Auburn forward Jabari Smith Jr. is reportedly expected to be the first player drafted on Thursday by the Orlando Magic, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Smith is among the three front-runners to be the top pick with Duke forward Paolo Banchero and Gonzaga center Chet Holmgren also in consideration. The trio has long been expected to be the first three players drafted on Thursday, in some order.
With Smith off of the board, the Oklahoma City Thunder are set to take Holmgren at No. 2 with Banchero going third to the Houston Rockets. The order of the first three picks is apparently now set after much discussion throughout the pre-draft process.
As team boards finalize today, the 1-2-3 of the NBA Draft is increasingly firm, per sources: Jabari Smith to Orlando, Chet Holmgren to Oklahoma City and Paolo Banchero to Houston.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 23, 2022
The Magic met with each player recently as the front office continued to do its homework ahead of the draft. Magic president Jeff Weltman on Monday said the team would likely take up until Thursday night to make a final decision on its selection.
The players in consideration each project to bring different skillsets to the next level. They have the potential to become franchise cornerstones, which further adds to the intrigue of the draft this year, as they look to help turnaround those teams picking first.
Orlando has held the No. 1 pick in the draft three other times, most recently in 2004 when the organization selected Dwight Howard. The Magic also drafted Shaquille O’Neal in 1992 and Chris Webber in 1993. Webber was eventually traded for Penny Hardaway.
The draft is scheduled to tip off at 7:30 p.m. EDT on ABC and ESPN.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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