NEW YORK (AP) — The Orlando Magic selected Duke freshman Paolo Banchero 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 first-year 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 Oklahoma City Thunder chose Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren with the No. 2 overall pick. Holmgren, a versatile 7-footer from Minneapolis, was a second-team Associated Press All-American in his only season with Gonzaga. He averaged 14.1 points and 9.9 rebounds and ranked second nationally with 3.7 blocks per game. He shot 61% from 3-point range and 39% from 3-point range last season. His skill could help him be effective as he works to add to his slender 195-pound frame.
The Houston Rockets selected Auburn freshman Jabari Smith Jr. with the third overall pick, adding a skilled player to join last year’s second pick Jalen Green as the team continues its rebuild. Smith comes to Houston after the power forward averaged 16.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and two assists per game to win SEC freshman of the year and second-team All-America honors. The third pick is one of three first-round picks the Rockets had.
The Sacramento Kings selected forward Keegan Murray of Iowa with the fourth overall pick. A first-team All-American as a sophomore, Murray was the Big Ten’s leading scorer with 23.5 points a game and averaged 8.7 rebounds while playing alongside twin brother Kris. The 6-foot-8, 225-pound Murray gives Kings first-year coach Mike Brown a versatile wing player to complement a core group anchored by point guard De’Aaron Fox and 6-foot-11 power forward Domantas Sabonis.
The Detroit Pistons have selected Purdue’s Jaden Ivey with the No. 5 overall pick. Detroit’s rebuilding plan should get a boost with the addition of the dynamic player. The 6-foot-4, 195-pound Ivey can play point or shooting guard. He averaged 17.3 points last season and made 46% of his shots overall and 36% beyond the 3-point arc. Detroit desperately needs Ivey to pan out after winning just 23 games last year, finishing ahead of only Houston and Orlando in the NBA.
Also in the NBA:
— The New York Knicks removed Kemba Walker and added no players in the first round of the NBA draft. They agreed to deal Walker to Detroit, among the multiple deals they made. They traded the rights to France’s Ousmane Dieng, who they took with the No. 11 pick, to Oklahoma City for four first-round picks. Then the Knicks used one of them to acquire the rights to Jalen Duren, taken by Charlotte with the No. 13 selection, and agreed to send him along with Walker to the Pistons for another pick, a person with knowledge of the details told The Associated Press.
