The Orlando Magic will have a lot of options when the NBA Draft comes around. And there will be a lot on the line when it is their turn to pick.
The Orlando Magic season has been over for roughly two weeks. The playoffs are moving into the conference finals. And the offseason is becoming a real thing.
This is usually the time of the NBA calendar where teams are in overdrive in their draft preparations. The Lottery usually takes place over the NBA Draft Combine. And in the NBA Draft takes place usually the week after the NBA Finals takes place.
Buildings around the league would usually be bustling with the entrance and exit of prospects crisscrossing the country to workouts and interviews.
Of course, everything is quiet right now. The Draft has been postponed to November 18. Nobody knows when players will be available for workouts. If interviews are taking place, they are doing so over Zoom and not in person.
The extra time might lead to some restlessness in front offices.
Teams were preparing for a June NBA Draft. Instead, they will had to wait five extra months.
The reality of this was evident when Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said the team had already sorted the draft class into tiers ahead fo the Draft. The team has already done a lot of its homework on the Draft.
There will still be some rank ordering that goes on. But it feels like much of the Magic’s draft work might already be done. Everyone is just waiting for the draft to take place.
But Orlando will be using this offseason as a chance to retool too. After a second straight year at the bottom of the Eastern Conference playoff picture and a second straight five-game gentlemen’s sweep, it feels clearer than ever the Magic need to make changes to get to their next step and advance their franchise.
Making the playoffs should not be enough. Although it might have been enough the past two years after six years struggling to win 30 games. Orlando could very well be one of the more active teams as it tries to map a way forward.
With Jonathan Isaac out for the entire 2021 season, the Magic are going to have to figure out how to build depth and fill in his minutes while still setting themselves up for the future. This balance will not be easy. Especially if the team wants to make changes.
To be sure then, draft night is going to be a big one for Orlando. The team needs to hit on its draft pick — wherever it lands — and be active in the trade market to find ways to improve the team and push its way forward.
A lot is on the line.
For now, it is time to dive back into the draft class and assess where the Magic might be looking to move up to and which players they should be targeting.
We last did a mock draft in June during the week the NBA Draft was supposed to take place. A lot has changed since then. The Draft order is set in stone after the Lottery. And a lot will still likely change depending on how the rest of the NBA Playoffs play out — this is a copy cat league.
So now we will look at a mock draft with a special eye on some of the moves the Magic could make and where they could sniff out some opportunity.
We will not simulate trades and run the mock draft as if everyone will keep their picks. However, we will note where the Magic might have opportunities to make deals and move around and what it might take to do so.
The Top Picks
It already feels like everyone at the top of this draft wants to move off the top pick. This is not a draft with any runaway prospects or surefire star players. And so everyone seems open to moving up and down and around in this draft.
The Orlando Magic are already among the teams that are rumored to be available to move around. But that is merely speculation. And there is a lot of it at this point with the draft still so far away.
Orlando has the pieces to move up to this high in the draft. The team has its own draft pick plus a group of veteran players that would seemingly help the team move up. If that is what the team wants to do.
This is not a top of the draft that has a lot of stellar players. there are not a lot of players teams are climbing over to pick. But there is always talent. There is always an opportunity.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are probably looking to add some veteran help to a young roster that showed some promise after the trade deadline and All-Star Break. The acquisitions of D’Angelo Russell and Malik Beasley gave the Timberwolves a ton of 3-point weapons and made one of the best offenses in the league.
The Wolves, a team that has been perpetually out of the Playoff picture, could be looking to make a quicker move to get into the playoff picture. They have the top-end talent it would seem to have an outside chance at the playoffs. And D’Angelo Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns are entering their prime.
Anthony Edwards is probably the best pure scorer in the draft. For a team, like the Magic, they need guys who can get buckets. But it is still unclear whether he can do so efficiently after displaying poor outside shooting at Georgia. Is that worth the investment?
Orlando Magic fans have been targeting and discussing the possibilities of trading up to take the Golden State Warriors’ pick since before the Lottery. The Warriors should feel like their championship window is still open with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. It is not clear how much a rookie would help them compete for a title. Especially in this class.
It seems like this is a good time for the Warriors to cash in that draft pick for a veteran. And if they could get another asset — a later draft pick even for someone in a smaller role — and shed Andrew Wiggins’ contract, even better.
