While Toronto Raptors' maiden NBA Finals win captured the imagination of basketball, fans are now brimming with excitement ahead of the draft on Thursday night.
Duke University's Zion Williamson - viewed by many as a long-term heir to LeBron James
Sportsmail answers all the big questions ahead of a defining night in Brooklyn, New York, for a number of franchises...
Zion Williamson is widely expected to be the No 1 overall pick from the 2019 NBA draft
How does the draft work?
The NBA draft sees teams take turns choosing college players. Teams take turns subject to the order of their alloted picks.
There are two rounds in the draft. Both rounds have 30 picks, so there are 60 picks in total in the whole draft.
Each team gets one pick per round, unless, like the New Orleans Pelicans and the Atlanta Hawks (both in the top 10), a team has acquired multiple picks in a round.
Picks are incredibly valuable as teams chase the country's best young talents and they can regularly be traded for players already operating in the NBA.
While some teams may have a host of picks, others may not pick at all if they have traded away their draft options.
The first 30 picks displayed on the big screen following the 2018 draft at the Barclays Center
So what is the order of selection?
On May 14 the order was revealed in dramatic fashion at the NBA Draft Lottery.
League commissioner Adam Silver is trying to eradicate 'tanking' - where teams deliberately hit poor form in order to better their chances in the draft.
The balls spun around the machine and revealed that the New Orleans Pelicans will have the top pick in the 2019 draft.
Memphis Grizzlies will pick second, New York Knicks are to choose third and the Los Angeles Lakers were awarded the fourth pick (before it was traded this week for a top five player).
Cleveland Cavaliers will hope to snag a gem at five while Phoenix Suns, Chicago Bulls, Atalanta Hawks - who have the eighth and tenth picks - and the Washington Wizards complete the top 10.
A draft lottery last month determined the order of the picks with New Orleans chosen at No 1
Can teams give up lottery
