For weeks, the media had been certain that Auburn sharpshooter Jabari Smith, Jr. was going to be the first pick of the NBA draft.
Even as the Vegas odds shifted suddenly on the eve of the draft, with Duke point forward Paolo Banchero going from distant third to clear favorite, the people who are paid to know these things insisted that the top 3 picks would proceed in the manner predicted.
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