There aren’t usually too many surprises in the NBA Draft these days, but Thursday night started with a major one, as the Orlando Magic selected striker Duke Paolo Banchero with the first overall selection. For weeks, they were expected to pull Jabari Smith out of Auburn, and it’s still unclear if it was all an elaborate smokescreen or if they changed their minds at the last minute.
The Magic is said to have never hosted Banchero for a formal training or interview in Orlando, suggesting it might be the last.
In any case, the Oklahoma City Thunder pulled off Gonzaga’s great Chet Holmgren as expected, while the Houston Rockets went with Smith to complete the top three. The Rockets had probably been planning on Banchero, but Smith would still have to fit in well as a sharp-shot striker to pair up with Jalen Green.
Of course, no draft could be complete without the Sacramento Kings doing something out of the box, and they took Keegan Murray with the fourth overall selection despite almost all the predictions suggesting that Purdue’s Jaden Ivey was the fourth best player. Maybe they really believe in Murray, or maybe they were wary of taking a guard with their first selection for the third year in a row.
Either way, it worked for the Detroit Pistons, who were happy to take Ivey to No. 5. After getting Cade Cunningham with the first pick last year, they now have the elements of a backcourt. fantastic.
Disappointing draft on the commercial front
Before draft day, we heard a lot about how there was the potential to bring down a lot of exchanges with current NBA players. For example, on Wednesday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who is as connected as anyone else when it comes to the NBA, said he expected a lot of changes.
“Shops are the new free agency at this time of year,” he said. “The teams know their best chance to improve won’t be in July in free agency, but it will be around the draft with trades. I think we’ll see a lot of them tomorrow night.”
Things, however, did not develop quite as well. Although several elections were mixed, as is the case each year, there were very few exchanges with established NBA players. Kemba Walker switched from the Knicks to the Pistons as part of a larger deal, and both parties are expected to work on a purchase that will allow Walker to become a free agent this summer. In addition, the 76ers and Grizzlies traded players, as the Sixers sent veteran striker Danny Green and No. 23 pick to Memphis in exchange for De’Anthony Melton.
There was also a change that went down the day before the draft, as the Pistons changed forward Jerami Grant to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for a 2025 first-round pick (through the Milwaukee Bucks, protected nos. 1-4) and multiple choose exchanges. These guys are not chopped liver, but none of these movements could be considered to alter the landscape, not even significantly. So it’s safe to say that the draft was disappointing in the commercial realm.
The Knicks have a busy night
The New York Knicks entered draft night with just two picks: the numbers 11 and 42. Even with the usual rumors, it looked like it would be an easy night. Of course, that’s not possible with this franchise, and three exchanges and hours of confusion afterwards, they left with Trevor Keels (No. 42), three future first-round picks and some extra space for the cover. In the first deal of the night, they sent No. 11 (Ousmane Dieng) to the Oklahoma City Thunder for the first three futures. They then packed one of the first they got from the Thunder and four future second-round picks to reach No. 13 (Jalen Duren) for the Charlotte Hornets. Finally, they sent Duren and Kemba Walker to the Detroit Pistons for another future first-round pick. For full details of all moves, including selection protections, go here.
It’s no secret that the Knicks ’top priority this offseason is Jalen Brunson. The left guard is hitting free agency and should have a major payday after impressing in the Dallas Mavericks ’run in the Western Conference Finals. In addition to hiring his father as an assistant coach, the Knicks have also emptied enough space to make a competitive offer. The question, however, is whether these moves were worth trying in Brunson. If they aren’t able to sign him, giving up a lottery to get rid of Walker’s salary won’t age well.
Knicks fans, unsurprisingly, were upset. Above all, Stephen A. Smith and Spike Lee seemed discouraged on ESPN’s nightly show.
The Pistons win the draft night again
Last year, the Detroit Pistons won the lottery and selected Cade Cunningham with the first overall selection. After a somewhat slow start to his rookie season, he turned it on and seemed like the real business as a jumbo facilitator. Although the Pistons fell to No. 5 in the lottery this year, they were again big winners on draft night.
First, they were lucky with Jaden Ivey at No. 5. Purdue’s keeper was widely regarded as the fourth best player in that class, but the Sacramento Kings passed him at No. 4 to select Keegan Murray. While Murray may end up being a good player, he doesn’t have the advantage of Ivey, who is an explosive athlete and has a chance to be an excellent multi-level scorer. In Cunningham and Ivey, the Pistons have the back track of the future.