Wiseman is still probably the pick here for the Warriors. They have always needed a center to help anchor their team. Wiseman is probably the best center prospect. But they have to at least be thinking that Nikola Vucevic would complete a devastating offensive attack, right?
The Charlotte Hornets have built a nice young core centered around Terry Rozier and Devonte’ Graham. They surprised the NBA by finishing 10th in the Eastern Conference and staying competitive in the playoff race much longer than anticipated.
They have a great group of young players that are still looking for some cohesion and the right development to guild around. They need more impact veterans. But this is not likely a pick the Hornets will be looking to trade. They need to add talent too.
With young players at four of the five major positions, targeting a center makes sense. To many, USC’s Onyeka Okongwu is the best center in this draft. He is a dynamic defender and shows much more aptitude on that end than Wiseman. But even with his supposed poor offense, he still managed to fill a score sheet.
It is hard to get a handle too on what the Chicago Bulls might do. Like the Minnesota Timberwolves with the top pick, the Chicago Bulls likely believe they are closer to the postseason than they actually are. The Bulls had a solid but not spectacular season last year, finishing eighth in defensive rating but just outside the playoff picture.
The Bulls have been out of the playoffs for three years — and four of the past five years. They have Zach LaVine nearing his prime — although some Magic fans would have you believe he is available and should be a target for the team.
Chicago could seek a veteran. But this deep into the draft with LaMelo Ball on the board, possibly the best prospect in this draft, talent should win out. They could slide Ball into the lineup with Coby White and Zach LaVine and have a dynamic, young backcourt to spearhead a faster pace. Not having a coach is making figuring out the Bulls tougher.
The Next Tier
The top picks in the draft are the top picks. And the teams near the top will have big decisions to make as they look to add to their rosters. Teams at the top seem to have a lot of decisions to weigh. But teams in this next tier are probably more likely actually to use their pick and less interested in trading.
The next tier of players features a solid group. But ones that the Magic are not likely to be making moves for with a few exceptions.
Orlando is likely looking to move up a few spots. But it might be harder to get to these spots or find players they want at this tier of the draft.
Isaac Okoro took over the do-everything role that Chuma Okeke left behind with Auburn last year and was pretty successful at it. The freshman averaged 12.9 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. He is still an upside play. But his sub-30-percent shooting probably makes him not an option for the Magic as a trade-up target.
Devin Vassell probably tops the list of players Orlando Magic fans want. He has also probably been the biggest beneficiary of the pandemic hiatus. The thought of picking what feels like a relatively safe player who can contribute something immediately and played for a strong, defensive-minded coach at Florida State is tantalizing.
The Atlanta Hawks already have a ton of shooting. But that is kind of their thing right now. They have collected a lot of good shooters to spread the floor around Trae Young. Now with a veteran center in Clint Capela to rim run and protect the paint, the Hawks hope they are closer to getting over the hump.
Vassell would help with that because he seemingly can slide in quickly and play a role as a 3-and-D shooter — whether off the bench or as a starter. Atlanta is a possible trade candidate though because if they are serious about the playoffs, they need to add veterans to give the young team some winning gravitas.
Point guard is undoubtedly a need for the Orlando Magic in this draft. They have Markelle Fultz but both Michael Carter-Williams and D.J. Augustin will be free agents this offseason. The team is probably looking to bolster its backcourt depth. Still, they want to be careful about drafting a point guard because Fultz is still someone they are invested in.
Killian Hayes, born in Florida, but playing in France, is probably the best pure point guard prospect in this draft. He is a gifted scorer and attacker and willing to attack opponents defensively. He just has questions as a 3-point shooter.
The seventh pick is about the range the Magic should probably be looking to make a trade into things. But the Detroit Pistons are so depleted of talent, that they need this pick no matter who it is. It is still not clear what they believe they can do but Blake Griffin might be well on the table. Getting Hayes as a start to a new era would be pretty solid.
The New York Knicks under Tom Thibodeau are likely to focus on defensive players to bolster their team. They already have their cavalcade of wings and post players. Although who knows what the Knicks actually want to do. This franchise is hard to predict.
But they have a need at point guard. And the 6-foot-5 Tyrese Haliburton would fit this bill perfectly. He averaged 15.2 points and 4.9 assists per game while shooting better than 40 percent from beyond the arc. He has a lot of the package that a team would want.
