Auburn star Jabari Smith is moving on after declaring for the 2022 NBA draft.
Auburn Basketball"Auburn will forever be my home." - <a href="https://twitter.com/jabarismithll?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jabarismithll</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WarEagle?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WarEagle</a> <a href="https://t.co/36zVCThC91">pic.twitter.com/36zVCThC91</a>
The move was widely expected since the 6'10" forward emerged as a candidate to land No. 1 overall this summer. Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman projected him to be the top pick to the Orlando Magic.
Smith was the seventh-best player in 247Sports' composite rankings for the 2021 recruiting class, so he didn't exactly climb up draft boards from relative obscurity.
But Gonzaga's Chet Holmgren and Duke's Paolo Banchero were frequently occupying the first two spots in mock drafts before the 2021-22 season tipped off.