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There aren’t usually too many surprises in the NBA draft these days, but Thursday night started with a big surprise when the Orlando picked Magic Duke forward Paolo Banchero No. 1 overall. For weeks there had been an expectation that they would get Jabari Smith out of Auburn, and it’s still unclear if it was all an elaborate smokescreen or they changed their minds at the last minute.
The Magic has reportedly never invited Banchero to a formal practice or interview in Orlando, suggesting it could be the latter.
In any case, the Oklahoma City Thunder then, as expected, took out big man Chet Holmgren from Gonzaga, while the Houston Rockets rounded out the top-3 with Smith. The Rockets probably planned Banchero, but Smith should still be a good fit as a sharp-shooting forward to pair 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 No. 4 overall pick, despite almost all predictions pointing to Purdue’s Jaden Ivey as the clear fourth-best player. Maybe they really believe in Murray, or maybe they were wary of hitting a security guard for the third year in a row with their first pick.
Either way, it worked out for the Detroit Pistons, who happily took Ivey in 5th place. After picking up Cade Cunningham with the first pick last year, they now have what it takes to be a great young backcourt.
Stunning design on the trade front
Before draft day, we heard a lot about many trades involving current NBA players going under. For example, on Wednesday ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who is as committed to the NBA as anyone, said he expects a lot of trades.
“Commerce is the new free reign this time of year,” he said. “Teams know their best chance to improve isn’t in July, it’s in the draft with trades. I think we’ll see a lot of them tomorrow night.”
Things didn’t quite turn out that way, however. While multiple picks were shuffled as they do every year, there were very few trades involving established NBA players. Kemba Walker was traded from the Knicks to the Pistons as part of a larger deal, and both sides are expected to work on a buyout that would allow Walker to become a free agent this summer. Also, the 76ers and Grizzlies traded players when the Sixers sent veteran forward Danny Green and the No. 23 overall to Memphis in exchange for De’Anthony Melton.
There was also a trade that went down the day before the draft when the Pistons traded Jerami Grant to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for a 2025 first-round pick (via the Milwaukee Bucks, protected #1-4) and several traded swaps. These guys aren’t chopped liver, but none of these moves could be considered landscape-changing or even big. Therefore, it is safe to say that the draft was unconvincing on the trade front.
Knicks have a busy night
The New York Knicks went into draft night with just two picks: Nos. 11 and 42. Despite the usual rumors, it seemed like it was going to be an uncomplicated night. Of course, that’s not possible with this franchise, and three trades and hours of confusion later, they left Trevor Keels (No. 42), three future first-round picks and some extra cap space. In the first deal of the night, they sent the No. 11 (Ousmane Dieng) to the Oklahoma City Thunder for three future premieres. They then boxed one of the first ones they got from the Thunder and four future second-round picks to get the No. 13 pick (Jalen Duren) from the Charlotte Hornets. Eventually, they sent Duren and Kemba Walker to the Detroit Pistons for another future first-round pick. Detailed information on all trains, including selection protection, can be found here.
It’s no secret that the Knicks’ top priority this offseason is Jalen Brunson. The left guard finds a free hand and should earn a significant payday after impressing in the Dallas Mavericks’ run to the Western Conference Finals. In addition to hiring his father as an assistant coach, the Knicks vacated enough Cap space to make a competitive bid. The question, however, is whether these moves were worth trying on Brunson. If they can’t sign him, giving up a lottery choice to dump Walker’s salary isn’t going to age well.
Knicks fans were upset to little surprise. Stephen A. Smith and Spike Lee, in particular, looked despondent on ESPN’s draft night show.
Pistons win again on draft night
Last year, the Detroit Pistons won the lottery and selected Cade Cunningham as their #1 overall pick. After a somewhat slow start to his rookie season, he turned it on and looked like the real deal as a jumbo presenter. While the Pistons fell to No. 5 in the lottery this year, they were again big winners on draft night.
First off, they got lucky with Jaden Ivey at number 5. The Purdue guard was widely regarded as the clear fourth best player in that class, but the Sacramento Kings passed him at number 4 to select Keegan Murray. While Murray may end up being a good player, he doesn’t have the advantages of Ivey, who is an explosive athlete and has the potential to become a great multi-level scorer. In Cunningham and Ivey, the Pistons have their backcourt of the future.
