5 All-Stars the Orlando Magic missed drafting by just one pick

1. Trae Young 

Mo Bamba impressed NBA scouts at the 2018 draft combine with his gigantic wingspan and speed. As a result, the Magic selected him with the sixth overall pick that year. That pick did not turn out to be the best choice, as Bamba’s game never really translated to the NBA, and the Magic eventually traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers. 

Since then, he has struggled to find a consistent role in the league and the Magic are banking on Jonathan Isaac as their most talented shot-blocker now. 

Drafting someone who doesn’t pan out this high always hurts but when you just narrowly miss a star, it is even worse. In 2018, the Magic missed drafting Trae Young by only one pick. Again, they did not make the conscious choice to pass on him but rather watched the Hawks snatch him with the fifth overall pick. 

Still, losing out on getting that kind of talent stings, especially considering that the Magic now need a point guard to run the offense as well as someone who can hit big shots. 

What is considerably worse, however, is that the Magic passed on Mikal Bridges and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the 2018 Draft. Both went only a few picks after they selected Bamba, and both are impactful NBA players, especially Gilgeous-Alexander, who just finished second in MVP voting.