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3 Major effects on the Orlando Magic after the NBA Draft Lottery

One piece of the summer puzzle fell into place throughout the league as the Atlanta Hawks won the NBA Draft Lottery. The surprise victory raises plenty of questions as the Orlando Magic begin to navigate their offseason.

By Philip Rossman-Reich

The Atlanta Hawks shocking won the top pick in the NBA Draft Lottery. That could change a lot for the Orlando Magic this summer.
The Atlanta Hawks shocking won the top pick in the NBA Draft Lottery. That could change a lot for the Orlando Magic this summer. / David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
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3 major effects on the Orlando Magic after the NBA Draft Lottery

3. What do the Atlanta Hawks do now?

One of the big storylines for the offseason will be what the future holds for the Atlanta Hawks.

After another season in the Play-In Tournament after their big acquisition of Dejounte Murray a few years ago has left the Hawks at a seeming crossroads. The pairing of Dejounte Murray and Trae Young has had a lot of questions about it. The team just has not produced results.

Just about everyone in the league is expecting the Hawks to split their star pairing, if not start over from scratch like the Portland Trail Blazers last year. Their selection of Scoot Henderson seemed to suggest they were prepared to move on from Damian Lillard and begin a long-term rebuild.

The No. 1 pick would typically be a reason to start over. That is usually the foundation for a new team. But this is not a draft with a clear-cut No. 1. It is not entirely clear whether they would take Alex Sarr or Zaccharie Ricascher or whether they would go for another guard in Rob Dilingham or Nikola Topic.

Or whether even the Hawks should try to trade the No. 1 pick for some veteran help.

There are a lot of new questions the Hawks have to ask themselves now. And the No. 1 pick adds a new bit to the equation. One they certainly were not expecting to have before Sunday afternoon.

The Magic have been among the teams that were expected to be in the conversation for one of if not both of the Hawks' lead guards. The Magic certainly need a point guard to bolster their lineup and give them some more perimeter creation and stabilization for their offense.

Orlando was connected to Murray during the trade deadline. The team has been connected to Young, at least by fans, as an all-in move. The Orlando Magic are assumedly one of the teams watching the Atlanta Hawks' situation (keep an eye on the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Lakers too).

The top pick though changes the calculus. It changes what the Hawks may believe they can do. It could be the thing that tips them into a fuller rebuild or makes them double down and believe they can still grow what they have.

Atlanta has the first pick and now the first decision in the NBA Draft. Everyone will be watching to see what they do with it. And what that means down the road.

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