If the Magic are thinking of moving up this is a player they might target. But the Knicks are not a likely trading partner. The Magic really do not have pieces the Knicks would want unless they wait for Evan Fournier — whom they could sign outright anyway if he hit free agency.
The Washington Wizards have to feel they are fairly close to a playoff spot. Even with the John Wall injury and a depth-depleted roster, the Wizards were the last team to make the campus and could have made a run at a play-in game. With Bradley Beal in tow, the Magic understood how important it was to avoid this play-in series. He did not play and the Bubble Wizards were not the Wizards. Still, this team should feel it is a few pieces away. Another playmaking wing and shooter like Deni Avdija would be a steal here.
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.
The Magic’s Pick
I will start my breakdown of the Orlando Magic’s draft pick with this important warning: The way I have this draft breaking down is likely because of my Magic-colored glasses. The prospects I have focused on and the prospects I have looked at are the ones that I think fit the Magic. I am probably overrating prospects that I think make sense for the Magic and underrating some that do not.
For instance, I have Deni Avdija and Obi Toppin much lower than most mock drafts. And I think they will likely go much higher. Since the NBA Draft is not until November, there will be plenty of time to refine this mock draft. This is just 2.0, after all.
And this mock draft was meant to explore options to trade up or around the Draft — something that we will probably explore in a separate post.
Draft day is going to be busy.
The last mock draft, I had the Magic taking French point guard Theo Maledon. And I still like him. But a lot has changed since that June mock draft. Namely, the injury to Jonathan Isaac and another Playoff flame out.
In an ideal world, one of the shooters — Devin Vassel or Aaron Nesmith — or one of the higher-end point guards — like Tyrese Haliburton — would fall to this spot. But now, it does not seem like a point guard is the best pick here. Especially after watching the Magic struggle with their shooting in the Playoffs.
So I have the Magic taking Saddiq Bey.
He has a good pedigree coming from Jay Wright’s Villanova system. He has produced a lot of quality NBA rotation players lately — Donte DiVincenzo, Mikal Bridges and Eric Paschall come immediately to mind. They are all scrappy defensively and capable of making shots.
Bey may not project as good as those players have been, but he is a solid shooter and a strong defender.
Bey averaged 16.1 points per game while shooting a 58.4-percent effective field goal percentage. He took 5.6 3-point field goal attempts per game, making 45.1-percent. He made 76.9-percent of his 3-pointers.
Orlando Magic
What might be more impressive was that he was already a good 3-point shooter as a freshman, but he not only improved his 3-point percentage but nearly doubled his scoring. That kind of improvement should not be dismissed.
And to play at Villanova means you have to be a good defender. That is where he can make a pretty big impact immediately.
The concerns with Bey are about his athleticism. He is not a dynamic athlete and he is not someone teams are likely going to rely on to create.
Bey is not a pure shooter. His wind-up takes some time. So he probably is not shooting under pressure quite yet. He is going to have to prove he can be a knock-down shooter.
But his value is in everything else he does. He is a good cutter and he has good size to take some pounding in the paint and hold his ground. He can probably play some power forward in smaller lineups because of his size and strength.
If Bey can show he can defend NBA small forwards, he will immediately become a valuable wing defender and a NBA role player off the bat.
Other Targets
Regardless of how the NBA Draft shakes out, the Orlando Magic should have some other options at No. 15. I have already changed my mind on who the Magic should pick. And the way the draft might shake out — or the trade opportunities above and below them — could affect what the team does.
It is not clear if the Portland Trail Blazers will be able to re-sign Hassan Whiteside this offseason. But after Zach Colins’ injury-filled year, the Trail Blazers should look to bolstering their front-court some.
Vernon Carey was a solid defender and scorer for Duke this past year. But nothing too flashy. He averaged 17.8 points per game and 8.8 rebounds per game with 1.5 blocks per game. He was a consensus All-American.
Some mock drafts have the Magic targeting him. But he does not seem like the best fit for this team at the moment unless they have given up on Mohamed Bamba.
Precious Achiuwa was one of the top high school prospects in the country last year entering Memphis. But he struggled some his lone year in college — averaging 15.8 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. But he did so while shooting worse than 50-percent. Not a good sign for a big.
If the Orlando Magic do go the point guard route in the draft, they will likely take Kira Lewis with the 15th pick. He is a speedy guard who can get to the basket and finish around the basket. He averaged 18.5 point sper game last year, shooting a 52.1-percent effective field goal percentage. He may not be a primary playmaker, averaging just 5.2 assists per game.
