Orlando Magic Daily Mock Draft 2.0: Let’s get to business

The Trade-Up Targets

If the Orlando Magic are looking to trade up, they can certainly target picks near the top. The Golden State Warriors at No. 2 are probably the biggest target. Maybe they could get to the Minnesota Timberwolves at No. 1. But there are not a lot of trade options in between.

The Magic are likely going to see some players they really like come off the board without teams that are ripe to make a deal with.

Instead, if the Magic are looking to move up, they will have to target teams in the range just ahead of them. And then the reality is likely going to set in that Orlando could get a pretty good player at No. 15 with how close the talent is in this draft through middle phase.

These are all things the Magic have to weigh. And the best advice I can give is for the front office to target who they want and make sure they get him.

The Orlando Magic and Phoenix Suns have been rumored trade partners for a long time now. It is no secret around the league that Kelly Oubre for Aaron Gordon was on the table (at least according to several outlets). For whatever reason, neither team pulled the trigger. But that does not mean the deal is off the table.

With the Suns now sitting 10th in the draft, this could be something to two teams revisit at the draft. And the Magic could see if a pick swap could get the deal done, adding a decent shooter in Oubre and putting themselves in a position to draft either a forward like Patrick Williams or Obi Toppin to fill in power forward minutes or add a shooter like Aaron Nesmith.

Circle this pick for sure. For now, I have the Suns taking Williams. His Florida State pedigree and potential as a two-way player project better for me.

Aaron Nesmith is perhaps the most interesting and intriguing prospect in this draft. He was a 20-plus-point scorer in a major conference playing for a coach with NBA experience and G-League coaching experience. In many drafts, Nesmith might have been one of the top guys for his shooting and scoring alone.

But a broken foot ended his season early. And while the long layoff means he is healthy, it will be nearly a year between his last game and his next game.

Still, the Magic probably have Nesmith high on their target list. Fans certainly do. His skill set is exactly what the Magic need. And if they trade up, he is likely a player they are going to be targeting.

Cole Anthony might have been the top pick in this draft in another lifetime. He was among the best high school prospects in the nation. But his lone year at North Carolina was disappointing. He struggled to find consistency as he played through an injury to his leg.

If there is a player who could be sneaky good and be the breakout late-lottery pick, it is Anthony. The talent is undeniably there. He has a good first step and can get to and finish at the basket. He has great size for a potential point guard too.

The question is whether his struggles at North Carolina were about his injuries. He was not a great shooter beforehand, but his injuries did not help matters. And the questions of whether he fits better as a point guard or a shooting guard remain.

Obi Toppin probably goes much higher than pick No. 13. He is a talented and athletic forward who showed a dynamic scoring ability. But he is the definition of a tweener in the modern NBA, and not in a good way. He is not a great 3-point shooter which makes him more of an undersized 4. But being able to pair him with Zion Williamson? That makes a lot of sense.

With the pandemic creating a ton of uncertainty with the upcoming season, it seems like the players who are rising in draft circles and mock drafts are guys who bring certainty. The guys who are going to translate quickly to the NBA. That is like Maryland’s Jalen Smith. He averaged 15.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game in getting named an All-Big Ten defensive player.