Chet Holmgren is one player in the conversation to be the No. 1 overall pick by the Orlando Magic. However, if it were up to him, the former Gonzaga center would apparently rather go second to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Of course, Duke forward Paolo Banchero and Auburn forward Jabari Smith Jr. are also viewed as the front-runners to be the first player drafted. It is even believed that the race may very well be narrowed down to Holmgren and Smith at this point.
However, Holmgren is rumored into wanting to fall to the Thunder.
On Thursday, Ryen Russillo relayed some information on his podcast that stated Holmgren and his agent, Bill Duffy, would rather join the Thunder over the Magic.
I’ve been told this is where Duffy and Chet want to go. They want to go to Oklahoma City because … (of) the opportunities and he has way more freedom because of the roster in front of him than maybe he would in Orlando … That’s the preference that I’ve heard and it makes a lot of sense from a basketball standpoint of being brought along but also getting more opportunities.
Holmgren projects to be a great addition to the Thunder, and would likely thrive next to the likes of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey. He is most commonly projected to be drafted by the Thunder, with Smith going first, so it could very well happen.
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The Magic have only worked out Smith to this point of the process but are expected to meet with Holmgren and Banchero in the coming week. Team president Jeff Weltman said they would meet with each prospect ahead of the draft so it is unlikely they have settled on a choice at No. 1.
The days leading up to the draft are often filled with misinformation and other rumors, so it is always worth taking information this time of year with a grain of salt. But, it will be worth monitoring to see how things play out ahead of the draft.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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