Inside The Rockets

Could Magic Pick Paolo Banchero, Crush Rockets NBA Draft Dreams?

Overnight, Banchero became the odds-on favorite to be selected first.

Jeremy Brener

With just hours before the NBA Draft, the drama surrounding Paolo Banchero is heating up.

Earlier this week, multiple sportsbooks were increasing the odds for Banchero to become the top pick.

Overnight, Banchero became the odds-on favorite to be selected first by a couple of sportsbooks, including Caesar's, PointsBet, FanDuel and DraftKings ... but that doesn't mean the Orlando Magic will take him.

There have been rumors that a trade could take place between the Magic and the Houston Rockets, who hold the No. 3 pick and the strongest interest in Banchero.

The Magic could take him No. 1 over Chet Holmgren and Jabari Smith, but that appears unlikely considering Banchero has been rumored to have pushed back his predraft workout with Orlando multiple times and there was no confirmed workout between Banchero and the team.

If Banchero is the No. 1 pick, it would certainly be a surprise considering many thought it was a two-horse race between Holmgren and Smith since the Magic was gifted the pick back on May 17.

In 36 career games with the Duke Blue Devils, Banchero averaged 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.1 steals. Banchero took home ACC Rookie of the Year and First-Team All-ACC honors following his lone campaign at Duke.

So no matter who takes Banchero in tonight's draft, and whether he goes first, second or third, a team in the top-3 is getting a player with a ton of upside to build the foundation in a rebuilding scenario.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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