Jazz Gaming select Ria first overall in the NBA 2K League season two draft

The NBA 2K League’s second season kicked into high gear on Tuesday with the league draft, which began at 4pm CT. With the first pick in the draft, Jazz Gaming made a big move to solidify last season’s roster by adding Spencer “Ria” Wyman.

The annual draft is a culmination of a months-long scouting process that gives new players a chance to play for a 2K League team. Each team was only able to protect two players from last year’s roster, which means that the draft is an integral part to building for this season and beyond.

This year, the process included the first international qualifying event, held in Hong Kong in February. The scouting and combine process resulted in 198 players being named eligible for Tuesday’s draft, including 22 international players from nine countries. The list of players included new faces as well as many players who competed in the league last year.

After Jazz Gaming kicked off the draft process, the rest of the picks came in as follows:

First Round

1. Utah Jazz Gaming: Spencer “Ria” Wyman
2. Warriors Gaming: Samuel “Gradient” Salyers
3. Kings Guard Gaming: Michael “Bp” Diaz
4. Pistons GT: Andrew “mrstylez_” Valle
5. Mavs Gaming: Peter “PeteBeBallin” Malin
6. Bucks Gaming: Tyler “Plondo” Lay
7. Grizz Gaming: Zach “Vandi” Vandivier
8. Celtics Crossover Gaming: Tamer “Bully” Mustafa
9. Magic Gaming: Brendan “Reizey” Hill
10. Warriors Gaming: Charles “Kina” Bostwick
11. T-Wolves Gaming: Michael “BearDaBeast” Key
12. Nets GC: Isaiah “Wavy” Hancock
13. Hawks Talon GC: Devin “DevGoss” Gossett
14. Mavs Gaming: Moustapha “Byanymeansmo” Saab
15. Raptors Uprising GC: Frederick “Im So Far Ahead” Mendoza
16. Pistons GT: Robert “I1ImayI1l” May
17. Bucks Gaming: Stephen “SlayIsland” Lay
18. Cavs Gaming: Cody “LYKaPRO” Hart
19. 76ers GC: Christopher “BreadwinnerLA” Lafanette
20. Heat Check Gaming: Lytel “Lotty” Martin
21. Knicks Gamign: Malik “OriginalMalik” Hobson

Second round

1. Kings Guard Gaming: Waseem “BallLikeSeem” Talbert
2. Utah Jazz Gaming: Bobby “EasyMoney” Wilson
3. Pacers Gaming: Brentathan “Lord Beezus” Aasgaard
4. Mavs GG: Justin “Sherm” Sherman
5. Bucks GG: Chad “chaddynick” Fodderie
6. Grizz Gaming: Justin “Jayrod” Rodriguez
7. Celtics Crossover Gaming: Terry “NO xAUTOGRAPHSx” Jackson
8. Magic Gaming: Daniel “DT” Tlais
9. Hawks Talon GC: Randalph “Rando” Moreno
10. Nets GC: Aziz “Shuttles” Salem
11. T-Wolves Gaming: Christopher “TURNUPDEFENSE” Anderson
12. Lakers Gaming: Kevin “Kev” Alvarado
13. Wizards District Gaming: Michael “USERPICK” Albiter
14. Raptors Uprising GC: Georgio “OOC Slim” Bonte
15. Blazer5 Gaming: David “Too cool” Urena

Third round

1. Kings Guard Gaming: Jonathan “Roman” Roman
2. Warriors Gaming Squad: Jin “Jin” Choe
3. Utah Jazz Gaming: Alontae “Gliz” Proctor
4. Pacers Gamign: Matthew “Matty” Grant
5. Mavs Gaming: Matthew “Rux” Rux
6. Grizz Gaming: Brandon “ToXsiK” Raudenbush
7. Magic Gaming: Mykel “KelMav” Wilson
8. Lakers Gaming: Christopher “Detoxys” Doyle
9. T-Wolves Gaming: Josiah “Dr_JoJo_30” Oetjen
10. Nets GC: Joel “Lavish” Lazu
11. Hawks Talon GC: Jonathan “Jay a FooL” Jefferson
12. Wizards District Gaming: Paul “PaulB” Bradford
13. Raptors Uprising GC: Seanquai “KingQuai614” Harris
14. Pistons GT: Jack “Jaacko” Stevenson
15. Cavs Legion GC: William “Strainer” Morales
16. Heat Check Gaming: Jordan “JMoneyRep817” Martinez
17. Kings Guard Gaming: Yusuf “Yusuf_Scarbz” Abdulla
18. Wizards District Gaming: Maurice “ReeseDaGod23” Delaney

Fourth Round

1. Kings Guard Gaming: Zachary “Zaky610” Saruba
2. Warriors Gaming: Chiquita “Chiquitae126” Evans
3. Utah Jazz Gaming: Kevin “KevDontMiss” Fennelly
4. Pacers Gaming: Damien “Man_in_a_car” D’Amore
5. Mavs Gaming: Grant “GRANT MONSTER” Barker
6. Bucks Gaming: Robert “RSG” Harter
7. Grizz Gaming: Daniel “DDboule2K” Davis
8. Celtics Crossover Gaming: Rainny “Suavy” Rodriguez
9. Magic Gaming: Tucker “TuckerLocksUp” Henry
10. Hawks Talon Gaming: Mark “XxSTL2LAxX” Hampton, Jr.
11. Nets Gaming: Charles “iiTzChas” Newell III
12. T-Wolves Gaming: Brian “NachoTraynor” Traynor
13. Lakers Gaming: Shane “Safiya4ya” Farrar
14. Wizards District Gaming: Isaac “xGREATxGILLY13” Gilton
15. Raptors Uprising Gaming: Joshua “TsJosh” McKenna
16. Pistons GT: Rochell “ixsplashkingxi” Woods
17. Blazer5 Gaming: Jomar “Jomar12” Varela-Escapa
18. Cavs Legion GC: Christophre “Savage” Tracey
19. 76ers GC: Sean “oCASSIUS” Clayton
20. Heat Check Gaming: Anmool “ChaChingSingh” Singh
21. Knicks Gaming: Harry “HazzaUK2K” Hurst

Perhaps the most noteworthy draft pick came in the fourth round when Warriors Gaming picked up Chiquitae126, the lone woman in the player pool. She’s breaking barriers as the first female player in the league, and it looks like she’ll player a major role in rebuilding Warriors squad.

The NBA 2K League had a strong season last year, growing its viewer count steadily over its four-month season. While the league has a long way to catch other esports like League of Legends and Overwatch in terms of viewership and revenue, results from the first season were strong enough to entice four more NBA franchises to sponsor teams for season two. Play for the 2019 season will begin with the Tip-Off tournament, which starts on April 2.