There aren’t usually many surprises in the NBA draft in this day and age, but Thursday night started with big surprises as the Orlando Magic picked Duke forward Paulo Banchero with the No. 1 overall pick. For weeks, the expectation was that they would knock out Jabari Smith of Auburn, and it still is. It’s unclear if it was all an elaborate smoke curtain or they just changed their minds at the last minute.
The Magic is said to have never hosted Banchero for a formal training or interview in Orlando, which suggests it might be his last.
Anyway, the Oklahoma City Thunder knocked out big man Chet Holmgren from Gonzaga as expected, while the Houston Rockets went with Smith to take out the top three. It’s possible The Rockets are planning a Panchero, but Smith should still fit in well as a sharp forward forward to pair with Galen Green.
Of course, no draft could be complete without the Sacramento Kings doing something outside the box, and they took Keegan Murray fourth despite almost all speculation that Purdue’s Jaden Ivey was clearly the fourth best player. Maybe they really believed in Murray, or maybe they were wary of taking a guard with their first pick for the third year in a row.
It’s a busy night around the NBA, and we’ve got you covered here. Here’s how to watch the Thursday night NBA draft.
Follow the selections below for updates, deals, and analysis for the 2022 NBA Draft.
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2022 NBA Draft Order
| round 1 | Selection | Round 2 | Selection |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Magic |
Paulo Banchero |
31. Pacers | Andrew Nimbard PG | Gonzaga |
| 2. Thunder |
Chet Holmgren |
32. Magic | Caleb Hostan SF | Michigan |
| 3. Missiles |
Jabbari Smith |
33. Birds of Prey | Christian Koloko c | Arizona |
| 4. Kings |
Keegan Murray |
34. Thunder | Jaylene Williams PF | Arkansas |
| 5. pistons |
Jaden Ivy |
35. Lakers* | Max Christie SG | Michigan Street |
| 6. Pacers |
Benedict Mathurin |
36. Trail Blazers | Gabriel Procida SF | Italia |
| 7. Trail Blazers |
cheddon sharp |
37 Kings* | Jaden Hardy SG | G League Ignite |
| 8. Swans |
Dyson Daniels |
38 – Tottenham* | Kennedy Chandler PG | Tennessee |
| 9. Tottenham |
Jeremy Suchan |
39. Cavaliers | Khalifa Diop c | Senegal |
| 10. Wizards |
Johnny Davis |
40. | Bryce McGuins SF | Nebraska |
| 11. Knicks* | Osman Deng SF | France |
41. Pelican | EJ Lidl PF | Ohio Street |
| 12. Thunder | Galen Williams SG | Santa Clara |
42. Knicks | Trevor Keeles SG | duke |
| 13. Hornets* | Galen Doreen c | Memphis |
43. Clippers | Moussa Diabat PF | Michigan |
| 14. Cavaliers | Ochai Agbaji SG | kansas |
44 – Hawks* | Ryan Rollins SG | Toledo |
| 15. Hornets | Mark Williams c | duke |
45. Hornets | Josh Minot PF | Memphis |
| 16. Hawks | AJ Griffin SF | duke |
46. Pistons* | Ismail Kamagat c | France |
| 17. Missiles | Tari Eason PF | LSU |
47 – Grizzlies | Vince Williams Jr. SF | Virginia Commonwealth University |
| 18. Bulls | Dalene Terry SF | Arizona |
48. | Kendall Brown SF | Baylor |
| 19. Timberwolf * | Jake LaRavia PF | Wake Forest |
49- Cavaliers* | Isaiah Mobley PF | USC |
| 20. Tottenham | Regal Branham SF | Ohio Street |
50. Timberwolves | |
| 21. Nuggets | Christian Brown SG | kansas |
51. Warriors | |
| 22 – Grizzlies* | Walker Kessler c | Auburn |
52. Swans | |
| 23. 76ers* | David Rudy SG | Colo. St. |
53. Celtics | |
| 24. Dollars | Margon Beauchamp SF | G League Ignite |
54. Wizards | |
| 25. Tottenham | Blake Wesley SG | Notre Dame |
55. Warriors | |
| 26- Missiles * | Wendell Moore Jr. SF | duke |
56. Cavaliers | |
| 27. Heat | Nikola Jovic SF | Serbia |
57. Trail Blazers | |
| 28. Warriors | Patrick Baldwin Jr. PF | Milwaukee |
58. Pacers | |
| 29 – Grizzlies * | Ty Washington Jr. PG | Kentucky |
||
| 30. Nuggets* | Peyton Watson SF | University of California |
* – mentioned trade
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