When is the NBA Draft for 2019? Start time, date, and top prospects

Many basketball fans are anticipating the NBA Draft 2019 edition as it’s expected to bring one of the top prospects in some time into the league.

That’s none other than Duke phenom Zion Williamson, who it appears for all intents and purposes, is heading to the New Orleans Pelicans. He’ll be joined at the upcoming draft with plenty of other top talents. So when is the NBA Draft for 2019? We’ve got you covered with the date to mark your calendar and official start time.

NBA Draft 2019 brings Zion, top prospects

No player coming to the league has attracted more attention than the Blue Devils’ Zion Williamson. Barring a trade, the impressive star who possesses athletic abilities unseen before will end up in New Orleans. After that, most experts have pegged Murray State guard Ja Morant to go No. 2 overall to the Memphis Grizzlies.

The New York Knicks are on the board for No. 3 this year and although it’s not the top pick, it could bring them a star too. An NBA mock draft via Bleacher Report suggests Zion’s fellow Duke teammate RJ Barrett will wind up playing at MSG.

A recent Los Angeles Lakers trade for Anthony Davis sent the No. 4 pick to New Orleans along with three players. That same mock draft (via BR) has Texas Tech’s Jarrett Culver going No. 4 to the Pelicans to join Zion and their newest stars. The fifth pick could potentially be Virginia guard DeAndre Hunter headed to the Cleveland Cavs.

Per ESPN, all of the aforementioned players received invites to sit in the draft green room this Thursday. Also invited are Duke’s Cam Reddish, Vanderbilt’s Darius Garland, UNC’s Coby White, and Texas’ Jaxson Hayes.

When is the NBA Draft 2019 date, start time?

It all arrives this coming Thursday, June 20. The latest edition of the NBA Draft will take place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The official home arena for the Brooklyn Nets has become the host site for the draft since 2013.

As far as when to watch, the NBA Draft 2019 start time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time on ESPN. The draft coverage will span the entirety of the event which is a total of two rounds which consist of 30 picks each. The event ultimately wraps up around midnight ET.

By then, fans may have a good idea of who’s playing where, but don’t forget that NBA free agency is around the corner in early July. That gives teams more players to consider and could bring serious roster updates.

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