2024 NBA Draft preview, how to watch, stream and discussion thread
The 2024 NBA Draft is set to begin on Wednesday as part of a two-day event with the Lakers owning one pick in each day.
The 2024 NBA Draft features the debut of the event being two days now. The first round kicks off on Wednesday with the second round beginning on Thursday.
The Lakers will have a pick on each night, owning their own No. 17 pick in the first round and the Clippers’ No. 55 pick in the second round.
Start time and TV schedule
What: 2024 NBA Draft
When: Wednesday, 5 p.m.; Thursday, 1 p.m.
Where: Barclays Center
Watch: Wednesday, 4:30 p.m. on ESPN, 5 p.m. on ABC/Thursday, 1 p.m. on ESPN
In recent years, the Lakers have gained a reputation for having a terrific eye for talent. Austin Reaves is the most glowing example on the current roster.
The team will look to replicate that against this year in the draft. It’s anyone’s guess where they go with the draft pick. For months now, rumors have been aplenty that they could look to trade it.
However, those have largely died down in place of talks of the team making the pick and leaning into player development, as vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka said at JJ Redick’s introductory press conference on Monday.
No matter what their decision is, the challenge for this team will be building a roster that can compete for a title, so long as LeBron James is on the roster. While that’s not even a given, the expectations of having him return means the expectation of title contention will remain.
Finding the balance of win-now prospects and ones that can exist and help for the post-LeBron era is a new challenge the team will really start to face this season.
These two days will also offer a potential look at how Redick wants to build a roster, whether that’s in the way of lots of wings or multiple bigs in the starting line-up.
Whatever decision the team makes will surely be met with lots of understanding and patience, especially after how last season’s decision on the draft played out.
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