How to watch the 2025 NBA Draft: Start time, TV channel, streaming info and pick order

New York Times

5 hours ago

Sam Presti and the Oklahoma City Thunder just won their maiden title off the strength of god-tier draft scoping and talent development. Which unrealized basketball dynasty begins on Wednesday?
The 2025 NBA Draft comes to us live from the borough of Brooklyn, the 'habitat, the place where it happens at,' as one emcee once said. Dallas improbably holds the No. 1 pick, which the Mavericks will use to select prodigal Duke freshman Cooper Flagg. San Antonio is up second, and the Spurs are expected to pair Dylan Harper with their extraterrestrial cornerstone Victor Wembanyama. Beyond that is anyone's guess. Let the chaos rip.
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Coverage will also be streamed on ESPN+.
While the picks themselves can be found out on social media, there are ample reasons to still tune in for the actual event. This broadcast is where legends begin and where running in-jokes are spawned. All-time superstars traded on draft night include Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki, Ray Allen and Kawhi Leonard. If nothing else, we get to see some bespoke suits — pour one out for what we've lost as a society.
The first nine picks in the latest mock draft here at The Athletic are all 19 or younger. Flagg is universally recognized as the top pick in the pool, and perhaps one of the best young prospects in decades. The consensus NCAA national player of the year was a two-way force with the Blue Devils, and his fluid shotmaking should swiftly transfer to the pros. He will join a Mavs team with veritable superstars Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving. Dallas also has Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford shoring up the paint. Flagg is in position to shine right away and play meaningful games as a rookie if everything holds — a huge 'if' with that franchise.
Harper can slide into San Antonio's backcourt alongside Stephon Castle and De'Aaron Fox. The Spurs can figure out the positional logjam later. It's hard to pass up a bucket-getter of this caliber as Wembanyama keeps ascending. The guard turned heads in his one season at Rutgers with his court vision, long-range touch and aggressiveness at the rim.
Other intriguing blue-chippers include Baylor's VJ Edgecombe, Oklahoma's Jeremiah Fears, plus Flagg's teammate Kon Knueppel and Harper's teammate Ace Bailey. The first round runs throughout Wednesday night, and the second round gets its own ESPN-exclusive airing on Thursday.
The full draft order can be found here.
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(Photo of Cooper Flagg: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)