Potential No. 1 pick Chet Holmgren said on Monday that he doesn’t have a preference of which team selects him in the NBA draft, stating only that he is eager to get to work.
Holmgren, an All-American last season at Gonzaga, is among the three candidates in the running to be the first player drafted by the Orlando Magic. In addition to Holmgren, Duke forward Paolo Banchero and Auburn forward Jabari Smith Jr. are also in consideration.
The 7-foot Holmgren said on a conference call with reporters that he has worked out with a few teams but declined to reveal which ones. Rookie Wire reported last week that Holmgren met with the Magic front office for two days in Orlando.
If the Magic pass on Holmgren, it is believed that the Oklahoma City Thunder will take him at No. 2. Meanwhile, the Houston Rockets, selecting third, are reportedly content with the player that falls to them.
Holmgreen says he isn’t worried about where he’ll land.
At the end of the day, it is going to be a complete blessing to have an NBA jersey and put that hat on draft night. It is not up to me at the end of the day. No matter where it is, I’m going to lace my shoes up and get to work as soon as I touch down in the city.
Last week, a report emerged that Holmgren and his agent, Bill Duffy, would prefer to be drafted by the Thunder. They apparently like the roster fit with the Thunder a bit better than the Magic and also believe he’d have a better opportunity to log more minutes in the frontcourt there.
Despite that rumor, though, Holmgren believes his overall skill set would fit in well with nearly every team in the NBA, especially those at the top of the draft.
I feel like I can fit in with almost anybody. I feel like I’m somebody who highlights other players’ skills, as well as finds where to fit in with my skills. I feel like I have a wide variety of skills that can pair well with anybody.
The days leading up to the draft are often filled with misinformation and other rumors, so it will be worth monitoring to see how things play out ahead of the draft on Thursday.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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