The NBA Draft currently consists of two rounds. Since 1989, the draft has been limited to two rounds, with each of the 30 NBA teams typically having one pick in each round, resulting in about 60 players selected overall
. In recent years, the draft has maintained this two-round format, although the number of total picks can vary slightly due to teams forfeiting picks for violations; for example, the 2024 NBA Draft had 58 selections instead of the usual 60 because two teams lost second-round picks
. Historically, the NBA Draft had many more rounds-up to 21 rounds in the 1960s and 10 rounds in the 1970s-but the league gradually shortened the draft over time until settling on the current two-round format in 1989
. Summary:
- Current NBA Draft format: 2 rounds
- Number of picks: Usually 60 (one per team per round)
- Historical context: Drafts used to have many more rounds (up to 21)
- Recent drafts sometimes have fewer picks due to penalties or forfeitures
This two-round format allows teams to select the most promising prospects while undrafted players can sign freely with any team afterward
