5 of the wildest what-if scenarios in Orlando Magic franchise history 

2. What if the Magic had drafted Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in 2018? 

One of the Magic’s missteps in the NBA Draft was selecting Mo Bamba with the sixth overall pick in 2018. Bamba never quite found his footing in the NBA. Over five seasons with the Magic, he averaged only 7.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks. After five seasons, the Magic traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers, accepting that their 2018 lottery pick had been wasted. 

Meanwhile, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was drafted 11th that year, has flourished into an MVP candidate and one of the best guards in the league. He has also led the Oklahoma City Thunder to great success despite the team’s youth. The Thunder are one of the teams the Magic are chasing—the best young squad in the league—and they are still several steps behind Gilgeous-Alexander and his teammates. 

Where would the Magic be now if they had drafted Gilgeous-Alexander in 2018? Would they have been the youngest number-one seed in league history? Would they be projected to be one of the best bets to win a championship this season? 

On the bright side, at least the Magic aren’t the team that had Gilgeous-Alexander and traded him for years of injury issues and one run to the Western Conference Finals.