CHICAGO — The Orlando Magic earned the right to select No. 1 overall in the 2022 NBA draft on June 23.
The Magic had the best odds (14%) to land the top pick in the NBA draft lottery held Tuesday evening. This is the first No. 1 overall pick for the Magic since 2004 when they selected Dwight Howard. Orlando had two lottery picks last year (Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner).
The Oklahoma City Thunder will select No. 2, followed by the Houston Rockets at No. 3 and the Sacramento Kings at No. 4. The remainder of the teams in the lottery are slotted Nos. 5-14 based on their records in the 2021-22 season.
The Kings moved up into the top four. Sacramento had a 32% at a top-four selection.
The Detroit Pistons dropped below top four despite having 52.1% odds to land one of the coveted picks and a 14% chance at the top pick. The Pistons had the top overall selection last year and took Cade Cunningham.
Complete 2022 NBA draft first-round order
1. Orlando Magic
2. Oklahoma City Thunder
3. Houston Rockets
4. Sacramento Kings
5. Detroit Pistons
6. Indiana Pacers
7. Portland Trail Blazers
8. Los Angeles Lakers (to New Orleans Pelicans)
9. San Antonio Spurs
10. Washington Wizards
11. New York Knicks
12. Los Angeles Clippers (to Oklahoma City Thunder)
13. Charlotte Hornets
14. Cleveland Cavaliers
15. New Orleans Pelicans (to Charlotte Hornets)
16. Atlanta Hawks
17. Brooklyn Nets (to Houston Rockets)
18. Chicago Bulls
19. Minnesota Timberwolves
20. Toronto Raptors (to San Antonio Spurs)
21. Denver Nuggets
22. Utah Jazz (to Memphis Grizzlies)
23. Philadelphia 76ers
24. Milwaukee Bucks
25. Boston Celtics (to San Antonio Spurs)
26. Dallas Mavericks
27. Miami Heat
28. Golden State Warriors
29. Memphis Grizzlies
30. Phoenix Suns (to Oklahoma City Thunder)
Who are the top 2022 NBA draft prospects?
Four players have consistently been at the top of draft boards this season. Here’s a look at each (in alphabetical order).
Paolo Banchero
Position: Forward
Height/weight: 6-10, 250 pounds
Freshman season at Duke: 17.2 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 3.2 apg
Banchero was the driving force for Duke’s Final Four run, knocking down shots, throwing lobs and no-look passes in transition and defending the perimeter well. He’s one of the best at creating separation in his shot and blends his passing and shot selection nicely.
Chet Holmgren
Position: Center
Height/weight: 7-0, 196 pounds
Freshman season at Gonzaga: 14.1 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 3.7 bpg
Holmgren’s frame might be jarring for outside observers, but scouts praise his play. “His intangibles are off the chart,” an NBA scout told Yahoo Sports last month. “He’s so unique physically with all the other skills and abilities, and if you’re willing to take that home run swing, he’s totally worth it.”
Jaden Ivey
Position: Guard
Height/weight: 6-4, 195 pounds
Sophomore season at Purdue: 17.3 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 3.1 apg
Ivey led Purdue to a Sweet 16 appearance in the men's NCAA tournament. NBA scouts have been impressed with his consistent outside shooting and the way he gets downhill with ease.
Jabari Smith
Position: Forward
Height/weight: 6-10, 220 pounds
Freshman season at Auburn: 16.9 ppg, 7.4 rpg
Smith was the best shooting power forward in college basketball, who loved stepping into his jump shot and letting it fly in transition or off the pick-and-pop. He has solid footwork in the post and uses his right pivot foot in a turnaround fadeaway jump shot from the corner.
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