2022 NBA draft: Knicks rise to 4th place, Chet Holmgren has best career in five bold predictions

The Golden State Warriors won the NBA title a week ago and now everyone’s eyes are on the 2022 NBA draft on Thursday night. Orlando Magic owns the number one, followed by the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets. It is, of course, now. There may be many deals before the end of the evening.

With that in mind, we come to the draft of my five predictions as we read the magic on the clock.

1. The Knicks trade up to 4th place

It is reported that the Knicks want to move to the top five and Sacramento is the perfect partner. The Knicks have been looking for a franchise leader / combine forever, and Jaden Ivey is right. De’Aaron Fox and Davion Mitchell are already in Sacramento and he wants to put together a play-off list after switching Domantas Sabonis.

New York may be sending some rotating pieces, this year’s 11th choice and a future draft selection to rise to Ivey, who has an attractive talent, but if you listen to most of the appraisers, it’s not such a sure bet that Sacramento should be completely ignored. positional overlap.

I’m not sure I’ll agree with that if it happens. I don’t think New York can send anything to Sacramento that will change the success of its play-off at an absolutely busy Western conference next season, and Kings should pool as much talent as possible. Becoming a superstar after Kings Luka passed on Doncici for some health reasons would be an immeasurable disaster.

Also, I don’t think Davion Mitchell is a franchisee. He’s a nice piece. Gary Payton II type with a better score. It’s a really good player, but good enough to swap out a choice that could have brought you, Ivey? I’m not sure. But what I think is happening and what should happen are two different things, and in the end, I think New York needs to take that opportunity, and Sacramento is angry enough to take a brief look, especially when there’s a player. at No. 11 likes.

2. Chet Holmgren makes the best career

Holmgren is not the overall betting favorite (this distinction belongs to Jabari Smith), but the more I think about it, the more I think Holmgren will make it the best career in its 2022 class. He is seven feet tall and has guard skills. His defensive influence may be generational as a protector of monster wheels, which many believe have out-of-rank instincts.

In addition, Holmgren has a lot of room for growth. Sometimes he wasn’t even the offensive focal point with Gonza. As he pulls out the NBA’s big players as a potential 40 percent plus 3-point thrower and puts the ball on the floor in the room as a game manager with defense, Holmgren’s ceiling will soon turn quite high. .

3. Blazers exchanges No 7 OG for Anunoby

Portland managed to trade Jerami Grant on Wednesday without giving up option 7. Now Yahoo’s own Chris Haynes reports jw.org en Blazers is trying to use the seventh option to exchange Toronto OG for Anunoby. I predict this deal will fall. It’s so far and Portland adds everything you need to beat it.

Blazers is put the candidate on the floor next season. Damian Lillard starts to itch. They exchanged CJ McCollum, Norman Powell and Larry Nance Jr. to equip themselves with revolving assets, especially in defense, and the addition of Grant and Anunoby would be a big step in the dispute. It is too important to be greedy at the last second. This seventh option does nothing for Blazers right now, and Portland only has to think about it right now.

4. There are no surprises in the top three

There is no real consensus best in this class, but that means Jabari Smith Magicus is in first place, Chet Holmgren in Thunder and Paolo Banchero in Rockets among most mockers. There is talk of a deal at the top, but I don’t see that happening. I don’t think Jaden Ivey will jump into the top three. I don’t think Holmgren will jump to Smith’s No. 1 surprise, and Banchero was pretty sure to go second to Houston when Christian Wood was replaced.

There is almost always a fire where there is so much smoke. I would be shocked if Collins is not changed, and since Atlanta has the 16th option on Thursday night, it’s a pretty strong package. If the Hawks make that choice, the actual player will generally become less valuable. He doesn’t get everyone on the table. Compatibility / need with certain trading partners comes into play. The Hawks now want to win, and Collins alone won’t bring them a powerful enough player in return for even such a big upgrade in front of Collins himself. Atlanta needs to spice up this package, and Option 16 will achieve it.