Top Three NBA Draft Picks Are Close to Finalized, per Report

The draft hasn’t started but the first three teams seem to know who they will take.

The NBA draft is Thursday night, but the suspense seems to be ending over who will go in the top three. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports the first three picks are lining up so that the Magic will take Auburn forward Jabari Smith, the Thunder will select Gonzaga forward Chet Holmgren and the Rockets will grab Duke forward Paolo Banchero.

Those three players entered the draft after strong freshman seasons, and they were each top 10 recruits out of high school last year, with Holmgren and Banchero in the top two.

If Smith does go first overall, he will be the first-ever Auburn basketball player to go in the top three of the draft, let alone first overall.

Sports Illustrated’s Jeremy Woo also has those three players going in that order to those teams in his latest mock draft. If the draft does play out this way, the biggest question remaining will be where Purdue guard Jaden Ivey ends up.

Watch the NBA online with fuboTV: Try for free!

The Kings have the fourth pick, but Ivey reportedly would prefer to end up elsewhere. When asked how he would react to Sacramento drafting him, Ivey said “it wouldn’t be the worst option.”

Wojnarowski is known for leaking picks during the draft, but he seems to have gotten a head start this year. Next up will be finding out which team drafts Ivey.

• Daily Cover: The Case for Drafting Jabari Smith No. 1