The NBA Finals will eventually wind their way to a conclusion. The league is starting to move into offseason mode—look at the side eyes Joel Embiid gave Paul George on the panel in the pregame for Game 4.
The Orlando Magic are expected to have a busy offseason this summer. They have enough cap room to sign one major player—perhaps even to sign two major players— and they have the ambition to grow on their playoff appearance from last year.
Everyone's focus has been on free agency to fill this need, especially with the Magic seeming ready to take the next step—and struggling to play last year's rookies in Anthony Black and Jett Howard.
Still, everyone has to do their work. And even with the Magic holding the No. 18 pick rather than a lottery pick, this is still an opportunity to add talent to the roster. The good teams never pass that up—even if the Magic can afford to be more patient or camp their player in the G-League as they did with Howard last year.
This year's draft class is not exactly moving the needle. The top of the draft is considered fairly weak compared to previous draft classes. There is no clear-cut star at the top. Even where the Magic are drafting just outside the lottery, there is no runaway player or sure thing. But there are still intriguing options for the Magic to consider.
While Orlando is expected to add at least one if not two key rotation players to the team in free agency, the Magic should still look to boost their depth however they can. They need a starting guard and shooting, but they can boost that with a solid selection in the NBA Draft as much as they can in free agency.
So what are the Magic looking for in the Draft? That is something we can ponder a bit. The bulk of the Magic's needs—the starting guard and likely the third center—will get resolved in free agency.
The Magic should always emphasize shooting. But it seems more likely the Magic will look to add to their core philosophies. They want positional size and versatility. They want players who can defend and do multiple things.
That should be our guideline as we look at the draft board once again.
We last did a Big Board about a month ago as an introduction to the draft class. Now with workouts in full swing and the draft just a week away on June 26 and 27, it is time to update our board with a specific focus on the Magic's needs and desires.
This board is not a prediction of the draft order. Rather it is a ranking of prospects based on talent and team needs.
Orlando Magic Daily 2024 NBA Draft Big Board 2.0
Tier 1: The top of the Draft
There is no clear-cut player for the top pick in this draft. And it is certainly not guaranteed Alex Sarr will be that pick. But he is still my pick for the top spot, as he was last month. The best comparison I have heard from him is a more offensive-minded Jonathan Isaac (although not nearly as good defensively). But 7-footers with mobility and defensive understanding are strong players and hard to find.
Zaccharie Risacher is the likely alternative for the first pick and with good reason. He is a smooth perimeter scorer and creator. That is the kind of thing the Magic would look for. He ranks behind Sarr for me because Sarr's unique skills at 7-feet are probably too much for the Magic to pass up. But they would have been pretty satisfied to grab Risacher too.
Stephon Castle is the top guard on the board for me for the Orlando Magic. The 6-foot-6 guard made a name for himself last year for his excellent defense in leading the Huskies to their second straight national championship. He grew each year in school. His desire to play point guard might not be the best position for him. But it shows that he could be a versatile player.
Donovan Clingan may be pigeonholed as a traditional paint-bound center. But that also means he has a surefire role. And seeing how Derreck Lively has carved out a role on an NBA Finals team. Bigs who can set good screens, roll to and finish around the basket, and defend the rim are super valuable in the league even if they cannot space the floor. Clingan can do all of that.
Tier 2: Out of reach, but tons of questions
We know how much the Orlando Magic love big ball-handlers and scorers. If they had the opportunity, Matas Buzelis would be someone they would love to add. He is not a crazy strong scorer and he still has to improve his shooting, but he can hit the mid-range well and has great fluidity for a player of his size.
The Orlando Magic know they need shooting— no matter what Jeff Weltman or Anthony Parker might say about their hopes for internal improvement. The Magic need players who will be threats from deep and be willing to take shots from deep. That is where Reed Sheppard comes in. He was an excellent shooter at Kentucky and someone who put in some big games thanks to his outside shot.
Nikola Topic is the biggest faller since our last Big Board. He suffered a knee injury late in the season and exams revealed he had a partially torn ACL. That greatly changes his immediate outlook. That should not change his potential too much. He is a 6-foot-6 point guard with good feel for the game. His size gives him a big advantage at point guard and should still make him a valuable player. Even if the injury causes him to drop considerably.
In terms of shooters, there may not be anyone better than Dalton Knecht from Tennessee. The senior improved every year, even stepping up from a smaller school to the SEC without any disruption in his production. Knecht has good size. But he is a shooter through and through.
Rob Dillingham is one of the best point guards in this class. He was an excellent scorer at Kentucky and a solid 3-point shooter, although he is not viewed as a natural shooter. His playmaking was lacking, leaving some questions about him as a point guard.
Tier 3: Hoping they drop
Cody Williams in a lot of ways just embodies the typical wing scorer that every team has to have. He is big at 6-foot-8 and just knows how to put the ball in the hoop. He is an excellent mid-range scorer too, able to create his own shot off the dribble. His trick will be learning to play more off the ball and improve as a spot-up shooter.
