Paolo Banchero was as shocked as anyone when Orlando Magic picked him at #1 in the 2022 Draft. The reason? Well, in the build-up to the draft, they were heavily linked with Jabari Smith Jr. as their top pick. Banchero himself was eyeing a move to Houston. But a Zoom call changed everything and Orlando are now reaping the rewards. However, Draymond Green believes he deserves the credit for getting them off the Jabari bandwagon and influencing their decision-making.

Green has been vocal about his support for Banchero, having been impressed by the 21-year-old ever since he joined the NBA. After Banchero produced 22 points against the Warriors in a game in November 2022, Green was full of praise for the star, citing his “his demeanor” as the reason behind the Magic’s 130-129 win.

Indulging in a detailed conversation with Orlando’s latest acquisition, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope on The Draymond Green Show, the Warriors’ superstar claimed that it was his “intel” on an episode of his podcast that prompted Orlando to make the move for Banchero.

Green stated, “Everybody was saying, they was gonna draft Jabari Smith. I personally thought Paolo should’ve been the number 1 pick, they end up taking him. In large part, they was watching ‘The Draymond Green Show’ taking my intel, coz they was high on Jabari. They took the intel.” Laughing it off, KCP reacted, saying, “Good intel right there.”

Obviously, we will never know how Jabari would have fared in Orlando but he has been doing wonders in Houston after the Rockets drafted him at #3. Averaging 12.8 points in his rookie year and 13.7 points this past season, the 6’11 forward is turning out to be a great pick for them. However, he has been no match for the talent of Paolo, who averaged 20 points in his debut season and took home the ROTY trophy.

Getting even better this season, Banchero increased his scoring average to 22.6 points. But his performance proved his ‘generational talent’ in this year’s playoffs as he balled out against Cleveland, averaging 27 points along with nearly 9 rebounds. However, it all could have been so very different.

Two years ago, many experts predicted Jabari would join Magic. As for Banchero, Houston appeared to be his destination. In fact, the player himself admitted that he was set on joining the Rockets. In an interview with Yahoo Sports in 2022, he revealed, “Just all the stuff that was being put out there was that I was going No. 3 to Houston. That’s kind of where my mind was at, and I was fine with it.”

This made sense for Banchero. He grew up on the West Coast and had long-term friendships with Rockets players Jalen Green and Josh Christopher. In fact, he would get on calls with the two players to enquire about the franchise and the city. But two days before the draft, Orlando scheduled a Zoom interview with Banchero.

Banchero told Yahoo Sports, “I was a little surprised they called. Again, my mind was in Houston.” On the call, the front office showed him a diagram of the facility, provided information on the city, and explained how he fit into their system.

“I liked what they were showing me,” Banchero added. Even though many reports suggested Orlando weren’t interested in him, this call was a game-changer. On the morning of the draft, the forecast was still for Jabari to be picked by Magic, but later it emerged they were considering Banchero. The player went number 1 to Orlando Magic, as the franchise pulled the curtain on a well-kept secret.

So, it’s safe to say that the Magic made the right decision, thanks to Draymond Green (as per the former DPOY). “They did right. I think Paolo is one of those generational players…,” Draymond said on his podcast. He explained how the Magic always shied away from spending a lot of money on locking in their players, but the arrival of Banchero has changed their outlook and made them more focused on making winning moves.

Draymond Green believes the Orlando Magic are “ready to win”

Ever since the Dwight Howard era, the Magic have been more of a laughingstock of the league because of their lack of playoff success. But with some great front office decisions in recent drafts, they might have turned their fate around. With a strong young core of Paolo, Wagner, and Suggs, the Magic seems focused on elevating to the next level and becoming title contenders again.

Even Draymond Green acknowledged the franchise’s winning mindset after they re-signed Franz Wagner on a five-year $224 million rookie maximum extension and added KCP on a three-year $66 million deal.

“Now you see, like obviously, they got the young core. They just extended Franz. But bringing in someone like you says to me, that oh now, oh they serious now. Like they bringing in the guy who’s proven to help lead teams Championship teams…They ready to win now,” Draymond Green told KCP on the pod.

Adding a veteran sharpshooter like KCP who has reached the mountaintop twice with two separate teams could do wonders for the young Orlando Magic squad who are already on the rise. Just this season alone, they took an experienced Cavs team with a superstar like Donovan Mitchell to Game 7 before getting eliminated. And now that they have the veteran leadership of KCP, Paolo Banchero and Co. could make some serious noise next season.

Before you go, do not forget to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.