Orlando Magic Daily Mock Draft 3.0: Our final predictions
Orlando Magic Daily Mock Draft: Final Prediction
The Middle First Round
15. player. 142. . SG. Washington Wizards. Cameron Thomas
Cameron Thomas was an elite scoring prospect at LSU. Whether that translates to the NBA is going to be one of the more difficult questions in this draft class. A lot of teams appear to be high on him, but not everyone shares that opinion.
Usman Garuba. 16. player. 149. . PF. Oklahoma City Thunder
Usman Garuba is still a fairly raw power forward prospect. But his energy and athleticism are something worth developing and exploring. Going to a rebuilding team would be perfect for him to continue that growth.
. SF. Memphis Grizzlies. Corey Kispert. 17. player. 211
This pick will be heading to the New Orleans Pelicans as they complete their salary dump and position themselves for free agency. New Orleans then wants players who can contribute immediately. Grabbing a shooter like Corey Kispert fits that bill. He is a solid shooter at every facet and is the perfect role player to spread the floor for a Pelicans team hoping to make the playoff leap.
149. . SF. Oklahoma City Thunder. Ziaire Williams. 18. player
The Orlando Magic are reportedly hunting for Ziaire Williams with some people believing the team could take him at No. 8. Obviously, with how low I — and many others — have him, that would be an extreme reach. It is hard to figure out where the Magic would need to trade to get a deal for him done. But it would seem it would be in this range just outside the Lottery.
Williams is a gifted scorer who can get downhill and to the basket well. He has fluid movement and is an effective driver. His shot disappeared last year, but many believe that was because of COVID long-haul issues that will get better over time. He was an effective and solid shooter in high school.
27. . SG. New York Knicks. Chris Duarte. 19. player
The New York Knicks are hunting for guards who can shoot to spread the floor and help the team take its next step after their surprise Playoff run last year. Whether New York tries to speed up too fast for their talent or not is another story. But Chris Duarte is a perfect pick for them and one they are supposedly hunting too.
Duarte is one of the older players in the draft, but he is also one of the best shooters. He will fit in really nicely with playoff-level teams.
player. 125. . G. Atlanta Hawks. Sharife Cooper. 20
Sharife Cooper is one of the more dynamic and interesting guards in this draft. Teams really like his speed and ability to break down defenses. He can get downhill and finish at the rim with ease. Those are skills that work better at the NBA than the college level