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2018 NBA Draft fast facts

When: Thursday, June 21, 6:30 p.m. Central

Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY

Broadcast information: ESPN and NBA TV will broadcast the draft live to national audiences, beginning with a 6 p.m. pre-draft show on ESPN and a 4-6 p.m. draft preview on NBA TV. In addition, ESPN2 will air a concurrent live show hosted by Rachel Nichols, covering the event from the vantage point of her daily show “The Jump” and its panel of analysts. Late Thursday, NBA TV will have draft review coverage, with additional recaps of the event Friday evening via “The Starters” and day-after reporting. ESPN will have post-draft coverage on its various SportsCenter shows.

Where the Pelicans pick: The team’s only selection is a second-round pick, the 51st overall slot in the draft. Based on timing of previous drafts, that means the Pelicans likely won’t be on the clock until after 10 p.m. Central. New Orleans does not have a first-round pick in 2018, having traded it to Chicago as part of the Nikola Mirotic deal (the Bulls ended up with the No. 22 selection overall, as the Pelicans finished with the NBA’s ninth-best record during the regular season).

Top of the draft: There seems to be a general consensus that the top five players chosen Thursday (in alphabetical order) will be DeAndre Ayton, Marvin Bagley, Mo Bamba, Luka Doncic and Jaren Jackson Jr., though even that is no lock. After his recent individual workout with Phoenix, Ayton said publicly he expects to be taken No. 1 overall by the Suns, but beyond that there is little certainty. Picks 2 through 5 belong to Sacramento, Atlanta, Memphis and Dallas, respectively.

Recent New Orleans draft history: The Pelicans have frequently traded out of the first round in recent years, but four current members of the club’s roster were initially acquired either in the draft or via draft-night deals. Five-time All-Star forward Anthony Davis was the No. 1 pick in 2012, while forward Darius Miller was selected 46th that same year. Forward Cheick Diallo arrived in New Orleans in ’16 via a trade with the Clippers; guard Frank Jackson came to the Pelicans in a trade last June with Charlotte. The last time New Orleans used a first-round pick was ’16, when it selected Buddy Hield, who later was a centerpiece of a February ’17 trade with Sacramento that was headlined by DeMarcus Cousins.