A short time later, the Pistons made a trade with the New York Knicks. They sent a 2025 first-round pick via Milwaukee, which they acquired in the Jerami Grant deal earlier this week, to the Knicks in exchange for the No. 13 pick, Jalen Duren and Kemba Walker. The latter are eventually bought out. Duren is another great athlete, albeit on the apron where he has looked dominant at times for Memphis. While still raw from a pure offensive ability standpoint, he is huge, works hard and should contribute defensively right away.
After years of alternating between aimless rebuilding and chasing the No. 8 in the Eastern Conference, the Pistons finally feel like they have a plan and a young core. They still have a long way to go, but with Cunningham at the helm, the future should be bright in Detroit.
Draft Tracking | Pick-by-pick qualities | Complete coverage of the NBA draft
2022 NBA draft order
| round 1 | selection | round 2 | selection |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Magic |
Paolo Banchero |
31. Pacemaker | Andreas Nembhard PG | gonzaga |
| 2. Thunder |
Chet Holmgren |
32. Magic | Caleb Houston SF | Michigan |
| 3. Missiles |
Jabari Smith |
33. Birds of prey | Christian Koloko C | Arizona |
| 4. Kings |
Keegan Murray |
34. Thunder | Jaylin Williams PF | Arkansas |
| 5. Piston |
Jaden Ivey |
35. Lakers* | Max Christie SG | michigan st |
| 6. Pacemaker |
Benedict Mathurin |
36. Trailblazer | Gabrielle Procida SF | Italy |
| 7. Trailblazer |
Shaedon Sharpe |
37. Kings* | Jaden Hardy SG | G League Ignite |
| 8. Pelicans |
DysonDaniels |
38. Spurs* | Kennedy Chandler PG | Tennessee |
| 9. Spurs |
Jeremy Sochan |
39th Cavaliers | Khalifa Diop C | Senegal |
| 10. Wizard |
Johnny Davis |
40. Timberwolves* | Bryce McGowens SF | Nebraska |
| 11. Frills* | Ousmane Dieng SF | France |
41. Pelicans | EJ Liddell PF | ohio st |
| 12. Thunder | Jalen Williams SG | Santa Clara |
42. Curtsy | Trevor Kiel SG | duke |
| 13. Hornets* | Jalen Duren C | memphis |
43. Hair clippers | Mussa Diabate PF | Michigan |
| 14th Cavaliers | Ochai Agbaji SG | Kansas |
44. Falcon* | Ryan Rollin SG | Toledo |
| 15. Hornets | Mark Williams C | duke |
45. Hornets | Josh Minott PF | memphis |
| 16. Falcons | AJ Griffin SF | duke |
46. Piston* | Ishmael Kamagat C | France |
| 17. Missiles | Tari Eason PF | LSU |
47. Grizzlies | Vince Williams Jr. SF | VCU |
| 18. Bulls | Dalen Terry SF | Arizona |
48. Timberwolves* | Kendall Brown SF | Baylor |
| 19. Timberwolves* | Jake LaRavia PF | guard forest |
49th Cavaliers* | Isaiah Mobley PF | U.S.C |
| 20. Spurs | Malaki Branham SF | ohio st |
50. Timberwolves | Matteo Spagnolo PG | Italy |
| 21. Nuggets | Christian Brown SG | Kansas |
51. Warrior* | Tyrese Martin SG | UConn |
| 22. Grizzlies* | Walker Kessler C | Maroon |
52. Pelicans | Karl Matkovic C | Serbia |
| 23. 76* | David Roddy SG | Col. St. |
53. Celts | JD Davison PG | Alabama |
| 24 dollars | Mar Jon Beauchamp SF | G League Ignite |
54. Wizard | Yannick Nzosa C | Congo |
| 25. Spurs | Blake Wesley SG | Notre-Dame |
55. Warrior | Gui Santos SF | Brazil |
| 26. Rockets* | Wendell Moore Jr. SF | duke |
56th Cavaliers | Luke Travers SF | Australia |
| 27. Heat | Nikola Jovic SF | Serbia |
57. Trailblazer | Jabari Walker SF | Colorado |
| 28. Warrior | Patrick Baldwin Jr. PF | Milwaukee |
58. Pacemaker | Hugo Beson PG | France |
| 29. Grizzlies* | TyTy Washington Jr. PG | Kentucky |
||
| 30. Nuggets* | Peyton Watson SF | UCLA |
* – Select part reported trade
