The 2022 NBA Draft is almost underway. There, we’ll get the chance to have a glimpse at some of the biggest stars of the future. It’s a very exciting time for basketball fans, scouts, and analysts; and the moment where executives go from good to great or simply lose their jobs.
But if you’re not that much into the NBA yet, chances are you may not know exactly how the NBA Draft works. With that in mind, we’ve put together this article to give you an insight on the potential first overall pick and multiple FAQs, such as when is the NBA Draft 2022 and all the 2022 NBA Draft picks per team.
2022 NBA Draft Prospects: Odds To Be The First Overall Pick
If you’re trying to put together your very own NBA Mock Draft 2022, you know that guessing who’ll go first overall is perhaps the trickiest task. Here, we share the updated NBA draft odds of all players who have a realistic chance to get that distinction:
Disclaimer: The odds above are from BetMGM and are subject to change.
What’s The NBA Draft?
The NBA Draft is when the best prospects from college basketball, the G-League, and international teams enter the NBA. All prospects must be 19 years old by the time of the start of the season or at least one year removed from high school to be eligible.
How Does The NBA Draft Work?
The 14 teams with the worst record in the season will make the Draft lottery. The teams with a worse record will have better odds of getting a top-5 pick, thus restoring competitive balance in the league by getting to choose the best available prospects.
The remaining 16 teams will round up the order and will be determined by playoff seeding. However, it’s also worth noting that teams are allowed to trade Draft picks before and during the Draft, so the final order can be altered by past transactions.
Teams select the player(s) they want and then sign them to rookie-scale contracts depending on how soon they’re picked. The higher the pick, the bigger the salary. Then, undrafted players could still be signed, but their contracts won’t be guaranteed.
When Is The NBA Draft?
The NBA Draft 2022 date was set months ago. It will take place on Thursday, June 23, 2022. It will start at 7:30 pm (E.T) and will be held at Barclays Center, home of the Brooklyn Nets. The first round will be broadcast by ESPN and ABC, while the second round will be exclusively televised by ESPN.
2022 NBA Draft Order
The 2022 NBA Draft order was set after the NBA Draft lottery, and it goes as follows:
First Round
- Orlando Magic
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Houston Rockets
- Sacramento Kings
- Detroit Pistons
- Indiana Pacers
- Portland Trail Blazers
- New Orleans Pelicans (via Los Angeles Lakers)
- San Antonio Spurs
- Washington Wizards
- New York Knicks
- Oklahoma City Thunder (via Los Angeles Clippers)
- Charlotte Hornets
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Charlotte Hornets (via New Orleans Pelicans)
- Atlanta Hawks
- Houston Rockets (via Brooklyn Nets)
- Chicago Bulls
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- San Antonio Spurs (via Toronto Raptors)
- Denver Nuggets
- Memphis Grizzlies (via Utah Jazz)
- Philadelphia 76ers (Pick may go to Brooklyn Nets)
- Milwaukee Bucks
- San Antonio Spurs (via Boston Celtics)
- Dallas Mavericks
- Miami Heat
- Golden State Warriors
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Oklahoma City Thunder (via Phoenix Suns)
Second Round
- Houston Rockets (to Indiana Pacers via Cleveland Cavaliers)
- Orlando Magic
- Detroit Pistons (to Toronto Raptors via San Antonio Spurs, Washington Wizards, and Chicago Bulls)
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Indiana Pacers (to Orlando Magic via Milwaukee Bucks)
- Portland Trail Blazers
- Sacramento Kings
- Los Angeles Lakers (to San Antonio Spurs via Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards)
- San Antonio Spurs (to Cleveland Cavaliers via Utah Jazz)
- Washington Wizards (to Minnesota Timberwolves via Cleveland Cavaliers)
- New Orleans Pelicans
- New York Knicks
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Atlanta Hawks
- Charlotte Hornets
- Detroit Pistons (via Brooklyn Nets)
- Cleveland Cavaliers (Pick will be conveyed to either New Orleans Pelicans via Atlanta Hawks, or to Memphis Grizzlies via New Orleans Pelicans and Atlanta Hawks)
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Chicago Bulls (to Sacramento Kings via Memphis Grizzlies and Detroit Pistons)
- Denver Nuggets (to Minnesota Timberwolves via Philadelphia 76ers)
- Toronto Raptors (to Golden State Warriors via Philadelphia 76ers)
- New Orleans Pelicans (via Utah Jazz)
- Boston Celtics
- Washington Wizards (via Dallas Mavericks)
- Golden State Warriors
- Miami Heat (to Cleveland Cavaliers via Indiana Pacers)
- Memphis Grizzlies (to Portland Trail Blazers via Utah Jazz)
- Indiana Pacers via Phoenix Suns
2022 NBA Draft Picks By Team
- San Antonio Spurs: (4 picks) 9, 20, 25, 38
- Minnesota Timberwolves (4 picks): 19, 40, 48, 50
- Orlando Magic (3 picks): 1, 32, 35
- Oklahoma City Thunder (3 picks): 2, 12, 34
- Charlotte Hornets (3 picks): 13, 15, 45
- Cleveland Cavaliers (3 picks): 14, 39, 56
- Portland Trail Blazers (3 picks): 7, 36, 57
- New Orleans Pelicans (3 picks): 8, 41, 52
- Memphis Grizzlies (3 picks): 22, 29, 47
- Golden State Warriors (3 picks): 28, 51, 55
- Sacramento Kings (3 picks): 4, 37, 49
- Indiana Pacers (3 picks): 6, 31, 58
- Houston Rockets (2 picks): 3, 17
- Detroit Pistons (2 picks): 5, 46
- Washington Wizards (2 picks): 10, 54
- New York Knicks (2 picks): 11, 42
- Atlanta Hawks (2 picks): 16, 44
- Denver Nuggets (2 picks): 21, 30
- Chicago Bulls (1 pick): 18
- Philadelphia 76ers (1 pick): 23
- Milwaukee Bucks (1 pick): 24
- Dallas Mavericks (1 pick): 26
- Miami Heat (1 pick): 27
- Toronto Raptors (1 pick) : 33
- Los Angeles Clippers (1 pick): 43
- Boston Celtics (1 pick): 53
Notable NBA Draft Classes
1996
The NBA Draft class of 1996 featured some of the most notable players to ever lace them up. They topped all NBA Draft projections and ended up being way better than what scouts thought. For instance, Kobe Bryant was selected 13th overall. This class also had Allen Iverson, Steve Nash, Peja Stojakovic, Marcus Camby, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Ray Allen, and Jermaine O’Neal.
2003
If the 2022 NBA Draft prospects wind up being half as good as the class of 2003, then this will definitely be a class for the ages. Headlined by LeBron James as the first overall pick straight out of high school, this class also gave us Hall of Famers like Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. It also had Carmelo Anthony, David West, Kyle Korver, Kirk Hinrich, and Boris Diaw.
1984
And last but not least, the NBA Draft class of 1984 is considered by most experts as the greatest class of all time and is the point of reference for past and future NBA Draft picks. This class had some of the most impactful players of all time, including John Stockton, Charles Barkley, Hakeem Olajuwon, Otis Thorpe, Alvin Robertson, Kevin Willis, and the one and only Michael Jordan.