1. F Jabari Smith, Auburn
Last season, the Houston Rockets added guard Kevin Porter Jr. in a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers. In the 2021 NBA Draft, they selected wings in Jalen Green and Josh Christopher. They selected some frontcourt players in Sengun and Usman Garuba as well, but this offseason, they should be looking to upgrade on the wing with a long-term option.
There likely isn’t a better forward prospect in this year’s class than Jabari Smith. Smith had a disappointing end to the season with his performance against Miami in the 2022 NCAA Tournament, but what he showed throughout the season is everything a team wants from a top pick.
Smith has projected NBA 3-point range and has an array of offensive moves to score the basketball. He wasn’t the most efficient scorer, but it was clear that he possessed tools that will help lead to success at the next level.
He is extremely athletic, which will help him on the defensive side of the ball. He has the size to defend any forwards and can keep up with players on the wing as well. Prone to some lapses on that end of the floor, Smith will have to work on keeping his focus, but he brings a lot to the table that teams will like defensively.
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For Houston, he would slot right into the starting lineup at power forward. Given the other scoring options already on the team, he could ease into a role on that end of the court while providing some good defense and rebounding.
