Where might Canadians go in the NBA Draft?

With the NBA Draft approaching rapidly, teams are now in the stage of narrowing their focuses to only a small number of prospects with the hope that they will still be available when it comes to their time to pick.

Obviously, teams will have favourites, but contingencies must exist if the player they have their eyes on has been scooped up before they can draft him. Whether that contingency means a different player or a trade down remains to be seen.

For players, the days and hours before the draft are ones where things start to become a little bit clearer for them, too. While there are always draft-day surprises, in many cases guarantees are made. Players are told by teams that if they’re still on the board, they’re going to take them. With so much uncertainty ahead of them, any kind of clarity is welcomed by players, even if that means ending up on a less-than-attractive team.

Ahead of Thursday’s draft, let’s look at where the four Canadians expected to be drafted could end up.

Caleb Houstan (Michigan), SG/SF – When it comes to Canadian content at the 2022 NBA Draft, there’s no shortage of mystery. With Shaedon Sharpe having never played an NCAA game, where he lands will be one of the draft’s most fascinating stories. But there’s some intrigue with Mississauga, Ont.’s Caleb Houstan, as well. A highly touted high school prospect, Houstan’s freshman season with the Wolverines was unspectacular. Struggling with his shot and a lack of athleticism, it was a bit of a surprise to see Houstan not return to Ann Arbor, but it was a big surprise to see him skip the NBA Combine. With that decision, speculation arose that he has a guarantee in place from a team that intends to take him in the first round. Who that might be remains