Orlando no. 1 made a surprising choice with a total selection, and it was a big night to rebuild the growing rosters and young teams.
Magic created Duke’s Palo Banchero when many believed Auburn’s Jabari would take Smith.
Oklahoma City finished in the top 34 with four picks, three of which were in the top 12, and Houston Smith was No. 1. 3 and LSU’s Tari Eason number. Taken in 17. Detroit ended with two lottery picks and Cleveland added its already. Strong defense.
There were only 58 picks instead of 60 in the draft, as Milwaukee and the Miami League had to miss out on second – round picks for violating the rules governing “free agency negotiation time”.
Who had the best and worst night? It will take a few years for us to really know how good the class is this year, but that has not stopped anyone from making snap judgments. Let’s take a look at the biggest winners and losers from Thursday’s NBA Draft.
Draft tracker:Complete results and first round pick-by-pick analysis
Banchero no. 1:Makes the Duke Star a surprise choice in the Magic Draft
OKC Reconstruction:Get their man at Thunder No.2. Now they want some luck
Winner: Thunder
OKC Gonzaga received a 2nd-place finish at center Chet Holmgren, where he had immense potential and was urgently needed as an interior defender. The Thunder targeted further upside with two additional lottery picks, with French bigwig Usman Diang trading at No. 11, followed by Santa Clara guard Jolen Williams at No. 12. GM Sam Presty added even more youthful, high-upside depth. The revival list should continue as the 2023 class prize and next year’s predictable top pick, French filmmaker Victor Vembanyama, continues to replace him.
Winner: Paulo Banchero
Duke Forward does not know where he will be drafted or by whom. He no. 1 and was thrilled by Orlando. “Man, I’m planning to bring it to Orlando. First, the winning mentality, the first idea to work,” he said. “I think it’s a fantasy. I dreamed of being in the NBA. Magic kept their plans quiet with a lot of mock drafts, predicting they would take Auburn Smith.
Loser: Kings
Purdue’s Jaden Ivy no. Considered the best player available at 4, but the Kings passed him for Iowa’s Keegan Murray. Earlier in the week, Ewe gave a cold response to the idea of going to the Kings, saying it was “not the worst choice”. Yes, the Kings have D’Aron Fox in the backcourt, but they have to pick the best available. And perhaps for the Kings, Murray was the best available. If it was a different front office at the time, don’t forget that the Kings passed Luca Dansik and Trey Young in the 2018 draft.
Winner: Pistons
Ivey wanted to be in Detroit, and he cried when the Pistons announced his choice at No. 5. He should slot nicely next to point guard Cade Cunningham, who was the top pick last year on the talented young backcourt. GM Troy Weaver wisely bought the Memphis Center to buy the 13th Rank Pick from the Hornets. With Cunningham, Evie, Durren and Saddick Bay and Isaiah Stewart selected in the first round of 2020, the Pistons have a good youthful energy to excite fans.
Losers: Lakers
The Lakers had no first-round pick – Anthony Davis moved to New Orleans in 2019 as part of the trade. Until Wednesday, the Lakers had no real choice. They traded into the second round and no. Max Christie of Michigan State was selected with 35 picks. Christie has the potential to become an excellent 3-point shooter and defender, but he is unlikely to provide much needed assistance to the Lakers now.
Winner: G League Ignite
The G League team made up three players who chose not to play in college, two of whom were in the first round: Dyson Daniels no. 8 to New Orleans, Marzon Beauchamp no. Milwaukee at 24 and Jaden Hardy at 37. To Dallas. And Hardy is a potential first-rounder in several mock drafts. Last year, Ignite’s Jalen Green and Jonathan Cumming finished second and seventh, and in next year’s draft, Ignite Guard’s Scoot Henderson was the top three pick.
Winner: Grizzlies
The Grizzlies continued their recent aggressive draft night moves, beating Wake Forest’s Jake Laravia at No. 19 and Colorado State’s David Roddy at No. Purchased in 23 and no. Pics 22 and 29 were sent to Timbervolve. Laravia has the potential to be the ideal big man to help boost the Grizzlies’ below-average 3-point shooting and Roddy has the defensive versatility to play on the wing and post. Both fit the mold of productive college players under the radar of success in Memphis.
Loser: Knicks
In 2021-22 the Knicks retreated and moved up from 11th to 11th. They had the No. 11 pick and decided to trade it to Oklahoma City for three conditional first-round picks. Yes, Knicks is trying to create a salary cap space for a big move in the free agency. They hope they get the player they want and that player gets a better product. They traded the number 13 pick to Detroit for the 2025 first round pick. Maybe it will work for the Knicks. Or it could be a disaster.
