Five potential landing spots for Jabari Smith Jr.

Here are five potential NBA landing spots for Jabari Smith.

Author:
Gray Oldenburg
Publish date:
Apr 7, 2022 12:00 PM EDT

In this story:

Auburn Tigers

Detroit Pistons

Indiana Pacers

Oklahoma City Thunder

Houston Rockets

Orlando Magic

Jabari Smith Jr, the number seven player in the country in the 2021 class, went on to have an incredible individual season for the Auburn Tigers.

Smith averaged 16.9 points and 7.4 rebounds in his freshman campaign. Smith also earned SEC Freshman of the year and second-team All-American honors. Smith was the highest-ranked recruit in Auburn basketball history so it was fitting when he declared for the NBA draft on Tuesday morning.

Let's take an early look at five good and likely landing spots for the 6’10” forward:

Orlando Magic

The Orlando Magic are currently sitting at last in the Eastern Conference with a record of 21-59 as of April 6th which is second worst in the NBA. The Magic have struggled this season but have shown promise with their young core and have hit the draft really hard in the past few years. Guys like Cole Anthony, Mo Bamba, Johnathan Isaac, Jalen Suggs and more.

The Magic’s major needs to take the next step toward the NBA playoffs and on is another forward who bring everything to the table and can grow and develop and the future is bright for this Orlando team. That’s exactly what Smith could bring to them, Smith bring a super star and winning mentality to whatever team he ends up on and in Orlando’s sake, that could be most important.

The Magic have shot 33% from the three-point line this season, which ranks 28th out of the 30 NBA teams. And Smith shot 42% from three in his freshman season at Auburn. Getting at top shooter in this year's draft should be a priority for Orlando and Smith is one of the best shooters in this draft and should be right around their draft order.

Pairing up Auburn guys in the NBA would be awesome considering Auburn's pipeline to the NBA in recent years. If the Magic draft Smith being able to watch him and Chuma Okeke together should be special and Auburn fans should be ecstatic about that opportunity.

Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets currently have the worst record in the NBA after what has been a hard season. Despite landing a young star with the second overall pick in Jalen Green, they have really struggled.

Outside of this tough season for Houston, they have a great balance of young and veteran talent. Led by mostly guards like John wall, Green, and Dennis Schroder. The Rockets are another example of a team that could really use forward depth to add with Christain Wood and will have a chance at a top pick.

Oklahoma City Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder are sitting at 24-55 on the season. Some would say that the Thunder overperformed this year but they are still 14th in the western conference.

The Thunder are another team that has good, young, and talented depth at the guard spot with guys like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddy, and Tre Mann. But like the Rockets and the Magic, they don’t have a lot of forward depth which Smith would help tremendously in that area.

Oklahoma City is currently last in the NBA in three-point percentage at 32.5% on the season and one of the main reasons why this team has struggled in games throughout the year. But if you could add a shooter like Smith, a lot like the Magic, the three-point shooting percentage will see a massive increase.

Indiana Pacers

The Indiana Pacers are sitting with a 25-55 record and are in 13th in the eastern conference. They are rebuilding after trading their best player in Domantas Sabonis. The Pacers still have lots of veteran leadership guys like TJ Warren and Ricky Rubio but the direction in this franchise is more focused on the young guards Tyrese Haliburton and Malcolm Brogdon. If they could add another forward to pair with center Myles Turner in this year's draft and build around those four with the two guards, Turner, and another forward, the rebuild for Indiana is right on track, and Smith would fit perfectly in that role.

Detroit Pistons

The Detroit Pistons have been a very interesting case in the past five years. They currently sit at 23-56 on the year and 14th in the eastern conference. After retaining the number one overall pick a year ago and taking Cade Cunningham, it still was an underwhelming season for the Pistons but a lot like Oklahoma City, they outperformed some predictions from before the season started.

Detroit is one of the younger teams in the NBA with most of the guys getting quality minutes only averaging about three years in the NBA. Outside of being young, this Pistons squad is loaded with young talent including Cunningham but also guys like Jerami Grant, Saddiq Bey, and Marvin Bagley.

A lot like the Thunder and the Magic, one big problem for Detroit this year has been their three-point shooting at 32.8% and 29th in the NBA. I feel like Smith would thrive at Detroit with their need for tall wing forwards and for three-point shooting and the guard talent and young core they would already have around him.

The NBA draft lottery, which is on May 17th, will tell Auburn fans a lot about where Smith could end up with the chance of him being a top pick or even the number one overall pick. Some other teams that would be fun to see Smith at and could make a massive jump in the lottery or trade-up for a guy like him would be the Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, and the Portland Trail Blazers. It would be fun to watch him pair up with some All-stars like Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard, or Lamelo Ball.

As Auburn fans sit back and enjoy the draft festivities because guys like Smith don’t come around very often.