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Orlando Magic Daily 2023 Mock Draft 2.7: Imagining trade possibilities

By Philip Rossman-Reich

Dec 9, 2022; Atlanta, GA, USA; City Reapers guard Amen Thompson (1) shown during the game against the Cold Hearts at Overtime Elite. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 9, 2022; Atlanta, GA, USA; City Reapers guard Amen Thompson (1) shown during the game against the Cold Hearts at Overtime Elite. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /
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Cason Wallace, Kentucky Wildcats
Nov 15, 2022; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Cason Wallace (22) shoots the ball over Michigan State Spartans guard Pierre Brooks (1) during the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports /

Orlando Magic Daily 2023 NBA Mock Draft 2.7

The Second Pick

118. . PG. Utah Jazz. Cason Wallace. 9. player

Trade Chance: Not likely

The Utah Jazz too would seem like a great trade partner for the Orlando Magic. They have a ton of draft picks to spend.

So if they want to be aggressive and climb the draft board, they have plenty of ammo to chase after it — my friend David Locke of Locked On Jazz has been calling me for a while to ask whether the Magic would trade Jalen Suggs for No. 19 and No. 28, which I politely said, “No.”

Utah could be fairly aggressive if the team wants to be. And Orlando could be a team that is open to moving around in the draft. Moving down a few picks for future draft capital.

The problem with a framework in this deal is the Jazz do not have a lot of players that would entice the Magic at their current state. They are not rebuilding and looking for a ton of second draft options.

The Jazz roster played well last year, but it still needs a lot to compete at a higher level. And swapping draft picks alone just is not going to do it.

Jarace Walker. 10. player. 79. . PF. Dallas Mavericks

Trade Chance: Moot point

Like the other times when a team is moving up or down one spot, it is hard to figure out what the value is of one more pick. The Orlando Magic are pretty likely to get a player they want at No. 11 — in my book, Gradey Dick or Jordan Hawkins but that could easily be Anthony Black or Cason Wallace or Dereck Lively. So why would they try to move up a spot?

Maybe a veteran backup big like JaVale McGee would do it. Maybe getting a sharpshooter like Maxi Kleber would. It would take something like that. But even those players have question marks surround them — McGee did not play much last year and Kleber is coming off a pretty major injury.

This just does not seem like a place where the team would seek a trade.

38. . G/F. Orlando Magic. Gradey Dick. 11. player

I will be flipping back and forth betweenGradey Dick and Jordan Hawkins for the next week and a half until the draft. If Orlando comes out of this draft with one of those two prospects, I think we should be able to call it a successful draft for the Magic, quite honestly.

Orlando needs shooting and the team seems to be in a good position to get it. However, if the intelligence tells the Magic that Dick or Hawkins will not be there at 11, then all of a sudden some of these trades start to look a lot more enticing and Orlando’s draft strategy probably changes a bit.