NBA Scouting Application
The NBA Scouting Application is a custom-built web platform created to centralize and streamline player evaluation for professional basketball scouts. Originally developed for the Sacramento Kings nearly a decade ago, the app was built using the design patterns and frontend technologies of that time. It consolidates data from multiple sources, contracts, performance stats, scouting notes, medical evaluations, and more, into one intuitive interface. Designed for use during the NBA Draft, the tool empowered scouts and executives to make faster, data-informed decisions and was later white-labeled for use by other NBA teams.
category:
Design, Develop
services:
Sketch, HTML, CSS
The Problem
NBA scouts were pulling data and notes from a wide range of disconnected sources, spreadsheets, websites, handwritten notes, and internal databases, creating inefficiencies and inconsistencies in how players were evaluated, ranked, and discussed.
- No centralized location for contracts, performance stats, scouting notes, and medical records
- Duplicate work and gaps in communication between scouts and front office staff
- Difficulty accessing accurate, up-to-date information during critical draft windows
- Lack of standardization made comparison and decision-making slower and more error-prone
The Solution
A comprehensive, web-based scouting platform built for the Sacramento Kings to support their NBA Draft process. The app consolidates player information across multiple categories, contracts, stats, scouting notes, intel, and medical data, into a single, unified interface. The design enabled scouts to track prospects across the league, add detailed notes, assess skill rankings, and print player cards for draft-day use. The application was later white-labeled and adopted by other NBA teams.
- Unified view of each player’s complete profile across multiple data sources
- Editable scouting notes, skill rankings, and court personality traits
- Visual contract tracking and team-specific financial impact
- Printable player cards used during live draft-day decision-making
- Flexible design framework to support white-label customization for additional teams
UX Research
To define the key workflows, we collaborated closely with team analysts, scouts, and draft coordinators. Through a series of interviews and informal user feedback sessions, we identified top pain points and necessary features for evaluating players in high-pressure scenarios like the NBA Draft.
- Conducted interviews with scouts, analysts, and front-office personnel
- Mapped out the end-to-end scouting and draft prep workflow
- Identified critical gaps in how data was accessed, shared, and discussed
- Validated the need for quick-access player profiles and in-app note-taking
- Prioritized usability under time-sensitive conditions (e.g., live draft sessions)
Key Insights:
Our research uncovered several recurring themes that shaped both the structure and functionality of the scouting application.
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- Scouts needed a faster way to compare players across categories without switching between tools
- Decisions were often delayed due to incomplete or fragmented data sources
- Teams relied heavily on printed summaries, which required a clean and consistent export option
- Player personality and off-court intel were just as valuable as stats and performance
- There was a strong need for standardized data presentation to align scouts and executives
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Design Process
Early Ideation
Initial concept sketches focused on defining layout patterns and core user flows that would support fast, informed decision-making.
- Explored modular layouts for player profiles with multi-tabbed data views
- Sketched an interactive team depth chart and roster visualization
- Introduced dynamic tagging for scout-defined player traits (e.g., “Bench Cont.,” “Franchise”)
- Prioritized designs that supported quick scanning under time pressure
- Outlined core navigation structure for high-traffic areas: team view, player detail, draft board
Wireframes
Following early validation, low-fidelity wireframes were continuously refined through internal feedback loops and stakeholder input to ensure alignment with scout workflows and real-world usage needs.
- Adjusted data density and layout spacing for better scalability in fast-paced scouting sessions
- Streamlined navigation across key sections: contracts, stats, intel, and medical
- Refined tagging interactions for improved clarity and reduced manual entry effort
- Designed early print layout wireframes for player card exports based on draft day needs
- Integrated light collaborative features into the wireframe stage to support shared notes and discussion
Design Execution
High-Fidelity Prototypes
The finalized design emphasized clarity, usability, and speed, tailored specifically for desktop scouting sessions during the high-stakes draft process.
- Color-coded trait labels for quick visual assessment of player skills and personalities
- Tabbed layout for seamless access to profiles, stats, contracts, scouting notes, intel, and discussions
- Interactive depth chart and team builder to visualize lineup and roster scenarios
- Multi-year contract breakdowns with salary cap and tax implications
- Clean, print-ready player card summaries optimized for offline draft use
Development
As the lead designer and one of several developers, we built the interface using Angular and custom brand ui components, ensuring smooth performance and team-wide usability.
- Custom-coded responsive layout optimized for internal use on desktop monitors
- Integrated multiple API sources to populate real-time contract, performance, and medical data
- Built dynamic form interactions for skill rankings, note-taking, and custom tagging
- Developed export functionality to generate player card PDFs and spreadsheets on demand
- Ensured a scalable codebase to support future white-label customization for other NBA teams
Final Design Highlights
The final interface was built for clarity, speed, and decision-making efficiency — tailored to the real-world needs of NBA scouts and executives during the draft process.
- Modular player profile with tab-based navigation across profile, stats, contracts, scouting, intel, and discussions
- Color-coded trait badges for quick reference to character and skill indicators (e.g., “Fire,” “Bench Cont.,” “Franchise”)
- Contract timeline view with annual salary, tax implications, and agent details
- Printable player cards for offline draft day use
- Interactive team depth chart builder and multi-season salary tracking
- Ability to view and manage projected starting lineups across all NBA teams, supporting quick evaluation of player matchups and roster gaps.
- Allowed home team staff to define and update starting five players, improving coordination between analytics, coaching, and scouting during the draft process.
- Real-time search and filter for quick access to individual or team-wide data
- Consistent design language for all white-labeled versions adopted by other NBA teams
Outcome
The scouting platform transformed how NBA scouts prepared for the draft by consolidating fragmented information into a centralized, efficient workflow. The Sacramento Kings used the platform extensively during the 2016 NBA Draft, resulting in faster, more informed decision-making. The success of the tool led to white-labeled versions being adopted by other NBA teams.
- Eliminated manual spreadsheet tracking by centralizing all key player data
- Improved consistency and accuracy in player evaluations
- Enabled real-time collaboration and streamlined draft preparation
- Delivered high usage and visibility during active draft-day operations
Reflection
Seeing the Sacramento Kings successfully use the application during the NBA Draft, and knowing it was seen on national television was incredibly rewarding. As the prodcut designer, it was a proud moment to witness a real product I helped create, influencing major team decisions in such a high-profile environment. Even more fulfilling was seeing the platform later white-labeled and adopted by other NBA teams, extending its impact across the league.
