The NBA will welcome its newest class of rookies to the league Thursday night during the 2022 draft from Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Draft night is always a time for trades, and this year is expected to be no different. There were already some trades in the hours before the draft. The top three picks could be fairly predictable, but things could really get wild in the middle of the lottery through the first round. Several teams had multiple first-round picks and additional draft capital to swing deals that could significantly alter the league’s landscape entering the 2022-23 season.
USA TODAY Sports will recap the entire 2022 NBA draft with all 58 picks (two second-round picks were forfeited), plus pick-by-pick analysis from Jeff Zillgitt, Cydney Henderson, Matt Eppers and Larry Starks on each of the first-round selections.
FIRST ROUND
1. Orlando Magic: Paolo Banchero, Duke
The Magic need help on the offensive end. The team finished last season 28th in effective field goal percentage, 28th in free throw rate, 27th in offensive rebounding percentage and 23rd in turnover rate. Look no further than Paolo Banchero, who can add versatility to the Magic’s offense with his physical tools (size, strength, speed) and on-court skills. He can pass, handle the ball, drive to the basket and finish near the rim and possesses solid footwork. He’s easily the most NBA-ready player among the top projected top five. The 6-10 Banchero averaged 17.2 points on 47.8% shooting from the field, in addition to 7.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.1 steals in his only season at Duke, which marked Mike Krzyzewski’ final season.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder: Chet Holmgren, Gonzaga
Holmgren has immense potential, with an impressive all-around skillset for a modern NBA big man. With his elite rim protection and shot-blocking, he fills an immediate need for the Thunder as an interior defender. He has a versatile offensive game and has shown the ability to handle the ball, shoot from the outside and finish at the rim. Holmgren will need to add strength to reach his peak on offense, but the Thunder can give him time to develop behind top options Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey.
3. Houston Rockets: Jabari Smith, Auburn
Smith was widely expected to the No. 1 pick but instead went No. 3. He only worked out for the Magic and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Smith averaged 42% on his 3-pointers (5.5 attempts), which could make him a good fit in Houston. At his size, he is difficult to defend. And he was also a quality defender at Auburn.
4. Sacramento Kings: Keegan Murray, Iowa
With a point guard in place with De’Aaron Fox, the Kings bypassed Jaden Ivey and took Murray, an efficient wing scorer. Murray, who improved significantly from his freshman to sophomore seasons, averaged 23.6 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 55% from the field and 39.8% on 3-pointers. Murray, 21, is one of the oldest lottery picks and could have an immediate impact for Sacramento. Like Banchero, Murray is NBA-ready.
5. Detroit Pistons: Jaden Ivey, Purdue
Ivey only worked out for the Pistons and Magic. He uses his speed to blow by defenders, who will have a hard time slowing Ivey down in transition. He can explode into the lane similar to Ja Morant and has the bounce to finish. The son of Niele Ivey, the women’s basketball coach at Notre Dame and a former women’s college champion.
6. Indiana Pacers: Bennedict Mathurin, Arizona
7. Portland Trail Blazers
8. New Orleans Pelicans (from Los Angeles Lakers)
9. San Antonio Spurs
10.Washington Wizards
11. New York Knicks
12. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Los Angeles Clippers)
13. Charlotte Hornets
14. Cleveland Cavaliers
15. Charlotte Hornets (from New Orleans)
16. Atlanta Hawks
17. Houston Rockets (from Brooklyn)
18.Chicago Bulls
19. Minnesota Timberwolves
20. San Antonio Spurs (from Toronto)
21. Denver Nuggets
22. Memphis Grizzlies (from Utah)
23.Philadelphia 76ers
24. Milwaukee Bucks
25. San Antonio Spurs (from Boston)
26. Houston Rockets (from Dallas)
27. Miami Heat
28. Golden State Warriors
29. Memphis Grizzlies
30. Denver Nuggets (from Oklahoma City)
SECOND ROUND
31. Indiana Pacers (from Houston via Cleveland)
32.Orlando Magic
33. Toronto Raptors (from Detroit via San Antonio, Washington and Chicago)
34. Oklahoma City Thunder
35. Los Angeles Lakers (from Indiana via Milwaukee and Orlando)
36. Detroit Pistons (from Portland)
37. Sacramento Kings
38. San Antonio Spurs (from LA Lakers via Chicago and Washington)
39. Cleveland Cavaliers (from San Antonio via Utah)
40. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Washington via Cleveland)
41. New Orleans Pelicans
42. New York Knicks
43. Los Angeles Clippers
44. Atlanta Hawks
45. Charlotte Hornets
46. Portland Trail Blazers (from Brooklyn via Detroit)
47. Memphis Grizzlies (from Cleveland via New Orleans and Atlanta)
48. Minnesota Timberwolves
49. Cleveland Cavaliers (from Chicago via Memphis, Detroit and Sacramento)
50. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Denver via Philadelphia)
51. Golden State Warriors (from Toronto via Philadelphia)
52. New Orleans Pelicans (from Utah)
53. Boston Celtics
*54. Milwaukee Bucks (forfeited)
*55. Miami Heat (from Philadelphia via Denver; forfeited by Miami)
56. Washington Wizards (from Dallas)
57. Golden State Warriors
58. Cleveland Cavaliers (from Miami via Indiana)
59. Portland Trail Blazers (from Memphis via Utah)
60. Indiana Pacers (from Phoenix)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2022 NBA draft tracker: Every pick and first-round analysis