The Houston Rockets contacted the Orlando Magic to negotiate a transfer once they were convinced that Paolo Banchero would be selected in first position in the recent 2022 draft, according to the media. ESPN. “We didn’t know that Orlando would take Banchero until ten minutes before the draft,” he acknowledged. general manager of the Rockets, Rafael Stone.
For weeks, several mock draft, analysts and the media placed Jabari Smith Jr. as the great favorite to be chosen at the top of the draft. Such was the conviction of the environment and the confidence of the player himself that he only met with the management of Orlando and Oklahoma City, called to choose the first two positions.
However, the Magic broke the odds by taking Banchero first, something that surprised not only Smith Jr., but also the agent of the Duke University product, Mike Miller. “I didn’t know anything until the Magic told me a few minutes before,” Miller said.
According to this information, in Houston they were worried about having to make a decision about Chet Holmgren – they understood that the Thunder would choose Smith Jr. with their pick 2—no time to conduct a full assessment of your medical information. In Orlando they listened to the proposal of the Rockets but the negotiation was very brief and they rejected the offer.
Finally, the Rockets’ fears regarding Holmgren’s health were not fulfilled as he ended up being selected by the Thunder. Thus, Smith Jr. fell to third position, packing his bags for the Texas franchise.
(Cover photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)