The Dallas Mavericks defied the odds and won last month’s NBA draft lottery. With only a 1.8% chance of landing the top pick, the ping pong balls bounced the Mavs’ way and the team that shocked the basketball world by trading Luka Doncic this past winter can now reset with Cooper Flagg. The 6-foot-9-inch wing was named National Player of the Year in his lone season playing college basketball, leading the Duke Blue Devils to the Final Four. Barring another shocking trade from the Mavs, Flagg will begin his professional career in Dallas as the first overall pick.
The San Antonio Spurs have the second pick in the draft and are expected to select Dylan Harper from Rutgers. After that, opinions vary on who will land where but the pieces will start falling into place tonight.
The first round begins tonight 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.
When is the NBA draft?
The NBA draft takes place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on Wednesday, June 25, and Thursday, June 26.
The first round starts tonight at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT). The second round will take place on Thursday starting at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT).
What is the draft order?
The Dallas Mavericks won the NBA draft lottery and have the first pick. Here’s how the first 15 picks shape up:
- Dallas Mavericks
- San Antonio Spurs
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Charlotte Hornets
- Utah Jazz
- Washington Wizards
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Brooklyn Nets
- Toronto Raptors
- Houston Rockets (via reported trade with Phoenix)
- Portland Trail Blazers
- Chicago Bulls
- Atlanta Hawks
- San Antonio Spurs
- Oklahoma City Thunder
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.
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 26.
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.
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.
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, as 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.