At the beginning of the offseason, the Orlando Magic knew Draft night would be a night for opportunity.
They had two picks in the first round and the potential to do just about anything. They could spend their picks on two new players to add to their talent. There were reports of the team trying to trade up.
But inevitably, everyone saw the Magic using at least one of their picks to try to make a move for a veteran to boost their roster.
That is what Orlando ultimately did -- and then some.
The Orlando Magic included the 16th pick in the 2025 draft in the cache of picks -- along with four other first-round picks, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Cole Anthony -- they sent to the Memphis Grizzlies for Desmond Bane.
Orlando, it seemed, changed overnight with this trade. The team's ambitions and dreams for the 2026 season certainly changed. The Magic are a better team with a clearer path to advance.
They will still need to get many things right and will still need to add to their roster. The draft is as important as ever.
Orlando still holds the 25th pick, and they still must address a lot of needs. The Magic cannot let this opportunity pass them by. Even with just their late pick remaining, Orlando can still get a quality player.
But who will that be? With the first round coming Wednesday, it is time to get the Draft into sharper focus. It is time to get a better understanding of who the Magic might pick and who might be available.
As we have done previously, it is time to survey the mock drafts once again and get to know the players that are currently in range for the Magic to pick.
It is time for one last survey of the mock drafts around the web.
Walter Clayton, G, Florida
Selected by: Sam Vecenie/The Athletic, Kyle Boone/CBS Sports, Tankathon, NBADraft.net
Orlando Magic fans have been obsessed with Walter Clayton for a while. That dates back to his magical NCAA Tournament run, which led the Gators to their third national championship. Proximity helps, as there are plenty of Gators fans in the Magic's fan base.
But Clayton has done a lot of work to swing scouts in his favor. He might be good enough that he is no longer going to be available at No. 25 -- indeed, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic noted that Clayton canceled several workouts after working out for the Miami Heat (No. 20), suggesting he may be secure with where he will go.
Clayton is a pure scorer, able to create space for his own shot and have the instincts of when and how to score in any moment. That was proven under the highest pressure in the NCAA Tournament -- he averaged 21.8 points per game and shot 45.8 percent from three as the main creator in the Gators' NCAA and SEC Tournament championship runs.
Clayton has a knack for knowing the moment and can score at will. He may not be a typical point guard, but the Magic do not seem to be looking for that anyway. His shooting and scoring are still incredibly valuable.
Jase Richardson, G, Michigan State
Selected by: Jonathan Givony/ESPN, J. Kyle Mann/The Ringer, Adam Finkelstein/CBS Sports, Jonathan Wasserman/Bleacher Report
Jase Richardson has not yet gotten an invite to the NBA Draft green room as of Tuesday morning, perhaps the highest profile prospect who has not done so. Richardson has a lot of questions growing because of his lack of size at 6-foot-0.5 without shoes -- although he has a 6-foot-6 wingspan.
Richardson is a capable scorer at 12.1 points per game and an even better shooter at 41.2 percent from three. Richardson can create his own shot off the dribble too. He can create space as a scorer.
But the questions will remain whether Richardson can do that at the NBA level and whether a player of his height can be successful without much playmaking behind him.
Still, he will be an option for the Magic if he is on the board late in the draft for a team still looking capable scorers and creators off the dribble.
Liam McNeeley, F, UConn
Selected by: Kevin O'Connor/Yahoo! Sports
The Orlando Magic's need is still abundantly clear. They need shooting, and they need shooting specialists. Getting some movement shooting would not hurt either.
Liam McNeeley has the reputation at least of doing all of those things for the Magic. Many consider him one of the best volume shooters in the Draft.
He certainly had moments where he looked like it -- he had seven games with three or more 3-pointers, including a 5-for-10 showing in a 38-point, 10-rebound effort against Creighton.
McNeeley dealt with an ankle injury at midseason and struggled to find his rhythm. But the overall numbers do not paint a good picture. He shot 31.7 percent on 5.4 attempts per game. His 86.6 percent free-throw shooting might suggest that part of his issue was being on the ball too much.
Maybe that is the secret to unlocking his shooting potential. He would not be expected to be a creator with the Magic. But his shooting does not necessarily wow despite his reputation.
Ben Saraf, G, Israel
Selected by: Christopher Kline/Fansided
The Orlando Magic will have their pick of many guards in this year's draft. One of the big debates is certainly between the two scoring guards that Magic fans have had their eyes on for some time. But there are plenty of other guards to look at.
Ben Saraf is another guard to keep an eye on as the Draft approaches.
The Israeli guard played in Germany this year, averaging 12.8 points per game and 4.6 assists per game. He is a 6-foot-5 point guard, fitting the Magic's desire for size at the guard position. Saraf can attack the basket and is a gifted passer. His mid-range jumper is solid as is his ability to shoot off the dribble.
Saraf still has to improve as a 3-point shooter (22.2 percent this year for Ratiopharm Ulm). And he is no a great athlete. The question for him is whether he can attack against NBA defender.
But Saraf is a promising prospect who checks many boxes for the Magic.