NBA draft order 'increasingly firm' with Jabari Smith, Chet Holmgren, Paolo Banchero at 1-2-3, sources say - ESPN

As NBA teams finalize their boards ahead of Thursday night's NBA draft, sources have told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski that the order of the top three picks is "increasingly firm," with Auburn's Jabari Smith Jr.

The 6-foot-10 Smith worked out with the Magic earlier this month and was the consensus betting favorite to be selected first overall as of Wednesday night.

And in 2004, the Magic selected Dwight Howard with the first pick.

1 pick Thursday will join a young core in Orlando that already includes 2017 top pick Markelle Fultz, a pair of top-eight picks from the 2021 draft in Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs, and Cole Anthony -- the No.

Banchero, who helped lead Duke to the Final Four in coach Mike Krzyzewski's last season, surged past Smith to emerge Thursday morning as the consensus betting favorite for the No.