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The 2022 NBA Draft started off with a major plot twist that had significant implications on virtually the entire landscape of the league. Despite previous reports that the Orlando Magic were not interested in using their first overall pick on Paolo Banchero, they shocked the basketball world when they scooped up the Duke freshman as the top pick in the draft.
In a recent interview, Banchero himself admitted that he was already set on joining the Houston Rockets after they were heavily linked to him at the No. 3 spot:
“Just all the stuff that was being put out there was that I was going No. 3 to Houston,” Banchero told Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. “That's kind of where my mind was at, and I was fine with it. I was going to be happy wherever I ended up because I knew at the end of the day I would be fine. But in Houston, I would say that's where my head was at that time.”
Towards draft night, however, the whispers of the Magic eyeing Banchero at No. 1 got louder and louder. True enough, when the time came, it was Paolo Banchero's name that commissioner Adam Silver called out as the first overall pick.
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According to Banchero, he already had previous conversations with the Magic. At one point, he was convinced that Orlando was serious about picking up as the top pick:
“I liked what they were showing me,” Banchero said. “They have a great staff. Even in my first meeting with them in Chicago during the combine, I liked what they were talking about. But like I said before, all the reports were that they weren't really considering me. And then they made it clear before the draft that none of those reports were true and that they were very much interested in me. And so that's when I kind of knew that it might not be Houston.”
It is worth noting that Banchero never underwent a pre-draft workout session with the Magic. I guess Orlando was that confident in the 19-year-old's potential, and they could be reaping the rewards of their bold move in the very near future.
