“Trynna be like the NFL so bad”: NBA fans question as league expands 2024 draft selection process to two days

The NBA and the NBA Players Association have finalized plans to make the draft a two-day affair, much to the confusion of fans. Traditionally, the draft takes place on one night, with the league working its way from the first pick of the night all the way through to the last. While fans seem to lose interest as the night goes on, the league is hoping a two-day format will improve engagement.

This, of course, comes on the heels of insiders Adrian Wojnarowski and Shams Charania agreeing not to announce picks on social media before they happen on TV. While the situation helped fans feel as though the evening wasn't being spoiled for them, the latest move has fans scratching their heads.

With the first round taking place on night one on June 26, and the second round taking place on night two on June 27, many have questioned why fans will tune in for the second night. After Adrian Wojnarowski broke the news on social media, fans were quick to share their reactions:

Silver has continued to take pages from other professional sports leagues around the world, such as taking the in-season tournament idea from football leagues. Despite that, many have questioned his decision to turn the NBA draft into a multi-night affair like the NFL.

Looking at the reasoning behind the change to the NBA draft format

As Adrian Wojnarowski indicated in his original report, the decision to turn the draft into a two-night affair was made with teams in mind. Under the new format, teams will have an opportunity to plan out their second-round strategies.

Under the previous one-day format, for example, teams reportedly felt as though things were too rushed, according to Woj. Previously, the first round would consist of five minutes between picks, with the second round only having two minutes between picks.

Now, under the latest format change, teams will have four minutes between second-round picks, giving them more time to strategize. Despite that, fans don't seem to be sold on the move.

As many were quick to point out, the NFL draft is seven rounds, with 32 picks per round. Given that there are dozens more NFL players on a roster compared to NBA rosters, that makes sense.

In the case of the NBA, however, fans seem to be of the mindset that most of the best action takes place on the first night. This has raised questions about whether viewership will plummet on night two, causing the move to backfire on the league.

With plenty of time between now and June, it will be interesting to see if the sentiment around the league changes between now and then.