Banchero drafted No. 1 by Orlando

Paolo Banchero, right, is congratulated by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number one pick overall by the Orlando Magic in the NBA basketball draft, Thursday, June 23, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Paolo Banchero, right, is congratulated by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number one pick overall by the Orlando Magic in the NBA basketball draft, Thursday, June 23, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

NEW YORK -- The question for weeks leading into the NBA Draft was whether the first pick would be Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren or Jabari Smith Jr.

The answer finally came Thursday night -- and even Banchero didn't know it until moments before the announcement of the Orlando Magic's selection.

"I had a feeling from the information I was being told is that it was just kind of up in the air," Banchero said. "Orlando wasn't really sure yet, and just to be ready for whatever.

"I didn't find out, though, that I was actually getting picked until about 20 seconds before the commissioner got on the stage. I didn't even have time to really think about it or anything. It just kind of happened. I can't believe it, but I'm ready. I'm ready."

After leading the Blue Devils to the Final Four in Coach Mike Krzyzewski's final season, the 6-10 forward was called first by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to begin the draft, beating out fellow first-year forwards Smith and Holmgren.

The order had been debated throughout the process, with Smith often considered the player who would go No. 1.

Instead, he wasn't even second, falling behind Holmgren to Houston at No. 3.

"Definitely added a chip, but God makes no mistakes, so I'm happy to be here," Smith said. "I'm happy to be where I'm wanted. I'm happy to get to Houston and just show them, give them what they picked. Just happy to be here."

All the players picked looked thrilled, with Banchero among those crying or coming close as they hugged friends and family.

Wearing a purple suit full of bling, he received a loud ovation inside Barclays Center, where Duke lost in the ACC Tournament final. He came the fourth Duke player taken No. 1 since 1966, when the NBA did away with territorial draft rights, and was followed by Blue Devils teammates Mark Williams (No. 15, Charlotte), A.J. Griffin (No. 16, Atlanta) and Wendell Moore Jr. (No. 26, Dallas).

The Magic were picking first for the fourth time and they've done well with their previous choices. They took Shaquille O'Neal in 1992, traded the rights to Chris Webber for Penny Hardaway the next year, and went with Dwight Howard in 2004.

All eventually reached the NBA Finals with the Magic.

Holmgren went second to the Oklahoma City Thunder after the 7-footer led the West Coast Conference in blocked shots, rebounding and shooting percentage at Gonzaga. He looked sharp in his black suit but may need it to eventually be a bigger size for success in the NBA, as he's listed at just 195 pounds.

He's not worried about that talk.

"I wake up every day with a plan on how to make myself a better person, better basketball player," Holmgren said. "I put so much effort into executing that, that it doesn't really leave room to put effort into things that, one, I can't control, and two, don't help make me better."

The Rockets were happy to end up in Smith who has the skills to go higher. The 6-10 forward from Auburn is a natural fit in the current NBA game, able to defend all three frontcourt positions and with a shooting stroke that allowed him to hit 42% behind the arc.

Forward Keegan Murray, after a huge leap in his second season in Iowa, jumped all the way to the No. 4 pick by the Sacramento Kings. The Detroit Pistons, a year after taking Cade Cunningham with the No. 1 pick, took athletic Purdue guard Jaden Ivey fifth.

Before the selections began, Silver congratulated the Golden State Warriors on their recent NBA championship and reminded fans that their core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green was built through the draft.

All the teams at the top of this draft need help and have recent high picks already on their rosters, so will hope the Warriors way works for them as well.

Bennedict Mathurin, a Canadian who played at Arizona, went to Indiana with the No. 6 pick. The Portland Trail Blazers followed with Kentucky's Shaedon Sharpe, Dyson Daniels of the G League Ignite was taken eighth by New Orleans, Baylor's Jeremy Sochan stayed in Texas with San Antonio at No. 9, and Washington rounded out the top 10 with Wisconsin's Johnny Davis.

Then the trades began, with the New York Knicks moving picks to amass more of them. They dealt the rights to No. 11 pick Ousmane Dieng to Oklahoma City for three future first-round selections, and acquired the rights to No. 13 pick Jalen Duren from Charlotte and dealt him along with Kemba to Detroit for more picks, a person with knowledge of the details told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because that trade would not become official Thursday.

Walker spent one season with the Knicks but wasn't with the team for the finish after falling out of Coach Tom Thibodeau's rotation.

The Warriors made Patrick Baldwin Jr. of Wisconsin-Milwaukee their pick at No. 28 and the first round ended with Oklahoma City taking UCLA's Peyton Watson and agreeing to trade his rights to Denver.


