NBA Draft 2026 in Brooklyn: dates, picks and prospects to watch
Summary
Brooklyn wakes up, night falls on the Barclays Center. The spotlights heat up, families hold their breath, and a whole generation waits for the light to choose them. On June 23 and 24, 2026, the NBA Draft crowns its new wave in Brooklyn.
The Barclays Center, stage of the great crowning of the 2026 class.
The Draft in brief
- Dates: Tuesday, June 23 (1st round) and Wednesday, June 24, 2026
- Location: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York
- Broadcast: ABC & ESPN, from 2 a.m. in France
- 1st pick: Washington Wizards, AJ Dybantsa big favorite
- Nets pick: 6th position, at the heart of the rebuild
Brooklyn, two nights: why this Draft takes on a new dimension
For the first time, the NBA spreads its Draft over two evenings. The first round lights up on Tuesday, June 23, the second follows the next day. Broadcast on ABC and ESPN, from 2 a.m. for late-night French viewers. The Barclays Center becomes the unique stage of this marathon.
This unprecedented format changes the tempo. More suspense, more stage, more time under the spotlights for each call. At Project X Paris, we see this event as a show: a giant casting where basketball and the street share the same light.
From Jay-Z to the lottery: Brooklyn, natural stage of the Draft
A Draft is the great annual sorting. Each franchise chooses, in turn, the best young talents entering the league. The order is partly decided by the draw, the famous lottery, which rewards the weakest teams. This year, the Washington Wizards secured the first pick.
And the setting is no coincidence. Brooklyn is Bed-Stuy, the cradle of Jay-Z and Notorious B.I.G., a neighborhood where rap and basketball grow on the same pavement. Holding the Draft here connects the sport to the culture that has always accompanied it. The stage lights up where hip-hop was born.
Dybantsa, Boozer, Acuff: the class that will steal the spotlight
At the top of the poster, one name dominates: AJ Dybantsa. The BYU forward averaged 25.5 points, unprecedented for a consensus freshman All-American since Larry Bird in 1979. The Massachusetts prodigy is heading towards the first pick, bound for Washington. His combination of size, skill and desire makes him the face of this class.
Behind him, the wave rises. Cameron Boozer, expected around the 3rd pick in Memphis, arrives with rare basketball IQ and strength. Darius Acuff Jr., explosive point guard from Detroit, is announced close to the Nets, at pick 6. Three profiles, one hunger: to step into the spotlight and never leave it.
Did you know?
At the 2026 combine, Dybantsa measured 2.06 m with a wingspan of 2.15 m, recording the highest vertical leap of the session. A modern forward build made for the spotlight of big nights.
Vibe check: Dybantsa’s XXL season at BYU, by NBC Sports.
The Nets at pick 6: a rebuild under the spotlight?
The question stirring Brooklyn remains. With the 6th pick and several second-round picks, the Nets hold the keys to their rebuild. Landing Acuff or another high-upside talent would revive a project seeking a spark. The franchise plays big under the light of its own court.
The countdown is on. Tickets available via Ticketmaster, red carpet, tearful families and hip-hop basslines: the atmosphere promises to be electric. Get ready, the Brooklyn stage is about to ignite.
THE STAGE IS THEIRS
On June 23, the spotlights of the Barclays Center will shine on an entire generation. Brooklyn hands over the mic, the young guard just has to step into the light. The show is just beginning.
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