When and how to watch the 2022 NBA Draft

It’s almost here — the 2022 NBA Draft!

For Toronto Raptors fans, getting to this date — the “official” start of the NBA offseason, really — may not seem that exciting. We don’t have a pick in the first round, after all.

But it’s been almost two months without Raptors basketball, and the Raptors do have a second-round pick — #33 overall — and one never knows what Masai Ujiri will do on draft day.

What time is the NBA Draft?

The 2022 NBA Draft is taking place at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, and tips off (so to speak) at 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 23. At least, that’s when ESPN’s broadcast starts — I’m sure there’ll be plenty of talking heads and commercials before the first pick, so maybe plan on using the first 15 minutes to get a drink and a snack and get comfy!

How to watch the NBA Draft in Canada

Here in Canada, the 2022 NBA Draft will be broadcast on TSN2 at 8:00 p.m. This is our broadcast of the ESPN/ABC show, with approximately 6,267 sports betting commercials and promos dropped in.

But that’s not all! Because this is Canada and our sports broadcast overlords like to torture us, you need to change channels three times to catch the full draft coverage.

First, if you’re into this sort of thing, and you want to get an early start, you can catch the 2022 NBA Draft Red Carpet Special on TSN3, starting at 5:00 p.m.

You can then hop over to TSN4 to watch the NBA Draft Pregame at 7:30 p.m. This is likely the CanCon segment of the evening, so expect TSN personalities like Josh Lewenberg and Jack Armstrong to drop in with the latest scoops and analysis.

TSN3, then TSN4, then TSN2. Got it? Oh, and if you’re a streamer, TSN Direct should have you covered.

Who’s getting drafted in the first round?

Last year, the top of the draft was especially exciting for Raptors fans, as we had the fourth overall pick — their highest pick since selecting Andrea Bargnani #1 overall in 2006.

But even without a Raptors pick, the top of the draft is where the real excitement lies. It’s a glimpse of the league’s future: Potentially transformational players coming in to the NBA, to hopefully change the fortunes of some franchises in desperate need of some moribund franchises (hi, Orlando Magic!) and start building legacies of their own.

This year, it seems likely that Jabari Smith Jr. and Chet Holmgren are going top two to Orlando and Oklahoma City, in some order, with Paolo Banchero almost a lock to end up third — at least, that’s the latest buzz from DraftKings, who have the latest NBA Draft odds right here.

Who are the Toronto Raptors’ draft targets?

Our draft expert JD Quirante has been running down the Raptors’ options at 33 over the past couple of weeks. It’s almost impossible to “lock in” on second round picks this early, but some options include Bryce McGowens and Max Christie, and Canadians Caleb Houstan and Andrew Nembhard. Oh, you wanna hear about wings? We got wings. Bigs? We got bigs!

Who will Masai and Bobby go for? I don’t know, but I predict it’ll be someone long and athletic!

Have your say!

You still have a little bit of time to get in on our SB Nation Reacts Survey! Let us know what you think the Raptors will do — trade up or stay put — and if they’ll take another Canadian in the second round.

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