Uproxx

The 2022 NBA Draft cycle has been marked by uncertainty, and that continues into the final hours before the big night arrives. While there is a consensus top four with Jabari Smith Jr., Paolo Banchero, Jaden Ivey, and Chet Holmgren in some order, most of the focus at the very top of the board has been on Smith and Holmgren. Then, almost on cue, a flurry of activity transpired in the handicapping world with Banchero and the No. 1 overall pick, bringing even more clouds to the mix. Barring a total shock, one of the top four players will land in Orlando on Thursday, with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets reportedly likely to snag other players from that grouping. From there, things might fly off the rails with the always entertaining and unpredictable Sacramento Kings at No. 4 overall, and in a draft that projects as relatively flat in the mid-to-late lottery, “consensus” may be moot by eight o’clock hour on June 23.