Thursday’s NBA Draft selections

A look at the selections made Thursday in the 2022 NBA Draft at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.:

FIRST ROUND

NO. TEAM POS. NAME CONNECTION

1. Orlando PF Paolo Banchero Duke

2. Oklahoma City C Chel Holmgren Gonzaga

3. Houston PF Jabari Smith Auburn

4. Sacramento PF Keegan Murray Iowa

5. Detroit SG Jaden Ivey Purdue

6. Indiana SG Bennedict Mathurin Arizona

7. Portland SG Shaedon Sharpe Kentucky

8. New Orleans SG Dyson Daniels G League Ignite

9. San Antoino PF Jeremy Sochan Baylor

10. Washington SF Johnny Davis Wisconsin

11. New York SF Ousmane Dieng* France

12. Oklahoma City SG Jalen Williams Santa Clara

13. Charlotte C Jalen Duren# Memphis

14. Cleveland SG Ochai Agbaji Kansas

15. Charlotte C Mark Williams Duke

16. Atlanta SF AJ Griffin Duke

17. Houston PF Tari Eason LSU

18. Chicago SF Dalen Terry Arizona

19. Minnesota PF Jake LaRavia Wake Forest

20. San Antonio SF Malaki Branham Ohio State

21. Denver SG Christian Braun Kansas

22. Memphis C Walker Kessler Auburn

23. Philadelphia SG David Roddy+ Colorado State

24. Milwaukee SF MarJon Beauchamp G League Ignite

25. San Antonio SG Blake Wesley Notre Dame

26. Dallas SF Wendell Moore Jr. Duke

27. Miami SF Nikola Jovic Serbia

28. Golden State PF Patrick Baldwin Jr. Wis.-Milwaukee

29. Memphis PG TyTy Washington Kentucky

30. Oklahoma City SF Peyton Watson^ UCLA

SECOND ROUND

31. Indiana PG Andrew Nembhard Gonzaga

32. Orlando SF Caleb Houstan Michigan

33. Toronto C Christian Koloko Arizona

34. Oklahoma City PF Jaylin Williams Arkansas

35. LA Lakers SG Max Christie Michigan State

36. Portland SF Gabriele Procida Italy

37. Sacramento SG Jaden Hardy& G League Ignite

38. San Antonio PG Kennedy Chandler Tennessee

39. Cleveland Cl Khalifa Diop Senegal

40. Minnesota SF Bryce McGowens Nebraska

41. New Orleans PF E.J. Liddell Ohio State

42. New York SG Trevor Keels Duke

43. LA Clippers PF Moussa Diabate Michigan

44. Atlanta SG Ryan Rollins Toledo

45. Charlotte PF Josh Minott Memphis

46. Detroit C Ismael Kamagate France

47. Memphis SF Vince Williams Jr. VCU

48. Minnesota SF Kendall Brown Baylor

49. Cleveland PF Isaiah Mobley Southern Cal

50. Minnesota PG Matteo Spagnolo Italy

51. Golden State SG Tyrese Martin Connecticut

52. New Orleans C Karlo Matkovic Serbia

53. Boston PG JD Davison Alabama

54. Washington C Yannick Nzosa Congo

55. Golden State SF Gui Santos Brazil

56. Cleveland SF Luke Travers Australia

57. Portland SF Jabari Walker Colorado

58. Indiana PG Hugo Besson France

#Traded to Detroit *Traded to Oklahoma City +Traded to Memphis

^Traded to Denver &Traded to Dallas



  photo  Paolo Banchero, right, poses for a photo with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number one pick overall by the Orlando Magic in the NBA basketball draft, Thursday, June 23, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
 
 
  photo  Paolo Banchero, right, is congratulated by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number one pick overall by the Orlando Magic in the NBA basketball draft, Thursday, June 23, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
 
 
  photo  Paolo Banchero, dons a cap after being selected as the number one pick overall by the Orlando Magic in the NBA basketball draft, Thursday, June 23, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
 
 
  photo  Chet Holmgren, right, is congratulated by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after being selected second overall in the NBA basketball draft by the Oklahoma Thunder, Thursday, June 23, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
 
 
  photo  Chet Holmgren, center, hugs family and friends after being selected second overall in the NBA basketball draft by the Oklahoma Thunder, Thursday, June 23, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
 
 
  photo  Jabari Smith Jr., right, is congratulated by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after being selected third overall in the NBA basketball draft by the Houston Rockets, Thursday, June 23, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
 
 

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