Orlando Magic Daily
Fansided

The last words from Jeff Weltman, John Hammond before the NBA Draft

By Philip Rossman-Reich

Jun 24, 2016; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Bucks general manager John Hammond (L), second round pick Malcolm Brogdon (13), first round pick Thon Maker (7), and head coach Jason Kidd (R) pose for a photo during an introduction press conference at the Milwaukee Bucks training facility. Mandatory Credit: Sam Caravana- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via USA TODAY Sports
Jun 24, 2016; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Bucks general manager John Hammond (L), second round pick Malcolm Brogdon (13), first round pick Thon Maker (7), and head coach Jason Kidd (R) pose for a photo during an introduction press conference at the Milwaukee Bucks training facility. Mandatory Credit: Sam Caravana- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Orlando Magic management heads Jeff Weltman and John Hammond did their last round of media availability before the NBA Draft on Wednesday.

The NBA Draft is coming very very quickly. And no one is quite sure what the Orlando Magic will do. No one is sure what anyone will do. There seems to be one crazy rumor after another.

The Magic have gone pretty quiet to the media. Nothing has leaked ahead of the NBA Draft. The only thing that we know for sure is the Magic have four picks in the draft ahead. At least no trades have been announced at the time of writing.

There has been a little bit of frustration among fans being kept in the dark ahead of the Draft. Everyone thinks they can surmise what the Magic’s options will be, but no one is quite sure what the Magic will do.

In the few media availability sessions president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman and general manager John Hammond have granted, there has been little information to glean. They have both said they like players who have versatility and length. That seems to be the direction the team is going. And Hammond’s draft history suggest he will even reach for those players — both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Thon Maker were considered reaches at the time.

But nobody knows how that will translate. They have both said the Magic are not in a position to draft for need yet. They need to take the best player available. And nobody knows what their board looks like.

It creates an exciting opportunity for the Magic to start with. But one that is harder and harder to predict ahead of the NBA Draft. Everyone seems like they will be surprised by the decisions the team makes until it is made.

Orlando fans are still catching up to who Weltman, Hammond and the new leadership are. The duo met with the media ahead of the draft Monday at the Amway Center. And Weltman and Hammond continued making the media rounds Tuesday ahead of the Draft.

First Weltman joined Mike Bianchi and Marc Daniels on 96.9 The Game to talk about the Draft and the Magic’s strategy ahead of it:

In their conversation, Weltman did not talk about specific prospects in much detail. But he credited assistant general manager Matt Lloyd and the holdovers from Rob Hennigan’s scouting staff who have worked overtime to make sure Weltman and Hammond are caught up to speed. As Weltman noted during his press conference Monday, he is still watching video to make sure he understands the information the scouts are conveying to him.

It is all to better make the team’s decision. The Magic still intend to take the best player available with the sixth pick it would appear.

Weltman did note Lonzo Ball did not work out for the Magic — Hammond confirmed Isaac did not work out for the team either. But when asked if he fell would the Magic take him or any other player who did not work out for them, Weltman said the team would not exclude a player who did not work out for them. But he added the fact they did not get the face-to-face with that player or a look at his medical records would be a mark against him.

Magic general manager John Hammond then made the rounds, appearing on Anez in the Afternoons on ESPN Orlando. He said some generic things about each prospect and talked a bit about the Magic’s drafting strategy. But he kept things fairly general.

Hammond noted they are exploring trade options, but it is unlikely they would move off the sixth spot. Both Hammond and Weltman have been adamant they believe they can get a star with the sixth pick in this draft.

Next: OMD Podcast: NBA Draft Mega Preview

This is likely the last we hear from the Magic’s front office before the Draft begins. The next time they address the media, they will be discussing who they picked. And the Magic’s future will be much clearer.