Ron Holland has the same questions as Cody Williams above him. He is a much worse shooter than Williams though. But some of that is the role he had to play on a mismatched G-League Ignite team that ended up hurting every prospect coming from the program. Holland is an excellent athlete though. That will give something to mold.
Devin Carter is perhaps our biggest riser from the first version of this Big Board. As a point guard, Carter fits a lot of the things the Orlando Magic desire. He measured at 6-foot-2.25 without shoes with a 6-foot-8.75 wingspan. The plus wingspan screams Magic player.
It helps too that he has a lot of skills that fit too. Carter is an excellent scorer and defender. He is a big body to move around and rebounds well for a guard. And he can shoot a bit from the outside—he made 37.7 percent of his threes after two sub-30-percent seasons.
Carter's stock has risen a ton during the draft process. There is buzz about his potential again.
Jared McCain is one of the names a lot of people really like. He is a dynamic scorer, an excellent shooter and just a smart player. He may not be the playmaker or distributor that other guards are, but he knows how to work his way to the basket and finish around the rim. And he will hit an outside shot.
The concern with McCain is about his size—he measured at 6-foot-2 without shoes with a 6-foot-3.5 wingspan. He does not have a great first step and has to work to create his space. That will become more difficult at the NBA level.
But McCain is definitely a player everyone has on their radar for the Magic as a shooter and guard who can play on the ball and off.
Tier 4: The Orlando Magic's draft targets
When it comes to prospects in this year's Draft, no player has been mocked or connected to the Orlando Magic as much as Tristan Da Silva. And now it feels like he is going to be just out of reach for the Magic.
Who does not want a do-everything forward with experience in the college game, a solid shot and an understanding of his role? Tristan Da Silva feels like this season's Jaime Jaquez. The veteran player who is solid at everything but slips through the cracks because of a perceived low ceiling.
Da Silva checks all the boxes for the Magic. He surely checks all the boxes for others. The Magic would love to have a player like Da Silva out of this draft.
Tidjane Salaun is one of the bigger risers in the Draft process. He seems like a lottery pick at this point.
But Salaun is still very raw. He may not be quite ready to contribute immediately. Still, Salaun has a lot working for him. Namely his 6-foot-9 height and 7-foot-2 wingspan.
He probably should be higher on this list because he has shown some playmaking and off-the-dribble ability and a willingness to defend. That will be a place for him to start.
In terms of two-way wings in this year's Draft, Ja'Kobe Walter is as good of an option as there is. He comes from Baylor's tough-nosed defensive culture and has the size and athleticism to project as a strong defender.
Walter shot only 34.1 percent from three last year at Baylor (with a 79.2 percent free throw percentage). But some of that has to do with his creation responsibility. He is widely considered as a safe 3-and-D pick.
Walter has the measurables to be someone the Magic would target.
With Tristan Da Silva off the board in most mock drafts now that his stock seems to be climbing, Johnny Furphy is the favorite prospect in the mock drafts now to land in Orlando. There is a lot to like about him, and he checks off all the boxes, even if he does not do so at the same level as Tristan Da Silva.
Furphy averaged just 9.0 points per game and shot 35.2 percent from three. He found his groove in Big 12 play with 11.4 points per game and 36.5 percent from three. An injury cut his season short. But Furphy earned his way into Kansas' starting lineup.
His basketball IQ on cuts and attacking in transition is clear. He has decent size—although his measurements were not strong with a 6-foot-7.5 without shoes and a 6-foot-8 wingspa—and can be very athletic finishing around the basket.
If Furphy's 3-point shooting continues to grow, he would be a really strong pick for the Magic.
Tier 5: Projects to Pick
Kyshawn George's counting stats are not overly impressive—7.6 points per game, 40.8 percent shooting from three on 4.2 attempts per game. But that is not really the point in looking at this freshman, or why he was the top pick in my mock draft last week.
George is a shooter and has the fluidity to be a solid scorer as he continues to develop and grow. He has the size the Orlando Magic really like too—6-foot-7 without shoes with a 6-foot-10.25 wing span.
For George, who is still relatively new to basketball, it will be about putting all those skills to gether and getting them up to an NBA level. He is probably not there yet and would need some seasoning in the G-League. But there is a lot of opportunity there. And George is someone to know.
Among the bigs that are likely available around the Orlando Magic's pick, Kel'el Ware is the best option for them. He is a big center who has good mobility and can protect the rim—averaging 1.9 blocks per game last year at Indiana. He rebounds well with 9.9 rebounds per game (up from 4.1 rebounds per game).
Ware has even shown a willingness to take jumpers. He is not quite doing that consistently yet. But his willingness to shoot and hit jumpers is encouraging on top of that.
