How do the NBA draft and free agency work?

With the Celtics’ 2024 championship clinched, the NBA offseason is officially underway. The 2024 NBA draft and free agency are next up on the league’s calendar.

Here’s a look at what’s ahead for the NBA.

When is the 2024 NBA draft?

The draft will be held June 26-27. It will air at 8 p.m. ET on both nights via ABC, ESPN and ESPN+.

Where is the 2024 NBA draft?

The first night of the draft will take place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The second night will be held at ESPN’s Seaport District Studios in downtown Manhattan.

What is the format of the 2024 NBA draft?

The draft will consist of 58 total picks over two rounds. The first round will feature picks 1-30, followed by picks 31-58 in the second round.

The top 14 selections of the first round were determined by a lottery involving teams that did not make this year’s playoffs. The rest of the draft is done in order of win percentage.

Who has the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA draft?

The Atlanta Hawks won the draft lottery and secured the No. 1 overall pick. Atlanta owns the top pick for the fourth time in NBA history, and for the first time since the lottery began in 1985.

What is the 2024 NBA draft order?

First Round

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)

15. Miami Heat

16. Philadelphia 76ers

17. Los Angeles Lakers

18. Orlando Magic

19. Toronto Raptors (from Indiana)

20. Cleveland Cavaliers

21. New Orleans Pelicans (from Milwaukee)

22. Phoenix Suns

23. Milwaukee Bucks (from New Orleans)

24. New York Knicks (from Dallas)

25. New York Knicks

26. Washington Wizards (from Los Angeles Clippers via Dallas and Oklahoma City)

27. Minnesota Timberwolves

28. Denver Nuggets

29. Utah Jazz (from Oklahoma City via Toronto and Indiana)

30. Boston Celtics

Second Round

31. Toronto Raptors (from Detroit via New York and Los Angeles Clippers)

32. Utah Jazz (from Washington via Detroit and Brooklyn)

33. Milwaukee Bucks (from Portland via Sacramento)

34. Portland Trail Blazers (from Charlotte via Denver, Oklahoma City and New Orleans)

35. San Antonio Spurs

36. Indiana Pacers (from Toronto via Philadelphia, Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis)

37. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Memphis via Los Angeles Lakers, Washington and Oklahoma City)

38. New York Knicks (from Utah)

39. Memphis Grizzlies (from Brooklyn via Houston)

40. Portland Trail Blazers (from Atlanta)

41. Philadelphia 76ers (from Chicago via Boston, San Antonio and New Orleans)

42. Charlotte Hornets (from Houston via Miami Heat)

44. Houston Rockets (from Golden State via Atlanta)

45. Sacramento Kings

46. Los Angeles Clippers (from Indiana via Memphis and Milwaukee)

47. Orlando Magic

48. San Antonio Spurs (from Los Angeles Lakers via Memphis)

49. Indiana Pacers (from Cleveland)

50. Indiana Pacers (from New Orleans)

51. Washington Wizards (from Phoenix)

52. Golden State Warriors (from Milwaukee via Indiana)

53. Detroit Pistons (from New York via Philadelphia and Charlotte)

54. Boston Celtics (from Dallas via Sacramento)

55. Los Angeles Lakers (from Los Angeles Clippers)

56. Denver Nuggets (from Minnesota via Oklahoma City)

57. Memphis Grizzlies (from Oklahoma City via Houston and Atlanta)

58. Dallas Mavericks (from Boston via Charlotte)

(The 76ers and Suns forfeited their second-round picks due to violating rules for free agency discussions.)

Who are some of the top prospects in the 2024 NBA Draft?

French forward Zaccharie Risacher is projected to be the first overall pick in ESPN’s latest mock draft. The Hawks have also worked out Connecticut big man Donovan Clingan, Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard, NBA G League Ignite standout Matas Buzelis, Colorado forward Cody Williams and Ron Holland, a former consensus five-star prospect out of Dallas. French 7-footer Alex Sarr has also garnered interest at the top of the draft, while Bronny James, the son of NBA star LeBron James, has captured public attention as well.

When does NBA free agency begin?

NBA free agency begins at 6 p.m. ET on June 30. Teams can officially open negotiations with all free agents at that time. Teams are allowed to begin signing free agents at 12:01 p.m. ET on July 6.

How does NBA free agency work?

The new collective bargaining agreement between the NBA and its players goes into effect this offseason. Per the new CBA, all 30 teams now may begin negotiating exclusively with their own upcoming free agents immediately after the NBA Finals. Previously, teams were prohibited from those negotiations until the official start of the free agency period.

Who are some notable NBA free agents in 2024?

▪︎ LeBron James (James has until June 29 to exercise his $51.4 million player option for next season.)

▪︎ Paul George (George has until June 29 to exercise his $48.8 million player option for next season.)

▪︎ James Harden

▪︎ Klay Thompson

▪︎ DeMar DeRozan

For more NBA updates, check out the ESPN hub page for breaking news, stats, schedules and more.