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The Washington Wizards won last month's NBA draft lottery and are expected to select BYU freshman forward AJ Dybantsa with the first pick. Kansas freshman guard Darryn Peterson is the favorite to be picked second overall by the Utah Jazz, and Duke freshman forward Cameron Boozer is expected to be the next name off the board when the Memphis Grizzlies make their choice with the third pick. A fourth freshman in North Carolina, forward Caleb Wilson, is expected to be picked next when the Chicago Bulls make their pick.
The 2026 NBA draft really begins with the Los Angeles Clippers and the fifth pick. A trio of point guards -- Keaton Wagler of Illinois, Mikel Brown Jr. of Louisville and Darius Acuff Jr. of Arkansas -- are expected to be in contention for this pick as well as those of the next two teams with the Brooklyn Nets at No. 6 and the Sacramento Kings at No. 7.
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.
AJ Dybantsa is expected to be the first player selected in the 2026 NBA draft.
Evan Bernstein/Getty ImagesWhen is the NBA draft?
The NBA draft takes place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on Tuesday, June 23, and Wednesday, June 24.
The first round starts tonight at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT). The second round will take place on Wednesday starting at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT).
What is the draft order?
The Washington Wizards won the NBA draft lottery and have the first pick. Here's how the first round shapes up.
1. Washington Wizards
2. Utah Jazz
3. Memphis Grizzlies
4. Chicago Bulls
5. Los Angeles Clippers (from Indiana)
6. Brooklyn Nets
7. Sacramento Kings
8. Atlanta Hawks (from New Orleans)
9. Dallas Mavericks
10. Milwaukee Bucks
11. Golden State Warriors
12. Oklahoma City Thunder (from LA Clippers)
13. Milwaukee Bucks (from Miami)
14. Charlotte Hornets
15. Chicago Bulls (from Portland)
16. Memphis Grizzlies (from Phoenix via Orlando)
17. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Philadelphia)
18. Charlotte Hornets (from Orlando via Phoenix)
19. Toronto Raptors
20. San Antonio Spurs (from Atlanta)
21. Detroit Pistons (from Minnesota)
22. Philadelphia 76ers (from Houston via Oklahoma City)
23. Atlanta Hawks (from Cleveland)
24. New York Knicks
25. Los Angeles Lakers
26. Denver Nuggets
27. Boston Celtics
28. Brooklyn Nets (from Minnesota via Detroit)
29. Cleveland Cavaliers (from San Antonio via Atlanta)
30. Dallas Mavericks (from Oklahoma City via Washington and Philadelphia)
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 won't get ESPN's or ABC's main broadcast of the NBA draft on the ESPN Unlimited app but will be able to watch the Hoop Stream show hosts Vanessa Richardson and Iman Shumpert react live to the picks.
Cord cutters can watch the NBA Draft on ABC and ESPN with a live TV streaming service.
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.
YouTube TV's sports plans costs $55 a month for the first year (before rising to $65 a month) and includes ABC. Plug in your ZIP code on YouTube TV's welcome page to see which local networks are available in your area.
Fubo's Sports Plus News skinny bundle costs $56 a month ($46 for the first month) and includes ABC and ESPN. Click here to see which local channels you get.
How to watch the NBA draft from anywhere using a VPN
If you find yourself unable to view the NBA draft locally, you may need a different way to watch it -- that's where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds by encrypting your traffic. It's also a great idea if you're traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.
With a VPN, you're able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the draft. So if your internet provider or mobile carrier has stuck you with an IP address that incorrectly shows your location in a blackout zone, a VPN can correct that problem by giving you an IP address in your correct, nonblackout area. Most VPNs, like our Editors' Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.
Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Canada, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you're streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.
Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals taking place right now.
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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. Sky subsidiary Now (formerly Now TV) offers streaming access to Sky Sports channels with a Now Sports membership. Coverage begins at 1 a.m. BST on Wednesday, June 24.
Livestream the NBA draft in Canada
Canadian basketball fans can watch the draft on TSN4 with coverage starting at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
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 Wednesday.
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.
