As the 2026 NBA draft tips off Tuesday evening, ESPN NBA Draft Analyst Jeremy Woo is deep in the process — evaluating prospects, tracking league intel and preparing for one of the busiest stretches on the basketball calendar.
Woo, who recently signed a multi-year extension with ESPN, continues to be a key voice in the network’s draft coverage. We caught up with him ahead of draft night to get a look inside his process and perspective.
How far in advance does your NBA draft preparation really begin, and what does that year-long cycle look like?
The draft is unique in that the peak news cycle moves quickly in May and June, but the actual amount of work that goes into prepping for it is year-round. NBA teams are always scouting future classes in the background, both domestically and globally, and in order to understand the scope of what’s coming, you’re always looking ahead.
The nature of it shifts in the spring, when the pre-draft process itself becomes more of a day-to-day news beat, but the work never really stops. Having said that, it’s important to take a vacation sometimes.
What’s the biggest misconception fans have about how the draft actually works behind the scenes?
I think the idea that there are constant smokescreens this time of year — and that everyone around the NBA is lying all the time — isn’t necessarily the truth. There’s definitely an echo-chamber effect with the rumor mill, and social media has amplified that. And yes, there are people out there who aren’t fully truthful, but that’s not the whole picture.
A big part of reporting on the draft and putting together a mock is being able to parse through all the information you get — understanding who you trust, what’s meaningful and what isn’t. I view this stage more like detective work than anything else. It also requires a strong foundation of knowledge and intuition around teams and players, so you can understand incentives and what decisions are realistic. And you have to be comfortable knowing you’ll never have the full story — and that you’re going to be wrong sometimes.
What does draft night look like for you in real time?
The entire week — and really the month of June — is a blur with the amount of work that happens leading up to it. Seeing what actually unfolds on draft night is the fun part.
I end up getting pulled in a lot of different directions, reacting in real time as things happen. Before you know it, it’s over.
ESPN platforms will combine to exclusively broadcast the two-night 2026 NBA draft on Tuesday, June 23, and Wednesday, June 24. ESPN and ABC will both offer distinct presentations of the NBA draft’s first round on June 23, starting at 7 p.m. ET.
