NBA:Draft: Difference between revisions
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Drawn using the [https://zengm.com/universal-draft-lottery-simulator/ ZenGM universal draft lottery simulator]. | Drawn using the [https://zengm.com/universal-draft-lottery-simulator/ ZenGM universal draft lottery simulator]. | ||
=== 1st round === | === 1st-round order === | ||
Lottery teams take the order the draw gives them. Everyone else is ordered by '''record''', worst first. | Lottery teams take the order the draw gives them. Everyone else is ordered by '''record''', worst first. | ||
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=== 2nd round === | === 2nd-round order === | ||
'''Reverse order of the standings, ignoring the lottery result.''' | '''Reverse order of the standings, ignoring the lottery result.''' | ||
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'''A drafted player is signed the moment he is selected.''' His salary counts against your [[NBA:Salary Cap|cap]] as soon as the pick is posted — there is no separate signing step, so enter the draft already holding room for every pick you intend to make. | '''A drafted player is signed the moment he is selected.''' His salary counts against your [[NBA:Salary Cap|cap]] as soon as the pick is posted — there is no separate signing step, so enter the draft already holding room for every pick you intend to make. | ||
=== 1st round === | === 1st-round contracts === | ||
'''4 guaranteed years plus a 5th-year team option''', at the salary for that slot: | '''4 guaranteed years plus a 5th-year team option''', at the salary for that slot: | ||
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A 2026 1st-rounder is written <code>(2030, 2031x)</code> — guaranteed through the four seasons 2027–2030, with 2031 as the option. | A 2026 1st-rounder is written <code>(2030, 2031x)</code> — guaranteed through the four seasons 2027–2030, with 2031 as the option. | ||
=== 2nd round === | === 2nd-round contracts === | ||
'''$495,000. One guaranteed year plus four team options''' — five seasons in total. | '''$495,000. One guaranteed year plus four team options''' — five seasons in total. | ||
Revision as of 16:42, 24 September 2026
| Reference | Contracts · Rosters · Salary Cap · League Spreadsheet |
| Transactions | Waivers · Trades · Options · Re-Signing · Draft · Free Agency · G League · Injured Reserve |
| Timeline | Off-Season · In-Season |
| Governance | League Structure · GM Responsibilities · Rule Changes |
| Tools | Re-Sign Calculator · Free Agency Bid Calculator |
Two rounds, 30 picks each. Every undrafted player enters free agency.
When
The draft runs in the off-season, after re-signing and before free agency. For 2027 it was August 9. See Off-Season.
A draft is named for the year it is held, and feeds the following season. The 2026 draft produces players for the 2027 season, so a pick made in it is written (2030, 2031x) — see rookie contracts below.
Draft order
The lottery
14 non-playoff teams enter the lottery, and the top 4 picks are drawn. The rest fall into place by record, as in the real NBA.
| Seed | Combinations | Chance at #1 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 140 | 14.0% |
| 2 | 140 | 14.0% |
| 3 | 140 | 14.0% |
| 4 | 125 | 12.5% |
| 5 | 105 | 10.5% |
| 6 | 90 | 9.0% |
| 7 | 75 | 7.5% |
| 8 | 60 | 6.0% |
| 9 | 45 | 4.5% |
| 10 | 30 | 3.0% |
| 11 | 20 | 2.0% |
| 12 | 15 | 1.5% |
| 13 | 10 | 1.0% |
| 14 | 5 | 0.5% |
Drawn using the ZenGM universal draft lottery simulator.
1st-round order
Lottery teams take the order the draw gives them. Everyone else is ordered by record, worst first.
Ties are broken in this order:
| Two teams tied | Three or more tied | |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Head-to-head matchup | Division record |
| 2nd | Division record | Total categories |
| 3rd | Total categories | Points scored |
| 4th | Points scored | — |
2nd-round order
Reverse order of the standings, ignoring the lottery result.
Rookie contracts
A drafted player is signed the moment he is selected. His salary counts against your cap as soon as the pick is posted — there is no separate signing step, so enter the draft already holding room for every pick you intend to make.
1st-round contracts
4 guaranteed years plus a 5th-year team option, at the salary for that slot:
| Pick | Salary | Pick | Salary | Pick | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $3,617,100 | 11 | $1,495,200 | 21 | $918,900 |
| 2 | $3,236,600 | 12 | $1,420,400 | 22 | $882,200 |
| 3 | $2,906,200 | 13 | $1,349,400 | 23 | $847,000 |
| 4 | $2,606,200 | 14 | $1,282,000 | 24 | $813,000 |
| 5 | $2,372,800 | 15 | $1,217,800 | 25 | $780,500 |
| 6 | $2,155,100 | 16 | $1,157,000 | 26 | $754,700 |
| 7 | $1,967,400 | 17 | $1,099,100 | 27 | $732,400 |
| 8 | $1,802,400 | 18 | $1,044,200 | 28 | $728,400 |
| 9 | $1,656,800 | 19 | $997,100 | 29 | $723,100 |
| 10 | $1,573,900 | 20 | $957,300 | 30 | $717,800 |
A 2026 1st-rounder is written (2030, 2031x) — guaranteed through the four seasons 2027–2030, with 2031 as the option.
2nd-round contracts
$495,000. One guaranteed year plus four team options — five seasons in total.
A 2026 2nd-rounder is written (2027, ~2031x).
Draft-and-stash
A drafted player who does not come to the NBA immediately is paid his slot salary straight away, but his contract has no end date until he arrives:
Juan Nunez $495,000 (----)
When the contract starts
| He arrives | Contract |
|---|---|
| On or before the end of week 9 — the off-season included | Starts immediately |
| After the end of week 9 | Your choice: start it immediately, counting the rest of this season as year 1 regardless of games played — or defer to next season, making him ineligible for the remainder of this one including the playoffs |
Coming over means joining an NBA or G League roster. Verify arrival dates against basketball-reference.com.
Waiving a stashed player before he comes over carries a one-year cap hit rather than the usual calculation — see Waivers.
Trading picks
Picks may be traded up to two years out, once the window opens at check-in. See Trades.
How to post
Selections are made in the draft thread in the NBA: Draft Room forum, in this format:
Patrick Ewing | C | Georgetown (NYK)
Name | Position | School (NBA team).
Then add him to your roster post with his contract:
Patrick Ewing (NYK - C) $3,617,100 (2030, 2031x)
See also
- Contracts — reading option years and the
(----)stash notation - Salary Cap — pick salaries count from selection
- Option Years — exercising a rookie's option
- Free Agency — where undrafted players go
- Trades — trading picks