4 early options for Orlando Magic’s pick from the Chicago Bulls

Davion Mitchell, Baylor

Getting Davion Mitchell would most likely require the Chicago Bulls to finish in a lottery spot, given he has just led Baylor to the national championship with a stunning victory over the highly-fancied Gonzaga.

But with a lot of good players in this year’s draft, there’s a chance he might fall into the late lottery or out altogether.

Having just finished his third season in college, Mitchell is slightly older than a lot of prospects at 22. His path so far has been slightly unusual too, transferring to Baylor from Auburn and sitting out a year in between due to NCAA regulations.

What he does possess, though, is an instinctive desire for scoring the basketball. Mitchell is an excellent shot creator with a superb handle. He consistently generates space for himself and has demonstrated that he can knock down jumpers at a good rate, shooting 51.1 percent from the field this year while also making a staggering 44.7 percent of his threes.

Given that he shares the same surname and wears the same number, it is easy to draw comparisons to the Utah Jazz’s Donovan Mitchell. But there are a lot of similarities in the way they play offensively.

The Baylor guard has also shown great composure with the ball and very often makes the right play, averaging 5.5 assists per game too. Perhaps his biggest strength comes on the defensive end of the court, however.

Baylor Bears Basketball

Mitchell was named Naismith Defensive Player of the Year for 2021 and is one of the best, if not the best, on-ball defenders in the entire draft. His quickness and athleticism allow him to constantly stay in front of whoever he is guarding.

Whichever team selects Mitchell will be getting a hugely talented two-way player.

The concerns arise over whether he can consistently put up good shooting numbers, as he has done this season. His free throw numbers simply do not equate to his shooting, making only 64.1-percent of his attempts from the line. That will set alarm bells ringing in a few front offices when they weigh up whether to take Mitchell.

But whoever takes him would be adding some high-level defense to the backcourt with the chance that his offensive game could also hold up and continue to grow.

With Markelle Fultz, Cole Anthony, Gary Harris, Terrence Ross and R.J. Hampton already on the roster next season, the Orlando Magic’s backcourt is stacked. Mitchell would have plenty of competition, but the ability is there.

Having him and Jonathan Isaac on the court at the same time would pose huge problems for opposing offenses too.