The 2022 first overall pick might be destined to join the Lakers

The 2022 NBA Draft Lottery was on Tuesday night and thankfully, the Los Angeles Lakers‘ pick did not end up being a top-four pick. The New Orleans Pelicans held the rights to the pick and with just over a 25% chance of getting a top-four pick, Laker fans were hoping that luck would go against New Orleans to help ease the sting a bit.

New Orleans did not get lucky as the Pelicans have the eighth overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, which still is not bad for a team that made the playoffs. The luckiest team of the lottery was the Orlando Magic, who snagged the no. 1 overall pick with a 14% chance of doing so.

This is an intriguing draft class as there are several players who could go with the first overall pick. Jabari Smith Jr. is currently the consensus no. 1 prospect in the draft but Chet Holmgren and Paolo Banchero could also go first overall.

Regardless of who it is, the first overall pick in 2022 might be destined to join the Lakers in the future.

The Orlando Magic have won the first overall pick in the lottery three times in franchise history. Orlando first won the lottery in 1992 and used that selection to take Shaquille O’Neal, who some would say had a pretty good career.

The Magic then won the lottery again in 1993 and took Chris Webber only to trade him to the Golden State Warriors for Penny Hardaway, who was taken third overall. Orlando did not pick first overall again until 2004 when they took Dwight Howard.

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Thus, the Magic have essentially taken two players with the first overall pick and both of those players ended up joining the Los Angeles Lakers. Shaquille O’Neal is one of the best Lakers of all time and helped usher in the threepeat with Kobe Bryant.

Dwight Howard’s first stint with the Lakers did not go well at all but then he became an important role player on the 2020 championship-winning Lakers. Howard actually hit the last shot of that season for the Lakers, draining a three against the Heat.

History tends to repeat itself and whoever the Magic take with the first overall pick may eventually end up on the Lakers. It might take five years, it might take eight, but whoever is taken first overall this year might end up wearing the purple and gold at one point.

So get those Smith/Holmgren jerseys ready, you might just be able to be years ahead of the rest.