The Biggest Winners of the 2022 NBA Draft

There’s only one night a year where even fans of bad teams have their moment in the sun. The 2022 NBA Draft has come and gone, with four teams standing out from the crowd as the biggest winners of the 2022 NBA Draft.
Detroit Pistons
Considering that the Pistons have been cellar-dwellers for the past couple of years, it’s surprising that a player would be so excited to join them. Nevertheless, Purdue’s Jaden Ivey was openly weeping when Detroit selected him with the fifth pick of the draft.
Pairing him in the backcourt with last year’s top pick, Cade Cunningham, should give the Pistons a formidable backcourt for years to come. In addition to Ivey, Detroit acquired Kemba Walker’s albatross of a contract from the Knicks to select Memphis center Jalen Duren at 13. Supposedly, many teams were trying to move up to acquire Duren, but the Pistons reigned supreme.
Memphis Grizzlies
Fresh off their trip to the Western Conference Finals, the Memphis Grizzlies rode that wave of momentum into the NBA Draft, adding two rotation players to the mix in the first round. Wake Forest’s Jake LaRavia gives them length and a sharpshooter beyond the arc. Their next pick, David Roddy, reigned at Colorado State, where he led that team to a six-seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Orlando Magic
It’s hard not to be a draft winner when you have the number one pick. However, Paolo Banchero might be more of the winner here than Orlando. Banchero was a wildcard entering the draft, considering the Duke standout could have landed in the top five. But Orlando liked what they saw in Banchero, or at least what they saw on film since he never worked out with the team.
Oklahoma City Thunder/Houston Rockets
The biggest benefactors of Banchero going number one to the Magic are the two teams that followed them, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets. The Thunder knew they would get their man, Chet Holmgren, no matter what Orlando decided to do.
The Gonzaga prospect dazzled opponents throughout freshman year, shooting the lights out and swatting layups down low. Although it’s not a great indicator, the rook is showing his prowess in the NBA Summer League, giving the Thunder confidence they have their next superstar. Yet, the college game is much different than the pros, so we’ll see if his skill set and lanky frame hold up.
After Holmgren, the Rockets selected Jabari Smith with the number three pick. Many experts predicted Orlando would spend their first pick on the All-American from Auburn but went with Banchero instead. At 6’10”, Green gives the Rockets much-needed size for their rebuilding efforts.
With these teams being the biggest winners of the 2022 NBA Draft, their futures look brighter, even though they may have another lottery picking coming their way in 2023.