Orlando Magic: 4 draft prospects to watch in conference tournaments

With the All-Star break in the rearview mirror, the second half of the season is set to begin for the Orlando Magic.

As things currently stand, the Magic have the fourth-worst record in the league but are still only 3.5 games back of the play-in games. This is the true definition of a franchise in limbo.

With one eye on the playoffs and the other on the offseason, the next couple of weeks will really be telling for the team. Especially leading into the March 25 NBA trade deadline.

For hoops fans in general, the next month will also be filled with college basketball. This may be some fans’ first glimpse at some of the best prospects in the upcoming draft.

Conference tournaments are well underway for the mid-major conferences, with the major conference tournaments starting in the coming days. This is an opportunity to watch some of the best prospects on the big stage.

After a weird year, the Magic should still be in a decent position this offseason. Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac will be coming back from injury and the team may have a likely top-5 draft pick to work with.

As it currently stands, the Magic would have a 12.5-percent chance at the number 1 draft pick and a 48.1-percent shot to be in the top 4.

This is even more important for this upcoming draft as many experts believe there are five franchise-altering players. 

The NBA Draft is coming into focus as the college season winds down. Here are who Orlando Magic fans should be watching as conference tournaments pick up.

Oklahoma State’s Cade Cunningham stands out as the top prospect, while Evan Mobley continues to shine in his time at USC. Both Jalen Green and Jonathan Kuminga are playing for the G-League Ignite team and have been impressive in their games so far. Green impressed with a 30-point effort in the Ignite team’s playoff loss Monday.

Rounding out the top five, Jalen Suggs continues to impress for No. 1-ranked Gonzaga, who are well on their way to winning both the WCC regular-season and tournament championships.

All five of these top prospects come from non-traditional places, with most of the “blue-blood” college basketball teams struggling this year. You will not see any Duke, Kentucky or North Carolina players at the top of any draft boards.

What follows is four players to keep an eye on during the conference tournaments this weekend. These are not specifically the best four prospects available, but rather four that should intrigue the Magic front office.