Jabari Smith Jr has a workout scheduled with OKC Thunder

The OKC Thunder are preparing for the 2022 NBA Draft and with that comes predraft workouts where the team brings in nearly every prospect in the NBA Draft to Bricktown and has them practice at the team’s facility and interact with the staff. At times, this includes a sit down with Sam Presti, or even a dinner with Presti, coaches, and Thunder ownership.

Jabari Smith Jr is projected to go number one overall in the 2022 NBA Draft to the Orlando Magic, many signs point to the Auburn forward heading down to Orlando. Thursday, Jabari Smith Jr was in Orlando working out for the Magic organization. The team made Smith available to the local media following his workout and he had a ton of interesting things to say, especially regarding the OKC Thunder organization.

Jabari Smith Jr to work out for the OKC Thunder after meeting with them at the NBA Combine, only working out with two teams ahead of the 2022 NBA Draft

Jabari Smith Jr spent his Thursday working out for Orlando and the Magic is one of the few teams that not only tell the Media who they are working out with but also make some of the prospects available for media interviews. The Hornets, Pacers, Portland, and Wizards, are among the teams who do reveal these things. The OKC Thunder elect to not reveal their workout lists nor make those prospects available to those of us in the media.

Jabari Smith Jr told the Orlando Magic Media that the only team he spoke with at the 2022 NBA Draft combine was the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Orlando Magic brass knew they would meet with Smith Jr when he flew into town for a workout.

Jabari Smith Jr also confirmed he will workout with the Thunder organization prior to the 2022 NBA Draft which will wrap up his predraft process which will only include workouts with the Magic and Thunder.

What does this mean? Well, it makes it clear Jabari Smith Jr’s agency thinks the Auburn Forward will be a top-three pick given that they are not even interested in building a baseline with the Houston Rockets who control the third pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

The OKC Thunder have or will work out all of the top three guys, Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren, and Jabari Smith Jr. The organization will touch base and work out nearly every player in the draft, so these workouts do not mean much although it is huge to know Smith Jr’s camp is only giving OKC and Orlando the time of day. It would be odd to be selected by a team you did not even work out for.