick, to complete the deal.
NBA Draft Start Time
The NBA draft time rolls around at 4 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. ET on June 22. Coverage will be entirely on ESPN, where all 60 selections will get announced live. There will be a lot of “filler” provided for fans by the commentators, as every team is afforded a certain amount of time to make their selections. By the end of the day, 60 new college and international players will be joining NBA teams in preparation for the 2017-18 NBA season.
How Is NBA Draft Order Decided?
The 2017 NBA draft order began with the teams being placed in reverse order of the final regular season standings from last year. The teams that made the playoffs were locked into their respective slots, while the teams that missed the playoffs were entered into a lottery to decide which team would get the first overall selection. The Boston Celtics won the lottery, with the Los Angeles Lakers getting the second pick and the Philadelphia 76ers assigned the third selection.
James Dolan will skip NBA Draft for concert with his band, JD & The Straight Shot https://t.co/kCAKDzNG5R pic.twitter.com/hpFeNnxVFC
— CBS Sports NBA (@CBSSportsNBA) June 22, 2017
What Is The Current NBA Draft Order?
There have been a lot of shifts in how the final 2017 NBA draft order appears, mainly because teams are free to trade their selections. Deals could also still take place on the draft night, meaning these final spots may not be where every team selects in the two rounds. Below is a full first-round list of the 2017 NBA draft order.
2017 First-Round Order
1. Philadelphia 76ers (From Brooklyn, via Boston) 2. Los Angeles Lakers 3. Boston Celtics (From Sacramento, via Philadelphia) 4. Phoenix Suns 5. Sacramento Kings (From Philadelphia) 6. Orlando Magic 7. Minnesota Timberwolves 8. New York York Knicks 9. Dallas Mavericks 10. Sacramento Kings (From New Orleans) 11. Charlotte Hornets 12. Detroit Pistons 13. Denver Nuggets 14. Miami Heat 15. Portland Trail Blazers 16. Chicago Bulls 17. Milwaukee Bucks 18. Indiana Pacers 19. Atlanta Hawks 20. Portland Trail Blazers (From Memphis via Denver and Cleveland) 21. Oklahoma City Thunder 22. Brooklyn Nets (From Washington) 23. Toronto Raptors (From LA Clippers via Milwaukee) 24. Utah Jazz 25. Orlando Magic (From Toronto) 26. Portland Trail Blazers (From Cleveland) 27. Brooklyn Nets (From Boston) 28. Los Angeles Lakers (From Houston) 29. San Antonio Spurs 30. Utah Jazz (From Golden State)
Jerry Tarkanian poses with Stacey Augmon, Greg Anthony and Larry Johnson during the 1991 NBA Draft. pic.twitter.com/HLfhiBXzGs
— SI Vault (@si_vault) June 22, 2017
The league has a page set up that will become active at the NBA draft start time. That’s where updated trade reports will get posted as the day progresses. As previously reported by the Inquisitr , the Atlanta Hawks and Charlotte Hornets exchanged second-round picks as part of a deal that had Dwight Howard swapping teams this week. That is just an example of a deal that could take place before the NBA draft time finally arrives on June 22.
[Featured Image by Mike Stobe/Getty Images]
