Basketball CareerPlay freePlay / Pro Draft
The Pro Draft
The Pro Draft is the night that changes a career in Basketball Career. This guide explains how the draft works in the game for men and women: who is eligible, how your pick is decided, the lottery, rookie deals and what happens if your name isn't called.
Who can enter
- Men: eligible at 19, after one college season, from the development league or from a club overseas.
- Women: eligible at 22 or after four years of college.
Before you declare, the game shows your projected range: top 4, lottery, first round, second round or undrafted risk.
How your pick is decided
Your pick depends on your rating and your age. A higher OVR moves you up the board; every year older than the youngest eligible age moves you down, because teams pay for upside. There is a little luck on the night, so two players with the same rating can land a few picks apart.
| Men's draft | Women's draft | |
|---|---|---|
| Rounds | 2 rounds, 30 picks each (60) | 3 rounds, 18 picks each (54) |
| Lottery | Picks 1 to 14 are lottery picks and go to weak teams | No lottery; the top picks go to weak teams |
| Rookie deal | Round 1: four-year rookie-scale deal. Round 2: two years | Round 1: four years. Later rounds: two years |
| If undrafted | Two-way deal, development league or a club overseas | Training-camp invite or a club overseas |
After the draft
- Two-way deals. You play mostly in the development league. Play well and your team may convert it into a standard contract.
- 10-day contracts. A team gives you ten days to stick. The odds of staying are shown before you sign.
- Summer League and combine. Combine measurements before the draft and a Summer League roster after it are chances to stand out.
- Going undrafted isn't the end. One of the starting stories, the undrafted grinder, is built around it.
Tips
- If you're projected in the lottery at 19, declaring is usually right: waiting costs picks.
- If you're projected second round or worse, another college season can help, but only if your rating grows enough to beat the age penalty.
- A late pick on a team that needs you can beat an early pick on a deep roster, because minutes grow your rating.
More guides
- How to play: Stories, playstyles, paces, decisions and tips
- Men's basketball career: One-and-done, the draft lottery, supermax deals and the playoffs
- Women's basketball career: Four years of college, a three-round draft and winters overseas
- Hall of Fame score: How your 0 to 100 legacy score is calculated
- Daily Draft and Weekly challenge: One shared career a day, one a week, with leaderboards
- College basketball career: Recruiting, NIL, the transfer portal and one-and-done
- Games like BitLife for basketball: How Basketball Career compares
- Career stories: All 8 starting stories and how to play each one
- Leaderboard: Today's and this week's best Hall of Fame scores
- Achievements: Every achievement and what it unlocks