NBA Draft 2022: Magic, Thunder, Duke among 10 biggest winners

By Andy Katz
FOX Sports College Basketball Analyst

The biggest winners of the 2022 NBA Draft were the players who earned a first-round selection when the odds were stacked against them earlier in their careers.

Iowa‘s Keegan Murray (Sacramento, No. 4), Purdue‘s Jaden Ivey (Detroit, No. 5), Wisconsin‘s Johnny Davis (Washington, No. 10), Santa Clara‘s Jalen Williams (Oklahoma City, No. 12), Kansas‘ Ochai Agbaji (Cleveland, No. 14), Wake Forest‘s Jake LaRavia (Memphis via Minnesota, No. 19) and Colorado State‘s David Roddy (Memphis via Philadelphia, No. 23) all arrived on college campuses without the hype. They were all first-round draft picks Thursday night. They all bet on themselves and proved they belonged through hard work, patience, diligence and persistence. They are all examples of players finding their own path, and they should be models for others to follow.

Now let’s look at the rest of the winners from the 2022 NBA Draft.

1. Orlando 

The Magic fooled everyone until the final minutes before the NBA Draft by selecting Duke‘s Paolo Banchero after the assumption was that they would pick Auburn‘s Jabari Smith. Banchero is arguably the player who is most ready to step in and contribute. Orlando gets a player who could be Rookie of the Year and an All-Star.

2. Houston

The Rockets were expecting Banchero to drop to them. He did not, but they did land Smith, who was as much a No. 1 candidate as Banchero. Smith may not be as ready offensively as Banchero, but he still can be a star.

3. Detroit

The Pistons made significant improvements with the selections of Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren. Ivey could be the most entertaining and game-changing player in the draft. Duren has the chance to be a force inside. Pairing Ivey and Cade Cunningham gives the Pistons a potential backcourt for the next five-to-seven years, one that can get this team back to the playoffs.

4. Indiana 

The Pacers landed Bennedict Mathurin, who wasn’t considered a lock for the lottery a year ago. But Mathurin was a stud for Arizona, proving he could score with any player in the country. He plays extremely hard and will help Indiana on day one.

5. San Antonio

I love the Spurs’ three first-round picks. Baylor‘s Jeremy Sochan, Ohio State‘s Malaki Branham and Notre Dame‘s Blake Wesley are San Antonio type pf players. Sochan is a versatile forward, and Branham and Wesley are both scorers who have barely scratched the surface of their potential. All three of these players have a high ceiling.

6. Washington 

The Wizards wanted Wisconsin’s Johnny Davis, and they got him at No. 10. That almost never happens late in the lottery. Washington gets a player who can pair with Bradley Beal and be another scorer.

7. Oklahoma City 

The Thunder wanted Gonzaga‘s Chet Holmgren and got him. He’s a 7-foot unicorn who could end up being the most productive all-around rookie in this class. They then snagged a fellow WCC player in Santa Clara’s Jalen Williams, whose stock skyrocketed after the Chicago combine.

8. Duke 

The Blue Devils cleaned up in the first round with picks No. 1 (Banchero), No. 15 (Mark Williams), No. 16 (AJ Griffin) and No. 26 (Wendell Moore Jr.). A fifth player from Duke — Trevor Keels — went at No. 42 in the second round. This was a great endorsement of Duke’s program.

9. Shaedon Sharpe 

Sharpe took a gamble by going to Kentucky and sitting out his freshman season. He practiced but never jeopardized his stock by playing in a game. His plan worked: Sharpe went No. 7 to Portland. 

10. Peyton Watson 

Watson was a high-profile recruit coming out of high school, but there was a log jam at his position at UCLA. He was a rotation player. But he was convinced he would be picked in the first round. He made it on the last pick, to Denver at No. 30. While Watson was selected, UCLA star Johnny Juzang wasn’t, which says quite a bit about being drafted on potential.

Andy Katz is a longtime college basketball writer, analyst and host. He can be seen on FOX Sports and Big Ten Network platforms, as well as March Madness and NCAA.com, and he hosts the podcast “March Madness 365.” Katz worked at ESPN for nearly two decades and, prior to that, in newspapers for nine years.