Magic take Banchero at No. 1
Kings select Iowa's Murray with 4th overall pick
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-foot-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.
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.
The Warriors selected forward Patrick Baldwin Jr. from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with the 28th overall pick.