NBA Draft 2022 live stream: How to watch online right now, channel, start time

Jabari Smith #10 of the Auburn Tigers shoots over Jordan Miller #11 of the Miami (Fl) Hurricanes in the first half during the second round of the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 20, 2022 in Greenville, South Carolina.
(Image credit: Eakin Howard/Getty Images)

All right folks, it’s time to watch the NBA Draft 2022 live stream online! Is the consensus right? People say the No. 1 pick is already locked in. Word has it that Jabari Smith is the overall consensus pick to head to Orlando, as the Magic has the first pick of the draft. But other potential picks could upset Smith's role. 

NBA Draft 2022 live stream start time, channel

Round 1 starts at 8 p.m. ET today (Thursday, July 23)
Channels: ABC (round 1 only) and ESPN (both rounds)
Watch in the U.S. on Sling TV Orange, currently on sale down to 50% off for the first month.
Watch anywhere: Try ExpressVPN risk-free

Behind Smith, Gonzaga's Chet Holmgren is a favorite among some. The lanky 7-foot center/power forward hits No. 1 in some rankings we've seen online, Holmgren is a defensive beast. The only real knocks against him are his strength and frame, as he doesn't have the most intimidating presence. 

Paolo Banchero is a name that many have floated, and the Duke forward would be a safe pick for many teams. The Rockets, who pick third, are expected to take Banchero. They even cleared a role for him, by moving Christian Wood to Dallas in last week's trade.

But let's cut to the chase: we've got everything you need to watch the 2022 NBA Draft online, and the order of draft picks as well.

How to watch the NBA Draft live streams from anywhere

If you've had to leave your own "alma mater" region -- and you can't watch ABC or ESPN to grab the NBA Draft on the services you already pay for, you're not out of luck. With a virtual private network, or VPN, you can appear to be surfing the web from your home town (or somewhere that blackouts won't hit), and access the same streaming services you already paid for. 

Not sure which VPN is right for you? We've tested many different services and our pick for the best VPN overall is ExpressVPN. It offers superb speeds and excellent customer service. But you've got other VPN options as well. Here are our top picks.

ExpressVPN

We think speed, security and simplicity make <a href="https://go.expressvpn.com/c/4550836/1330033/16063?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.expressvpn.com%2Foffer%2Ftomsguide%3Foffer%3D3monthsfree%26a_fid%3D744" data-link-merchant="expressvpn.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">ExpressVPN second to none. During our tests, we saw fast connection times, and we're impressed by the service's ability to access more than 3,000 services spread out across 160 locations in 94 countries. Its 30-day money-back guarantee is another perk.

Using a VPN is incredibly simple.

1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, ExpressVPN is our favorite.

2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance if you're in the U.S. and want to view a U.K. service, you'd select U.K. from the list.

3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to your website or streaming service of choice and tune in.

NBA Draft live streams in the US

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In the U.S. the NBA Draft airs on ABC and ESPN, at 8 p.m. ET. Only ESPN will have the second round picks.

If you've already cut the cord and don't have a cable package, you'll be able to get this game on YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV and FuboTV

We recommend you go with Sling, one of the best streaming services, even though it doesn't have ABC (though you can get it with one of the best TV antennas) it does have ESPN. ESPN is included in the Sling Orange package, which costs $35 per month normally, and is currently $10 for the first month right now. 

Fubo, one of the best cable TV alternatives, will give you your choice of ABC and ESPN.

Sling TV:

<a href="https://sling-tv.pxf.io/c/221109/1132376/14334?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sling.com%2F" data-link-merchant="sling.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Sling TV: You can get ESPN and ESPN3 in the Sling Orange package. The 30-plus channels in the lineup include AMC, CNN, Food Network, AMC, Comedy Central, HGTV and many more. Save on your monthly plans with one of our <a href="https://www.tomsguide.com/coupons/sling.com" data-link-merchant="tomsguide.com"" data-link-merchant="sling.com"">Sling TV promo codes.

Fubo.TV:

<a href="https://www.fubo.tv/?irad=366904&irmp=221109&subId1=hawk-custom-tracking" data-link-merchant="fubo.tv"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Fubo.TV: If you love sports, you probably want to check out Fubo.TV. It's got a 7-day free trial so you don't need to pay up front and we can save you a few dollars on your costs with a <a href="https://www.tomsguide.com/coupons/fubo.tv" data-link-merchant="tomsguide.com"" data-link-merchant="fubo.tv"">FuboTV promo code. Fubo's dozens of channels include local networks like ABC and ESPN. You can also add on NBA TV. Fubo doesn't have TNT.

NBA Draft live streams in the UK

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Even though the NBA season is over, Sky Sports is still your destination. Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Arena will host the NBA Draft starting at 1 a.m. BST.

NBA Draft live streams in Canada

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Hoops fans in Canada can get the NBA Draft live streams on SportsNet and TSN.

SN1 has the draft for SportsNet, while TSN2 has the draft for TSN. Both start at 8 p.m. ET.

TSN and Sportsnet can both be added to your existing cable package.

NBA Draft live streams in Australia

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The NBA draft live streams should be available down under on ESPN on Kayo Sports.  Expect the proceedings to kick off at 9:30 a.m. AEST.

Kayo offers a 14-day free trial for both its Basic and Premium plans, more than enough time to confirm they're actually showing the games. The Basic package costs $25 per month thereafter. 

The $35 per month Premium Kayo plan gives you all the same things as the normal plan, but it offers three simultaneous streams. The Basic plan gives you two streams at the same time. 

NBA Draft 2022 pick order

Round 1

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Pick NumberTeam
1Orlando Magic
2Oklahoma City Thunder
3Houston Rockets
4Sacramento Kings
5Detroit Pistons
6Indiana Pacers
7Portland Trail Blazers
8New Orleans Pelicans
9San Antonio Spurs
10Washington Wizards
11New York Knicks
12Oklahoma City Thunder
13Charlotte Hornets
14Cleveland Cavaliers
15Charlotte Hornets
16Atlanta Hawks
17Houston Rockets
18Chicago Bulls
19Minnesota Timberwolves
20San Antonio Spurs
21Denver Nuggets
22Memphis Grizzlies
23Philadelphia 76ers
24Milwaukee Bucks
25San Antonio Spurs
26Dallas Mavericks
27Miami Heat
28Golden State Warriors
29Memphis Grizzlies
30Oklahoma City Thunder

Round 2

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Pick numberTeam
34Oklahoma City Thunder
35Orlando Magic
36Portland Trail Blazers
37Sacramento Kings
38San Antonio Spurs
39Cleveland Cavaliers
40Minnesota Timberwolves
41New Orleans Pelicans
42New York Knicks
43LA Clippers
44Atlanta Hawks
45Charlotte Hornets
46Detroit Pistons
47Memphis Grizzlies
48Minnesota Timberwolves
49Sacramento Kings
50Minnesota Timberwolves
51Golden State Warriors
52New Orleans Pelicans
53Boston Celtics
54Washington Wizards
55Golden State Warriors
56Cleveland Cavaliers
57Portland Trail Blazers
58Indiana Pacers

Henry T. Casey
Managing Editor (Entertainment, Streaming)

Henry is a managing editor at Tom’s Guide covering streaming media, laptops and all things Apple, reviewing devices and services for the past seven years. Prior to joining Tom's Guide, he reviewed software and hardware for TechRadar Pro, and interviewed artists for Patek Philippe International Magazine. He's also covered the wild world of professional wrestling for Cageside Seats, interviewing athletes and other industry veterans.