The top pick: It’s Banchero
NEW YORK — The Magic selected Duke freshman Paolo Banchero on Thursday night with the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft.
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 firstyear forwards Jabari Smith Jr. and Chet Holmgren.
Banchero, wearing a purple suit full of bling, received a loud ovation inside Barclays Center, where Duke lost in the ACC Tournament final.
The Magic were picking first for the fourth time and they’ve done well with their previous choices. They took Shaquille O’Neal in 1992, traded the rights to Chris Webber for Penny Hardaway the next year, and went with Dwight Howard in 2004.
All eventually reached the NBA Finals with the Magic.
Holmgren went second to the 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.
The Rockets took Smith at third, happy to end up with a player who many thought would end up going first. 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 Kings. The Pistons, a year after taking Cade Cunningham with the No. 1 pick, took athletic Purdue guard Jaden Ivey fifth.
The Pacers took Arizona sophomore Bennedict Mathurin at No. 6. Mathurin, a 6-foot-6 shooting guard and small forward, averaged 17.7 points. 5.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists last season. He was the Pac-12 player of the year. Mathurin grew up in Montreal.
With the seventh pick, the Trail Blazers grabbed Shaedon Sharpe. The 6-foot-6 Sharpe was a fivestar recruit who committed to Kentucky but never played for the Wildcats. The Canadian intended on redshirting his first season, but instead decided to declare for the draft.
The Blazers finished 27-55 last season and are rebuilding around All-Star Damian Lillard. They made a deal with the Pistons a day before the draft to acquire Jerami Grant.
Dyson Daniels of the G League Ignite was taken eighth by the Pelicans, Baylor’s Jeremy Sochan stayed in Texas with the Spurs at No. 9, and the Wizards rounded out the top 10 with Wisconsin’s Johnny Davis.
Before the selections began, Silver congratulated the 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.
All the teams at the top of this draft need help and have recent high picks already on their rosters, so will hope the Warriors way works for them as well.