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2017 NBA Draft: 2nd Round Gambles for the Orlando Magic

By Vincent Mcmillan

Mar 11, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks guard Sindarius Thornwell (0) dribbles the ball up the court in the first half against the Georgia Bulldogs during the SEC tournament at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 11, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks guard Sindarius Thornwell (0) dribbles the ball up the court in the first half against the Georgia Bulldogs during the SEC tournament at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jordan Bell, Oregon Ducks,
Apr 1, 2017; Glendale, AZ, USA; Oregon Ducks forward Jordan Bell (1) blocks the shot of North Carolina Tar Heels forward Kennedy Meeks (3) during the first half in the semifinals of the 2017 NCAA Men’s Final Four at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports /

Possible Bigs

With the number of bigs on the Magic roster currently, it would be tough to bring in yet another big to take minutes from Aaron Gordon, Nikola Vucevic or Bismack Biyombo. The Magic may need one more power forward to fill minutes behind Aaron Gordon, but the team has a logjam in the post.

Orlando drafted Stephen Zimmerman last year who spent a bit of time in the D-League and may look to get in the regular rotation this season. Not to mention Nikola Vucevic and Bismack Biyombo’s large salary will demand they play.

But there are a few intriguing prospects if the Magic decide to go that way.

Jordan Bell, Oregon

Jordan Bell makes his mark by being active on defense and on the boards.

At 6-foot-9, 227 pounds, the power forward was named the PAC-12 Defensive Player of the Year. A memorable performance in the NCAA Tournament where Bell recorded eight blocks, 13 rebounds and four assists to go along with 11 points really pushed his draft stock upward.

His agility and athleticism allow Bell to cover multiple positions on defense which is a commodity in the NBA.

Caleb Swanigan, Purdue

Caleb Swanigan like Bell, was named Defensive Player of the Year in his conference (Big Ten).

On top of his defensive skills, Swanigan posted a great stat line this season with averages of 18.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, on 53 percent field goals and 45 percent 3-point field goals.

Swanigan is great in the post and has enough range to step out to the perimeter to knock down threes. He is not a typical stretch-4 as he is more comfortable with his back to the basket. But he could develop an even better perimeter game given his improvement from his freshman year to his sophomore year.