With only hours to go until the 2022 NBA draft on Thursday night, there’s a flood of information from news sources and content providers around the league. Some of it is may be accurate, but portions may be misleading or downright inaccurate due to the many agendas at play.
That’s why we believe in following the trend lines during this hectic period, as opposed to any one particular report or source.
When it comes to the Rockets, and which player of the top-three frontcourt prospects — Auburn’s Jabari Smith, Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren, and Duke’s Paolo Banchero — is left for them at No. 3, Houston’s fate is intrinsically tied to the choices of two teams in front of them in the first-round order. Those teams, of course, are Orlando and Oklahoma City.
To determine the most likely scenarios, here’s our read of the landscape and the tidbits we’ve come across involving the Rockets, Magic, and Thunder in the home stretch leading up to Thursday’s draft.
ESPN’s @DraftExpress says the consensus is that the following players will be drafted by the following teams:
1. Jabari Smith (to Magic)
2. Chet Holmgren (to OKC)
3. Paolo Banchero (to Rockets)And that it will be a shock to the NBA if there’s a surprise.#NBADraft #NBATwitter pic.twitter.com/dpCSJ3zmRJ
— ????????????????????????’ ???????????? (@_Talkin_NBA) June 22, 2022
Jeremy Woo is a big Jabari Smith proponent so he doesn’t think the first pick is a hard decision at all. He thinks Chet may get some looks but it would be a big surprise to him if Orlando takes anyone but Jabari.
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) June 21, 2022
Re: Paolo – my understanding as of yesterday when the mock published was that he was supposed to be in Orlando Sunday/Monday. Heard later that visit may not have happened. So I don’t know why on specifics, but as far as I know there was a plan to bring him in. Hope that clarifies https://t.co/ToAhquzzjH
— Jeremy Woo (@JeremyWoo) June 21, 2022
Givony also mentions if Paolo thought he had a chance to go #1, he wouldn’t have kept on “postponing” his workouts with Orlando
Says Paolo likely doesn’t do one with the Magic ATP
— TF (@ThunderFocus) June 21, 2022
Woj: “My sense was that Chet Holmgren was the focus for Sam Presti and Oklahoma City all along.”
Woj says Holmgren is a potential franchise changing player, gives big kudos to SGA and Josh Giddey and mentions that if OKC wants to, they have the assets to move up from #12.
— Brandon Rahbar (@BrandonRahbar) June 22, 2022
Jake Fischer still thinks it’s possible that Paolo Banchero goes #2 to OKC and that’s “taking up a lot of oxygen on the Houston side of things.”
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) June 21, 2022
Kevin O’Connor still expects same top 3 picks “but there could be movement … like Houston trying to move up to assure they get Banchero. I’ve heard OKC is also in on Banchero but how much of that is just noise to try to influence a trade knowing Houston’s desire to get Paolo?”
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) June 22, 2022
Via @espn_macmahon: “I’ve read about the #Rockets maybe being enough in love with Banchero to trade up. That would shock me … They’ve got the #3 pick. There are 3 guys they consider stars in this draft and they’ll take whoever’s left.” (3:00 mark)https://t.co/hXgTF6ESdC
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) June 22, 2022
“They’re locked in on [Paolo] Banchero in Houston,” Woj says. Mentions that Rafael Stone and Banchero have connections from the Seattle area.
— Adam Aaronson (@SixersAdam) June 22, 2022
–@JeremyWoo says “Houston already tipped their hand” about pick number three.
— Don Knock (@DonKnock) June 21, 2022
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