The 2016 NBA Draft will be held on Thursday, June 23 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. It will air starting at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN, and there will be a live stream online at WatchESPN.
2016 NBA Draft start time and online streaming information
ESPN will air and stream Thursday’s draft.
This draft is expected to be one of the most unpredictable in a while. The 76ers seem locked in on Ben Simmons with the top pick while the Lakers are almost surely taking Brandon Ingram second. After that, things could get crazy, as there's no consensus on who the third-best prospect really is. Adding even more uncertainty is the fact that the Celtics, slotted to select after the Lakers, could be looking to move their pick for an established star.
There are also several teams which own multiple picks, so there could be a lot of trade activity. The Nuggets, Suns, Celtics and 76ers have a combined 12 first-round picks and won't likely add that many rookies. There have been rumors about the Spurs and Clippers looking to move up and the Trail Blazers, Nets and Knicks want to get in the draft after trading away their picks. With so many motivated sellers and interested buyers, there's bound to be some movement.
While trades make the draft fun, the teams at the top are more concerned with finding their saviors. Fortunately for them, Simmons and Ingram seem to have plenty of talent and upside. The 76ers have reportedly told Simmons they are selecting him, which makes sense, as he’s the best player available. As a 6’9 point forward, he’s a unique prospect who seems tailor-made for the modern NBA in which versatility is king. There is a logjam in the frontcourt in Philadelphia and picking Simmons will only make it worse, but they can’t afford to pass up on a potential star.
If the 76ers do what everyone is expecting them to do, Ingram will fall to the Lakers. The sweet shooting small forward fits perfectly with the rest of the roster in Los Angeles. He should be the starter from day one and will complement D'Angelo Russell and Julius Randle well. The Lakers have gone through dark times recently but their young core looks promising and could help them attract a quality free agent. Contention seems years away but the foundation for something special could be there after Thursday.
As mentioned, there's a talent drop-off after those two but there are still intriguing options for other teams. Croatia's Dragan Bender could be the next European jewel, California's Jaylen Brown is a terrific athlete with a developing game and Providence's Kris Dunn is an NBA-ready floor general. Kentucky's Jamal Murray and Oklahoma's Buddy Hield will provide instant help for franchises looking for shooting, while Washington's Marquese Chriss, Utah's Jakob Poeltl, Marquette's Henry Ellenson and Michigan State's Deyonta Davis, among others, give the class impressive big man depth.
There’s always plenty of excitement at the draft and this iteration should be no different.
Draft start time and online streaming
Time: 7 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Streaming: WatchESPN
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Two views on the 76ers and ‘the process’
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