2022 NBA Draft results, takeaways: Magic trick experts by taking Paolo Banchero at No. 1, setting off chaos

Usually, the NBA Draft of this era isn’t too much of a surprise, but Thursday night started with a major one as Orlando Magic chose Duke Forward’s Paolo Banchero as No. 1 overall. For weeks they were expected to take Jabari Smith out of Auburn, but it’s still unclear if it was all an elaborate smoke screen or a last-minute change.

Magic has reportedly never hosted Banchero for formal training or interviews in Orlando, suggesting the latter.

In any case, Oklahoma City Thunder took the big Chet Holmgren out of Gonzaga as expected, and the Houston Rockets closed the top three with Smith. The Rockets were probably planning Banchero, but Smith should still fit well as a sharp shot to pair with Jalen Green.

Of course, the draft couldn’t be completed without Sacramento Kings out of the box and doing something. Despite almost all prophecies, Keegan Murray was fourth overall, while Jaden Ivey of Purdue was clearly the fourth best player. Perhaps they really believed in Murray, or they were wary of being on the first pick for the third year in a row.

Either way, it worked for the Detroit Pistons, who gladly took Ivy in 5th place. After winning Cade Cunningham on their first pick last year, they now have great young backcoat qualities.

Overwhelming trade draft

Until the day of the draft, we’ve heard a lot about the potential for many trades involving current NBA players to go down. For example, on Wednesday, ESPN’s Adrian Voinaroski, who is plugged in more than anyone else when it comes to the NBA, said he expects a lot of deals.

“Trade is a new free agent at this time of the year,” he said. “Teams know that improving with a free agent in July is not the best chance. It will be around the trade draft. I think we’ll see a lot of teams tomorrow night.”

But things weren’t fully developed that way. Every year, some picks were shuffled, but few deals involved established NBA players. Kemba Walker will be traded from Knicks to Pistons as part of a larger deal, and both sides are expected to work on an acquisition that will allow Walker to become a free agent this summer. Also, 76ers and Grizzlies swapped players. This is because Sixers sent a veteran forward Danny Green and a No. 23 overall pick to Memphis in exchange for De’Anthony Melton.

Pistons transfers Jerami Grant to the Portland Trail Blazers, choosing for the first round of 2025 picks (via Milwaukee Bucks, protected # 1-4) and multiple swaps. Those guys weren’t chopped livers, but none of their movements could be considered landscape-changing, or even major. Therefore, it is no exaggeration to say that the draft was overwhelming in terms of trade.

Knicks spends a busy night

The New York Knicks entered the draft night with two picks, 11 and 42. Even with the usual rumors, it was like a simple night. Of course, that’s not possible with this franchise, and after three trades and hours of turmoil, they had Trevor Keels (No. 42), three future first round picks, and some additions. I left the cap space of. They sent the 11th pick (Usman Jen) to Oklahoma City Thunder for their first three future matches. Then they packaged the first one they got from Thunder and four future second round picks to get the 13th pick (Jalen Duren) from Charlotte Hornets. Finally, they sent Durene and Kemba Walker to the Detroit Pistons for the next first round of picks. Learn more about all movements, including pick protection.

It’s no secret that Jalen Brunson is the number one priority for Knicks this offseason. Left-handed guards are hitting free agents and should be ordered a significant payday after being impressed with the Dallas Mavericks’ participation in the Western Conference Finals. In addition to hiring his dad as an assistant coach, Knicks has freed enough cap space to make competitive offers. But the question is whether those moves are worth a blow at Branson. If they can’t sign him, giving up the lottery choice to get rid of Walker’s salary won’t get old well.

Knicks fans were a little surprised and upset. Most notably, Stephen A. Smith and Spike Lee seemed discouraged on ESPN’s Draft Night broadcast.

Pistons wins again on draft night

Last year, the Detroit Pistons won the lottery and Cade Cunningham was ranked first overall. After a little late start of the rookie season, he turned it on and looked real as a jumbo facilitator. The Pistons fell to fifth place in this year’s lottery, but again became a big winner on the night of the draft.

First and foremost, they brought good luck to Jaden Ivey in 5th place. Paddue Guard was clearly regarded as the fourth best player in the class, but Sacramento Kings passed him to choose Keegan Murray in fourth place. Murray may be a good player, but he is an explosive athlete and has no advantage of ivy having the chance to be a great multi-level scorer. In Cunningham and Ivy, Pistons has a future backyard.

After a while, Pistons made a deal with the New York Knicks. They sent Knicks a first round pick of 2025 via Milwaukee, who won a contract with Jerami Grant earlier this week, in exchange for 13th picks Jalen Duren and Kemba Walker. did. The latter will eventually be acquired. Durene is another great athlete, but he seemed to dominate Memphis on the front court. Still raw in terms of pure attack skills, he is huge, working hard and needs immediate defensive contributions.

After years of alternating unintentional rebuilding and chasing the 8th seed at the Eastern Conference, Pistons finally felt that the plan and the young core were in place. There’s still a long way to go before them, but with Cunningham leading, the future of Detroit should be bright.

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2022 NBA Draft Order

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