Orlando Magic Win No. 1 Pick In 2022 NBA Draft Lottery

The Orlando Magic secured the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NBA draft lottery.

The Magic’s last draft pick this high came in 2004, when they selected Dwight Howard at No. 1. The Magic also won the lottery in 1992 (Shaquille O’Neal) and 1993 (Penny Hardaway via trade).

Orlando had two lottery picks last year, selecting Jalen Suggs at No. 5 and Franz Wagner at No. 8.

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Oklahoma City will pick second behind Orlando. Houston, Sacramento and Detroit rounded out the top five.

In a draft that lacks a clear top prospect, like Cade Cunningham in last year’s class, there could be incentive for the Magic to trade down. Their top prospects could be available at two or three.

Throughout most of the college basketball season, there appeared to be a wide-open race for the No. 1 pick in the draft, which will be held on June 23. Paolo Banchero of Duke, Chet Holmgren of Gonzaga, Jaden Ivey of Purdue and Jabari Smith of Auburn are expected to be the top draft prospects.

The ping pong balls were favorable for the Magic, Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons, who each had 14% odds to land the top pick.

Oklahoma City, which had the fourth-best odds at the top pick (12.5%), had a solid night in the lottery, getting the No. 2 and 12 picks.

The Thunder entered the 2022 NBA draft lottery with a good chance at a top-three pick. Had the lottery played out as the odds expected, the Thunder would have received the No. 4 and No. 12 picks. The last time OKC had the No. 2 pick (2007, when they were the Seattle SuperSonics), the team chose Kevin Durant.