Orlando Magic will pick sixth in the 2017 NBA Draft

The Orlando Magic did not get the Lottery results they were hoping for. They lost the Los Angeles Lakers pick and will draft sixth in the NBA Draft.

The Orlando Magic ended up exactly where the odds said they would in the end.

The team will pick sixth in the 2017 NBA Draft after the results of the NBA Draft Lottery were revealed Tuesday in New York. With the fifth-worst record in the league, the Magic had a nearly 30 percent chance to end up with the sixth pick, statistically the most likely event to happen.

The Boston Celtics, who owned a pick swap with the Brooklyn Nets from the Kevin Garnett trade, won the Lottery with the best odds of getting the top pick. The Celtics will start their series with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals on Wednesday.

The Los Angeles Lakers won the second pick and the Philadelphia 76ers (in a pick swap with the Sacramento Kings) won the third pick. The Kings will select fifth, meaning the Magic’s win on the final night of the season did not affect their Lottery standing.

The Lakers’ win with the second pick means the Magic will not receive a 2019 first round pick from the Lakers. The Lakers will instead send the Magic the 33rd overall pick in this year’s draft and a second round pick in next year’s draft as part of the Dwight Howard trade.

As is always the case, only three teams can win the Lottery. Everyone else goes home either satisfied or a bit unhappy.

Certainly, the Magic hoped for a good result after last year’s disappointing 29-win season. The team seemed to have backed itself into something of a corner as its rebuild petered out. A top pick would have gone a long way toward kick-starting the rebuild. Particularly in what many consider a strong draft.

The Magic finished the season with the fifth-worst record. They had to expect the potential of falling to sixth in the Lottery order.

This is still a strong draft. And the Magic have four picks to play around with in the first 35 picks — they also hold the 25th overall pick and the 35th overall pick.

Orlando will not get its shot at the top guys in the Draft — Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball. But there are still several strong players the team could pursue.

De’Aaron Fox, Dennis Smith, Jonathan Isaac and Malik Monk are likely to be available at six. And you never know which players could slip in this front-loaded draft. The Magic are likely to get a player they would have considered at four or five.

The Magic have already hosted Dennis Smith for an individual workout and interview. That process of reviewing prospects will pick up quickly now that the Magic know where they are picking.

Everyone seems to acknowledge this is a deep draft. At the top especially, there are quality players. Players who have questions, as all young players do, but players who can contribute and potentially grow into stars. The Magic are still in a position to get a solid contributor on their team.

Still, the Lottery is about hope. And the Magic have had exceedingly little of it at this point. The team is not going to get that star rookie that suddenly makes the team’s future and outlook appears so bright. The team is going to have to be smart with this pick and select someone who will develop and grow with the team.

Next: Orlando Magic prepared no matter how the Lottery goes

The opportunity still remains there. The Magic have been dealt this hand. They will now see what they can make of it ahead of the June 22 NBA Draft.