Paolo Banchero of Duke is taken first in the 2022 NBA draft by the Orlando Magic

NEW YORK — After months of rumors, the Orlando Magic picked Duke's Paolo Banchero with the first pick in the 2022 NBA draft at Barclays Center on Thursday night.

The Oklahoma City Thunder picked Chet Holmgren, a center from Gonzaga, with the second pick. They then traded for Ousmane Dieng, a French player who was picked 11th, from the New York Knicks and then picked Jalen Williams, a guard from Santa Clara, with the 12th pick.

Jabari Smith Jr., a forward from Auburn, went to the Houston Rockets with the third overall pick.

In the weeks before the draft, most people thought that Smith would be the first player chosen. But the Magic turned everything on its head by taking Banchero. He wore a bright purple suit with sequins and even brighter shoes when he went on stage and shook hands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver.

"From what I was hearing, I got the feeling that it was kind of up in the air," Banchero told ESPN about who would go first. "Orlando was not sure yet, but he wanted to be ready for anything.

"However, I did not find out I was picked until about 20 seconds before the commissioner came on stage. I did not even have time to really think about it or anything else. It kind of just happened. Even though I can not believe it, I am ready. I am prepared."

Banchero, a 6-foot-10 forward from Duke, averaged 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 39 games for the Blue Devils, who made it to the Final Four before losing to their rivals, North Carolina. Banchero, who might be the most NBA-ready player in this draft, will now be looked to as the center of Orlando's rebuild, which also includes guards Jalen Suggs and Cole Anthony, forwards Franz Wagner and Jonathan Isaac, and center Wendell Carter Jr.

Banchero at No. 1 was a surprise, but Holmgren going to Oklahoma City at No. 2 was always expected. Holmgren, who is 7 feet tall and went to Gonzaga, showed off a wide range of skills in his one year of college. He averaged 14.1 points, shot 60 percent overall and 39 percent from 3-point range, grabbed 9.9 rebounds, blocked 3.7 shots, and played 26.9 minutes in 32 games.

Oklahoma City now has an interior anchor to go with its promising young backcourt of rising star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Australian Josh Giddey, who was the sixth overall pick in last year's draft and was named to the first team All-Rookie.

The Thunder also got Dieng with the 11th pick by giving the Knicks three conditional first-round picks in 2023. This past season, Dieng, who just turned 19 last month, averaged 8.8 points per game for the New Zealand Breakers in Australia's National Basketball League. Then, Oklahoma City picked Williams with the 12th pick. He was the first player from Santa Clara to be drafted since Steve Nash in 1996, who is now in the Hall of Fame. And with the 30th pick in the first round, the Thunder chose Peyton Watson from UCLA.

Holmgren said that he was glad to join the Thunder.

Holmgren said, "I think it is a great situation and a great dynamic to play with Josh and Shai and the rest of the team." "There are a lot of great players with different sets of skills. I feel like I can pair up with them and help improve their skills while they do the same for mine."

Smith, a 6-foot-10 forward from Auburn who shot well and averaged 16.9 points and 7.4 rebounds, shot 42% from 3-point range.

After drafting Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Josh Christopher, and Usman Garuba in the first round of last year's draft, the Rockets picked Smith to continue their rebuilding process after losing James Harden at the start of the 2021-22 season. With the 17th pick, Houston also chose LSU forward Tari Eason.

When asked if he is more motivated now that he did not get the first pick, Smith said, "Definitely. But God does not make mistakes, so I am happy to be here. I am glad to be wanted where I am. I can not wait to get to Houston and just show them what they asked for. "I am glad to be here."

The Sacramento Kings took Iowa forward Keegan Murray with the fourth overall pick, and the Detroit Pistons took Purdue guard Jaden Ivey with the fifth overall pick.

Murray's sophomore year at Iowa was his best yet. He averaged 23.5 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 55.4 percent field goals and 39.8 percent 3-pointers. He will now join the Kings, who have not made the playoffs in 16 years. Their new coach, Mike Brown, is trying to rebuild the team around guard De'Aaron Fox and big man Domantas Sabonis.

Ivey had said that going to Sacramento would not be the "worst" thing that could happen to him. He will play in the Pistons' backcourt with last year's first overall pick, Cade Cunningham. Ivey, like Murray, had a big sophomore year at Purdue. He averaged 17.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists.

The rest of the top 10 were Arizona guard Bennedict Mathurin, who was picked sixth by the Indiana Pacers; Kentucky guard Shaedon Sharpe, who was picked seventh by the Portland Trail Blazers; Australian guard Dyson Daniels, who was picked eighth by the New Orleans Pelicans; Baylor forward Jeremy Sochan, who was picked ninth by the San Antonio Spurs; and Wisconsin guard Johnny Davis, who was picked 10th by the Washington Wizards.

Mathurin averaged 17.7 points and 5.6 rebounds at Arizona. He should play next to point guard Tyrese Haliburton in Indiana's backcourt, as the Pacers are about to start a full rebuild for the first time in a decade.

Sharpe, on the other hand, was the top overall recruit coming out of high school. He enrolled early at Kentucky and did not play for the Wildcats this spring before going into the draft.

Daniels is the latest player to join the NBA from the G League Ignite. Last season, he averaged 11.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 5.1 assists in 32 minutes per game.

As a freshman for Baylor, Sochan averaged 9.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.3 steals. He will bring a versatile, two-way game to San Antonio. Davis, like many other Big Ten sophomores at the top of this draft, broke out in his second year at Madison. He averaged 19.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 34.2 minutes per game.

The first trade of the night happened with the 11th pick. The Thunder got the draft rights to Gorgui Dieng from the New York Knicks in exchange for three conditional first-round picks from the Denver Nuggets, the Washington Wizards, and the Detroit Pistons.

The Knicks then gave the Denver 2023 conditional first-round pick they got from Oklahoma City, along with four second-round picks, to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for the rights to Memphis center Jalen Duren. They then sent Duren and guard Kemba Walker to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for a Milwaukee Bucks 2025 conditional first-round pick.

After that, Cleveland chose Kansas forward Ochai Agbaji with the 14th pick, and Charlotte chose Duke center Mark Williams with its second first-round pick.

As the first round went on, there were more trades that changed how the board looked.

Sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski that the Memphis Grizzlies traded the 22nd and 29th picks to the Minnesota Timberwolves for the 19th pick, which they used to pick Wake Forest forward Jake LaRavia.

The Memphis Grizzlies then moved back into the first round by trading the athletic guard De'Anthony Melton to the Philadelphia 76ers for the No. 23 pick and the veteran Danny Green, who was seriously hurt in Philadelphia's season-ending loss in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Minnesota took Auburn center Walker Kessler with the 22nd pick. They then traded the 29th pick and two second-round picks to move up to the No. 26 spot, where they took Duke forward Wendell Moore.

Houston got the 26th pick from Dallas earlier this month when they sent big man Christian Wood to the Mavericks. With the 29th pick, Houston chose Kentucky guard TyTy Washington.