Shortly afterwards, the Pistons negotiated with the New York Knicks. They sent a 2025 first-round pick through Milwaukee, which they acquired at the Jerami Grant deal earlier this week, to the Knicks in exchange for No. 13 pick Jalen Duren and Kemba Walker. The latter will eventually be bought. Duren is another great athlete, albeit on the front track, where he seemed dominant at times for Memphis. While he’s still raw from the standpoint of pure offensive skill, he’s huge, works hard and should contribute to the defense right away.
After years of alternating between aimless rebuilding and chasing No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference, the Pistons finally feel they have a plan and a young core in place. There’s still a long way to go, but with Cunningham leading the way, the future should be bright in Detroit.
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Order of the Draft of the NBA 2022
Round 1 Selection Round 2 Selection1. Magic
Paolo Banchero PF | duc
31. Pacers Andrew Nembhard PG | Gonzaga 2. Tro
Chet HolmgrenC | Gonzaga
32. Magic Caleb Houstan SF | Michigan 3. Rockets
Jabari Smith PF | Auburn
33. Raptors Christian Koloko C | Arizona 4. Kings
Keegan Murray PF | Iowa
34. Tro Jaylin Williams PF | Arkansas 5. Pistons
Garden Ivey SG | Purdue
35. Lakers * Max ChristieSG | Michigan St.6. Pacers
Benedict MathurinSG | Arizona
36. Trail Blazers Gabriele ProcidaSF | Italy 7. Trail Blazers
Shaedon SharpeSG | Kentucky
37. Reis * Jaden Hardy SG | G League Ignite8. Pelicans
Dyson DanielsSG | G Ignite League
38. Spurs * Kennedy Chandler PG | Tennessee 9. Spurs
Jeremy SochanPF | Baylor
39. Cavallers Khalifa Diop C | Senegal 10. Mags
Johnny DavisSF | Wisconsin
40. Timberwolves * Bryce McGowens SF | Nebraska 11. Knicks * Ousmane DiengSF | France 4 Pelicans EJ Liddell PF | Ohio St.12. Thunder Jalen WilliamsSG | Santa Clara 42. Knicks Trevor Keels SG | Duc 13. Hornets * Dry DurenC | Memphis43. Clippers Moussa Diabate PF | Michigan14. Cavaliers Ochai AgbajiSG | Kansas44. Hawks * Ryan Rollins SG | Toledo 1 Hornets Mark WilliamsC | Duc45. Hornets Josh Minott PF | Memphis 1 Hawks AJ GriffinSF | Duc46. Pistons * Ishmael Kamagate C | France 1 Rockets Tari EasonPF | LSU47. The Grizzlies Vince Williams Jr. SF | VCU18. Bulls Valley TerrySF | Arizona48. Timberwolves * Kendall Brown SF | Baylor19. Timberwolves * Jake LaRaviaPF | Wake Forest49. Cavaliers * Isaiah Mobley PF | USC2 Spurs Malachi BranhamSF | Ohio St.50. Timberwolves Matteo Spagnolo PG | Italy 2 Nuggets Christian BraunSG | Kansas 51. Warriors * Tyrese Martin SG | UConn22. Grizzlies * Walker KesslerC | Auburn52. Pelicans Karlo Matkovic C | Serbia 2 76ers * David RoddySG | Colo. St.53. Celtics JD Davison PG | Alabama 24. Bucks MarJon BeauchampSF | G League Ignite54. Mags Yannick Snake C | Congo25. Spurs Blake WesleySG | Notre Dame 5 Warriors Gui Santos SF | Brazil 2 Rockets * Wendell Moore Jr.SF | Duc56. Cavaliers Luke Travers SF Australia 27. Heat Nikola JovicSF | Serbia 57. Trail Blazers Jabari Walker SF | Colorado 28. Warriors Patrick Baldwin Jr.PF | Milwaukee58. Pacers Hugo Besson PG | France 2 Grizzlies * TyTy Washington Jr.PG | Kentucky 30. Nuggets * Peyton WatsonSF | UCLA
* – choose part of the informed trade