Victor Wembanyama will officially become a member of the San Antonio Spurs when the 2023 NBA Draft gets underway Thursday night, but the other 59 selections are still up in the air.
The first round of the draft (8 p.m. ET start time) will be televised on ESPN and ABC, while the second round will be on only ESPN, but if you don’t have cable, you can watch a live stream on FuboTV or DirecTV Stream, which both come with a free trial.
Those are the two best live stream options if you’re cutting cable, but there are also some other alternatives, so here’s a full guide on the different ways to watch the 2023 NBA Draft streaming live online:
Note: Heavy may earn an affiliate commission if you sign up via a link on this page
FuboTV
You can watch a live stream of ESPN and 100-plus other live TV channels on FuboTV, which comes with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for FuboTV, you can watch the 2023 NBA Draft live on the FuboTV app or FuboTV website.
Compatible devices for the FuboTV app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
You can also watch live on the ESPN app or ESPN.com. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but you can use your Fubo credentials to do that.
DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream has four different channel packages: “Entertainment,” “Choice,” “Ultimate” and “Premier.” ESPN is included in every one, and you can pick any package and any add-on you want with your free five-day trial:
Once signed up for DirecTV Stream, you can watch the 2023 NBA Draft live on the DirecTV Stream app or DirecTV Stream website.
Compatible devices for the DirecTV Stream app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Samsung TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
You can also watch live on the ESPN app or ESPN.com. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but you can use your DirecTV Stream credentials to do that.
Sling TV
You can watch a live stream of ESPN and 40-plus other live TV channels via Sling TV’s “Sling Orange” bundle. This option doesn’t include a free trial, but it’s the cheapest long-term streaming service with the ESPN channels, and you can get your first month for half off:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch the 2023 NBA Draft live on the Sling TV app or Sling TV website.
Compatible devices for the Sling TV app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), airTV Mini, Oculus, Portal, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
You can also watch live on the ESPN app or ESPN.com. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but you can use your Sling credentials to do that.
Hulu With Live TV
You can watch a live stream of ESPN and 65+ other TV channels via Hulu With Live TV, which now also includes access to both ESPN+ and Disney+ at no added cost:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch the 2023 NBA Draft live on the Hulu app or Hulu website.
Compatible devices for the Hulu app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, PlayStation 4 or 5, Nintendo Switch, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
You can also watch live on the ESPN app or ESPN.com. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but you can use your Hulu credentials to do that.
Vidgo
You can watch a live stream of ESPN and 65+ other TV channels on Vidgo, which does not come with a free trial:
Once signed up for Vidgo, you can watch the 2023 NBA Draft live on the Vidgo app or Vidgo website.
Compatible devices for the Vidgo app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad, or Android tablet.
You can also watch live on the ESPN app or ESPN.com. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but you can use your Vidgo credentials to do that.
NBA Draft 2023 Preview
The 2023 NBA Draft is getting more coverage than the draft has ever had before. The red carpet special kicks off at 5 p.m. Eastern on ESPN and streaming on the ESPN app, anchored by Cassidy Hubbarth, Kendrick Perkins and Richard Jefferson. Then at 8 p.m. Eastern the first round begins. ESPN’s team includes Malika Andrews, Adrian Wojnarowski, Jay Bilas, JJ Redick, Bobby Marks, Andraya Carter and Monica McNutt. Over on ABC’s broadcast, which will include in-depth storytelling and features, the coverage is led by Kevin Negandhi and Stephen A. Smith.
ESPN Radio’s broadcast of the draft begins at 7 p.m. Eastern and is anchored by Alan Hanh, Mark Kestecher, P.J. Carlesimo, Cory Alexander and Seth Greenberg. And finally, the Hoop Collective’s coverage will air on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and the ESPN app and is led by Christine Williamson, Brian Windhorst, Kirk Goldsberry, Kevin Pelton, King McClure and Trey Murphy III.
Basketball phenom Victor Wembanyama, who stands 7’5″, is generally considered the consensus No. 1 pick and will most likely be drafted by the San Antonio Spurs, who have the first pick in the draft. But he told ESPN in April before the order was known that there were no bad teams.
“I am not worried; there is no bad organization. I never tell myself I don’t like to go there. Every organization is so careful about their players that there’s no wrong destination,” said Wembanyama.
With Wembanyama being the consensus No. 1 pick, reporters asked Jay Bilas in a conference call what he thinks happens after Wembanyama gets drafted and he said it’s going to come down to Scoot Henderson and Brandon Miller and he ultimately leaned toward Miller.
“The choice seems to be between Scoot Henderson of the G League who’s a really dynamic guard that can really get to the rim and create his own offense and ultra competitive. … He’s not figured out the shooting piece yet. He’s not a consistent perimeter shooter, but he’s got a ton of ability and his competitive nature is really impressive, especially at that age. He’s a hard charger,” said Bilas.
He continued, “Then the other choice would be Brandon Miller of Alabama, who’s 6’9″ and can really shoot it. He’s got deep range. He’s very athletic. He’s got range as a defender. He can switch out. He can protect the rim a little bit and challenge shots, but he can really score.”
Bilas said the question marks for Henderson are his shooting and maybe his size, then for Miller, the fact that he didn’t perform well in the NCAA tournament and has more of an injury issue.
Ultimately, Bilas said, “That’s a difficult decision. I would lean towards Miller because of the shooting. In a league that values shooting, he can really shoot it, and I think that’s the direction I would lean.”
The full first round order is as follows:
1. San Antonio Spurs
2. Charlotte Hornets
3. Portland Trail Blazers
4. Houston Rockets
5. Detroit Pistons
6. Orlando Magic
7. Indiana Pacers
8. Washington Wizards
9. Utah Jazz
10. Dallas Mavericks
11. Orlando Magic (via CHI)
12. Oklahoma City Thunder
13. Toronto Raptors
14. New Orleans Pelicans
15. Atlanta Hawks
16. Utah Jazz (via MIN)
17. Los Angeles Lakers
18. Miami Heat
19. Golden State Warriors
20. Houston Rockets (via LAC)
21. Brooklyn Nets (via PHX)
22. Brooklyn Nets
23. Portland Trail Blazers (via NY)
24. Sacramento Kings
25. Memphis Grizzlies
26. Indiana Pacers (via CLE
27. Charlotte Hornets (via DEN)
28. Utah Jazz (via PHI)
29. Indiana Pacers (via BOS)
30. LA Clippers (via MIL)
The 2023 NBA Draft airs Thursday, June 22 starting at 8 p.m. ET on both ABC and ESPN. The second round will air only on ESPN following the conclusion of the first round.
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How to Watch NBA Draft 2023 Without Cable