NBA announces schedule for 2026 NBA Draft: How to watch all the picks

The great tanking exhibition, better known as part of the NBA's 2025-26 season, has concluded.

A record eight teams finished with 55 or more losses, prompting Commissioner Adam Silver and the league's governors to look into how to punish teams that lose on purpose.

Teams are losing for good reason, as this year's draft crop is loaded with talent that could turn annual early-vacationing teams into contenders in a few years.

This is the third consecutive year that the draft will be a two-night event. Teams will have a five-minute time limit to make picks in the first round, and a four-minute time limit for second-round picks.

Among the candidates for the No. 1 pick are Duke's Carlos Boozer, AJ Dybantsa of BYU, and Arkansas' Darius Acuff, all of whom were named first-team All-Americans by the Associated Press, and Darryn Peterson of Kansas, who is another intriguing prospect, despite injury and availability concerns.

Here is what to know about the 2026 NBA Draft:

How to watch the 2026 NBA Draft

When: June 23-24

Where: Barclays Center (Brooklyn, New York)

Time: 8 p.m. ET both nights

TV and Streaming: First Round (ABC, ESPN, ESPN App, Fubo); Second Round (ESPN, ESPN App, Fubo).

Important dates before draft

• May 10: 2026 NBA Draft Lottery
• May 10-17: NBA Draft Combine
• June 13: Deadline for an Early Entry player to withdraw from 2026 NBA Draft (5 p.m. ET)