[3][4] The first overall selection was owned by the Atlanta Hawks, which they used to select French forward Zaccharie Risacher, making him the second consecutive French player to be drafted with the number one pick, after the San Antonio Spurs had picked Victor Wembanyama in the previous year's edition.

The 10th G League Elite Camp took place on May 11–12, from which certain participants were selected to join the main draft combine.

[105] The draft is conducted under the eligibility rules established in the league's 2017 collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with its players' union, with special modifications agreed to by both parties due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The previous CBA that ended the 2011 lockout instituted no immediate changes to the draft, but it called for a committee of owners and players to discuss further changes.

[104] A player who has hired an agent for purposes of negotiating with professional teams[e] retains his remaining college eligibility regardless of whether he is drafted after an evaluation from the NBA Undergraduate Advisory Committee.

Players who declare for the NBA draft and are not selected have the opportunity to return to their school for at least another year only after terminating all agreements with their agents,[f] who must have been certified.

In addition to these, Canadian center Zach Edey from Purdue University was also given an invitation, but he declined to travel in order to watch the NBA draft at his alma mater with his family.