Still, there is a lot of skill in Lewis. Getting him at this stage of the draft should be considered well worth the gamble. And this is certainly a spot where the Magic could trade down if they wanted to do.
Lewis should be able to slide into whatever lineup he is in and help as at least a backup point guard. But he has to be able to show he can hit the outside shot and control the pace of a game.
The Orlando Magic are definitely looking for some shooting and if they are looking into the point guard market, there is probably no better shooter than Stanford’s Tyrell Terry.
Terry averaged 14.6 points per game while shooting 40.8-percent on 3-pointers. He made 89.9 percent of his free throws. Every number checks out for him to be a solid shooter at the NBA level.
He is not much of a playmaker, averaging 3.2 assists per game. At 6-foot-1, he will be a bit undersized for what the Magic like especially. But he will certainly be on their radar if they are looking to add a point guard.
No one ever blames the Miami Heat for swinging for singles. Everything they do is big and they always take advantage of opportunities that come around. R.J. Hampton slipping this deep into the Draft feels like an opportunity the Heat would not pass up.
Hampton was one of the highest rated recruits when he decided to go to Australia for his gap year before the NBA. But Hampton struggled in his lone year in the pros. Some scouts seem to think it will be a humbling experience.
The question will be whether he takes that experience and puts it to work. If he can, he has a great first step and is someone who can explode to the basket. With this kind of talent, it sure would feel like the rich will get richer.
In my original mock draft back in June, I had the Orlando Magic selecting Theo Maledon. The French point guard is a skilled driver and a solid playmaker. He does a lot of little things to attack and manage a game. He changes pace good and can wedge himself into a defense.
The issue with Maledon and why he slides every where is his lack of athleticism. He is not going to beat many NBA defenders off the dribble and get to the basket. He wins his battles on positioning.
The idea with Maledon is to draft him to be a backup point guard. He should be able to manage a backup unit pretty successfully. But that is probably all he is at this point is a game manager.
There are a lot of point guard options in this late stage of the first round. Tyrese Maxey is certainly an intribuging one in this bunch. The Kentucky point guard was a solid scorer and attacker. But he was not much of a jump shooter or playmaker. And that is why he is probably on the back end of these point guard prospects.
Maxey has the physical profile to be a great defender. He has the plus-wingspan that Jeff Weltman has liked throughout his tenure. He can certainly put all the pieces together to be an impact player.
But his poor shooting — 29.2-percent form deep at the college level — is the biggest concern for his future prospects. And shooting has become such a big factor in these decisions. Maxey will have a lot of work to crack a rotation.
The Rest of the First Round
Here is the rest of the first round for our latest mock draft.
Jaden McDaniels did not put up impressive stats with Washington this year. But his athleticism and defensive potential could get him into the first round.
The Milwaukee Bucks were one of the best shooting teams in the league during the regular season. But their poor shooting in the playoffs cost them. Adding more shooters would help. Jahmi’us Ramsey shot 42.6-percent from deep.
Elijah Hughes averaged 19.0 points per game and shot 34.2-percent from deep for Syracuse last year. He still shot fairly efficiently though. And if he can bring that to the league, he could be a good role player.
Josh Green is part of a super athletic Arizona team that was stocked with talent. Green was a good scorer. But he relied on his athleticism to get those points. He was not a great shooter and that has probably moved him down draft boards.
Argentinian Leandro Bolmoro is a tall point guard at 6-foot-7 who is a solid playmaker and a pest defensively. He will need some time to catch up to NBA competition and improve his offensive skill set.
Tyler Bey is an undersized power forward who was named to the Pac-12 All-Defensive team last year. He was good on teh glass for someone at 6-foot-7, averaging 9.0 rebounds per game. He also stepped out and hit better than 40-percent from beyond the arc.
Wekiva High School alum Paul Reed averaged a double-double at DePaul last year, posting 15.1 points and 10.7 rebounds per game while progressively getting better in his three years in Chicago.
Daniel Oturu posted gaudy numbers with Minnesota — 20.1 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. The Celtics have some good young bigs. But another would not hurt them as they continue to build out a championship-worthy team.
We will be back with another Mock Draft after the NBA Finals and before the draft begins. There will be plenty of draft coverage before then!