While over half of the league is gearing up for the playoffs or trying to claw their way in through the Play-In Tournament, some teams like the Portland Trail Blazers, Orlando Magic, and Houston Rockets are already looking forward to the 2022 NBA Draft.

The lottery won’t commence until May 17, but general managers should already have their big boards mostly fleshed out.

With the NCAA Tournament officially concluded, and the Kansas Jayhawks crowned the 2022 champions, teams have all of the tape available on the prospects entering this year’s draft. Of course, some players could see their stock rise or fall depending on how they fare in the pre-draft process.

Before the draft, scouts will put prospects through a gauntlet of physical tests and drills as a final evaluation of their abilities. A great showing at the NBA Combine could mean a difference of several million dollars on a rookie’s first contract.

LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: 2022 NBA Mock Draft: Early Look At Full First-Round Projections

Over the years, there have been several players who have both drastically boosted and tanked their draft positions from this process.

Some players might have more to lose than gain by participating in the combine, or at least some of the specific events. Cade Cunningham, for example, was a consensus top-three pick in last year’s draft who declined to be officially measured. That decision proved to be for the best, as the Detroit Pistons elected to select him with the number one overall pick.

LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: 2022 NBA Mock Draft: Early Look At Full First-Round Projections

On the other hand, there are several players who still have huge question marks surrounding their intangibles and skills they might not have gotten a chance to showcase in college.

The NBA Draft Combine and team workouts present such prospects with a perfect opportunity to prove themselves, raise their stocks, and potentially make more money.