NBA sets 2026 Draft for June 23–24, substantially maintaining two‑day format

The NBA has confirmed that the 2026 Draft will take place on Tuesday, June twenty‑three, and Wednesday, June twenty‑four, once again at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. The league will maintain the two‑day structure introduced in 2024, with the first round featuring the opening thirty selections on Tuesday night and the second round continuing the following evening from pick thirty‑one onward. Both sessions are scheduled for 8 p.m. Eastern Time.

Although the format remains unchanged, the shift to a Tuesday‑Wednesday slot marks a notable adjustment, designed to avoid overlapping with the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The United States, one of the tournament hosts, will face Turkey on Thursday, June twenty‑five. The NBA also released key eligibility deadlines: NCAA players must declare by April twenty‑four, exactly sixty days before the draft, while the final withdrawal deadline is set for June thirteen at 5 p.m.