The biggest question with Ware is about his motor. He had a rough time at Oregon with at least the perception that he plays hard. He would disappear and his impact would dissipate for long stretches. Ware looked better on that front at Indiana. But that remains the big mark on his resume.
Isaiah Collier may be the most talented and highly touted prospect in the group of players projected to be available around where the Orlando Magic will pick. Collier averaged 16.3 points per game and 4.3 assists per game. He has all the tools to be an excellent point guard.
The thing that should ding him in the Magic's eyes is his horrible shooting. He shot 33.8 percent from three and 67.3 percent from the foul line. That should be a five-alarm warning for the Magic and really any team. He has a long way to go to improve his shot. And this suggests things could be much worse fro him.
Tier 6: More Projects to Pick
Carlton "Bub" Carrington has been one of the big risers in this Draft process. And for an Orlando Magic team needing a point guard, he is definitely on the scope as an under-the-radar prospect for them to pursue.
Carrington averaged 13.8 points and 4.1 assists per game last season. He shot only 32.2 percent from beyond the arc. But part of that is his usage and being on the ball a lot. Carrington is considered a solid floor spacer (he made 78.5 percent of his free throws) as a catch-and-shoot option.
Really belief in Carrington comes down to whether teams believe in his shot.
Kyle Filipowski is the biggest name confirmed to have made his way through Orlando for a workout. Not just for his size, but for his likely placement in the Draft. Filipowski is a skilled big man who is comfortable working with the ball and making passes as a fulcrum in the post. We know how much the Magic love using Wendell Carter that way.
Filipowski is a solid player beyond that, averaging 16.4 points per game and 8.3 rebounds per game last year (after 15.1 and 9.0 his freshman year). Filipowski has a solid low-post game and is smart with how he attacks the paint. But he is not much of a jump shooter. And that will take away from his NBA potential.
The biggest attraction of Jaylon Tyson is simple: Scoring.
He averaged 19.6 points per game last year on 15.4 field goal attempts per game and 46.5/36.0/79.6 shooting splits. He had the ball a lot and did his best to score—Cal missed the NCAA Tournament.
Tyson bounced around early in his career as the coach who recruited him at Texas left and he had a dispute with his coach at Texas Tech before settling in at California.
Tyson does not project as a first star and so he will have to learn how to play off the ball. But having that potential as a creator—even a self-creator even with his 3.5 assists per game last year—is intriguing to look at.
Tier 7: The Rest of the Top 30
Zach Edey is one of the most divisive prospects in this draft class. He is also perhaps the one who can only fit a specific type of team. That is not to say Edey is bad. He earned his two Naismith Awards at Purdue these past two years. There is no reason to turn off him for that reason.
But Edey is a traditional paint presence. He has limited mobility and versatility. The Orlando Magic value that versatility and so they may be out on him.
Yves Missi has the profile of a center prospect who can make an impact in the league over the long term. He has excellent length—6-foot-10.75 without shoes and a 7-foot-2 wingspan—and is an excellent shot blocker—1.5 blocks per game.
Missi is still very raw and relies more on his athleticism than anything else to get those blocks. He does not have much of an offensive game and will be susceptible to fouls. That will be something teams will have to develop. But there are a lot of centers who have followed this same path.
Among the potential first-round picks who have been reported to make their way through Orlando so far is Pacome Dadiet, a 6-foot-8 French wing who played in Germany last year. He averaged 6.4 points per game in 14.9 minutes per game for Raitopharm Ulm in EruoLeague last year.
Dadiet was used primarily as a defender, an impressive feat for a player of his age. He still has to improve as a shooter. He does not fit in that respect for the Orlando Magic. But his size, length and defense put him on the target list.
In terms of natural point guards, Tyler Kolek is perhaps the best of the natural point guards available in this draft. He averaged 15.3 points and 7.7 assists per game. But he is on the small side which probably pushes him down on the Magic's list.
Tyler Smith is an intriguing forward prospect who showed in the G-League Ignite that he has the athleticism to compete at the NBA level. His offense is still a work in progress though. He did not have the year he or anyone anticipated as the G-League Ignite struggled all year.
Bobi Klintman took the rare step of going from Wake Forest, where he averaged 5.3 points per game and shot 36.8 percent from three in 2023, to go pro in Australia. The Sweden-born forward averaged 9.7 points per game and 4.8 rebounds per game while shooting 35.7 percent from three. Klintman has a lot of physical tools to work in the NBA. It is just about putting the pieces together.
DaRon Holmes does not have the size of the typical center in the NBA—6-foot-8.75 without shoes with a 7-foot-1 wingspan. He may not be able to play as above the rim. But Holmes feels like the kind of player who knows his role, works on his skills and finds a way to impact games. He averaged 20.4 points and 8.5 rebounds per game last year as a junior. He started expanding to the 3-point line too. A sign of his progress as a player.