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NBA Draft 2022: Big Board, Top Prospects, and No. 1 Pick
James is a Basketball Insiders contributor. He earned his bachelor's degree in English and Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. James enjoys watching sports and helping gamblers win money.
All posts by James FoglioUpdated07 Aug 2024
On Thursday, June 23, the 2022 NBA Draft will air live at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC and ESPN; the NBA Draft 2022 big board, top prospects, and No. 1 pick analysis is available here. This is the 76th edition of the league’s annual draft. The draft is taking place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Our draft analysts at Basketball Insiders have studied the best top 30 players.
According to BetOnline odds, Jabari Smith Jr. has the highest odds (-180) of the Magic selecting him first overall in the 2022 NBA Draft. Bovada, BetUS and MyBookie have Smith Jr. at No. 1 as well. Next, Chet Holmgren has the best odds (-180) of the Thunder picking him at No. 2. Also, Paolo Banchero is projected to go third (-500) based on No. 3 selection odds. The top prospects are featured below.
NBA betting picks, sports betting content and rumors are on the main page.
NBA Draft 2022: Top 10 Big Board Prospects
Player |
Position |
College |
|---|---|---|
| Jabari Smith Jr. | Forward | Auburn |
| Chet Holmgren | Center | Gonzaga |
| Paolo Banchero | Forward | Duke |
| Jaden Ivey | Guard | Purdue |
| Keegan Murray | Forward | Iowa |
| Shaedon Sharpe | Guard | Kentucky |
| Jalen Duren | Center | Memphis |
| Dyson Daniels | Guard | N/A |
| Johnny Davis | Guard | Wisconsin |
| Bennedict Mathurin | Guard | Arizona |
RELATED: NBA Draft 2022: Which Teams Can Improve the Most on NBA Draft Day?
Other Top 30 Big Board Prospects
- Jeremy Sochan | Forward | Baylor
- Ochai Agbaji | Guard | Kansas
- Tari Eason | Forward | LSU
- Blake Wesley | Guard | Notre Dame
- Jalen Williams | Guard | Santa Clara
- E.J. Liddell | Forward | Ohio State
- Patrick Baldwin Jr. | Guard | Milwaukee
- Mark Williams | Center | Duke
- Walker Kessler | Forward | Auburn
- MarJon Beauchamp | Guard | N/A
- Max Christie | Michigan State | Guard
- Kennedy Chandler | Guard | Tennessee
- Bryce McGowens | Guard | Nebraska
- Jaden Hardy | Guard | N/A
- Jake LaRavia | Guard | Wake Forest
Top Prospects in the 2022 NBA Draft
Furthermore, numerous NBA mock drafts have Jabari Smith Jr., Chet Holmgren, Paolo Banchero, Jaden Ivey, and Keegan Murray rounding out the top 5 selections on our big board. Plus, Shaedon Sharpe, Jalen Duren, Dyson Daniels, Johnny Davis, and Bennedict Mathurin are notable top 10 candidates.
Additionally, Dyson Daniels, MarJon Beauchamp, and Jaden Hardy are NBA G League Ignite players. Dyson is 6’7″ and weighs 195 lbs. In the 2021-22 season, the Australian-born player averaged 11.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.9 steals per game with the Ignite.
MarJon Beauchamp is 6’6″ and weighs about 200 lbs. The guard averaged 15.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.6 steals per game with the Ignite last season. Not to mention, he played college basketball with the Yakima Valley College Yaks for the 2020-21 season.
Next, Jaden Hardy is a 6’4″ guard out of Coronado High School. He is only 19 years old. Last season, the guard averaged 17.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.2 steals per game with the Ignite. Hardy is one of the best top prospects mentioned here.
On another subject, in last month’s draft lottery, the Magic won the first overall pick. The last time the Magic earned the first overall selection was back in the 2004 NBA Draft, when the team selected Dwight Howard. As stated above, Orlando will likely select Jabari Smith Jr. at No. 1 in this year’s draft.
Jabari Smith Jr. — Auburn
Additionally, Jabari Smith is 6’10” and weighs 220 lbs. He finished fourth in the SEC for made 3-pointers (79). For those unaware, Smith is a distant cousin of Kwame Brown, who the Wizards selected first overall in the 2001 NBA Draft. And his father, Jabari Smith Sr., played in the NBA for four seasons.
In Smith’s freshman season at Auburn, he was selected consensus second-team All-American, NABC Freshman of the Year and first-team All-SEC. To add to his accomplishments, the forward was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team.
On Feb. 16, in Auburn’s 94-80 win at home over Vanderbilt, Smith scored a season-high 31 points in 28 minutes played. Moreover, he ranked third in defensive rebounds (220) in the SEC. Per Rivals, 247Sports and ESPN, he ranked sixth overall in the 2021 class.
Chet Holmgren — Gonzaga
Next, Chet Holmgren is a 7-foot center and weighs 195 lbs. Holmgren was selected consensus second-team All-American and first-team All-WCC in the 2021-22 season. The Gonzaga center averaged 14.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 32 games played in the 2021-22 season.
In high school at Minnehaha Academy, he was teammates with Jalen Suggs. Of course, Suggs was selected fifth overall by the Magic in last year’s draft. Holmgren ranked first on the Recruiting Services Consensus Index (RSCI) top 100 list in 2021. His size alone is an advantage for protecting the rim and acquiring rebounds. The Magic or Thunder could use him.
Paolo Banchero — Duke
Finally, Paolo Banchero is 6’10” and weighs 250 lbs. In a total of 39 games played in the 2021-22 season for Duke, the forward averaged 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. Last season, he led the ACC in total points (671). Equally important, he ranked fifth in total rebounds (7.8) per game in the ACC, and the forward finished second in total rebounds (304) in his conference.
For the cherry on top, Banchero was named ACC Rookie of the Year in 2022. Based on one scouting report from last year, Banchero ranked second on the RSCI top 100 list in 2021. Other NBA draft 2022 big board, top prospects and No. 1 pick articles are on the main page.
