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Orlando Magic 2024 NBA Draft Preview: 5 prospects to watch in the NCAA Tournament

The NCAA Tournament has arrived and while the Orlando Magic are in the middle of their playoff chase, they still will need to keep an eye on a few players as they look ahead to the NBA Draft.

By Philip Rossman-Reich

It's NCAA Tournament time and the Orlando Magic will be looking at a lot of different prospects to fill needs for next season, including Duke guard Jared McCain.
It's NCAA Tournament time and the Orlando Magic will be looking at a lot of different prospects to fill needs for next season, including Duke guard Jared McCain. / Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports
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5 Orlando Magic prospects to watch in the NCAA Tournament

Dalton Knecht, Tennessee
vs. 15 Saint Peter's (Thursday, 9:20 p.m., TNT)

The Orlando Magic have likely played their way out of Dalton Knecht's range. But it is certainly nice to dream about grabbing a veteran rangy movement shooter capable of having big games. It seems like this is the biggest thing the Magic might be looking for this summer.

Knecht in a lot of ways felt perfect for what the Magic are looking for.

Knecht averaged 21.1 points per game, successfully transferring over his scoring production from Northern Colorado to Tennessee and the SEC. He shot 39.7 percent from three and 76.4 percent from the line.

Knecht had several big games too, scoring 30 or more points seven times this season including a 40-point game in the season finale against Kentucky. That is an impressive showing. And he made 6 of 15 3-pointers in that game.

If the Magic need anything to their lineup, it is some volume 3-point shooting and someone who can work effectively off the ball and off movement and take a lot of threes. Orlando has found a happy medium not taking a ton of threes, but it is hard to be a poor shooting team with some of the fewest attempts in the league.

Orlando almost certainly will make shooting a priority. But the team is still going to put a focus on size from its shooting. It wants bigger players at every position. That is who Knecht is.

Knecht is listed at 6-foot-6, 197 pounds, giving him the kind of size the Magic would certainly look for at the wing position. While Knecht has not been asked to be a solid defender, that is a role he could easily grow into or be covered for.

At this point, Knecht has likely played himself into the back end of the Lottery if not flirting with the top-10. Knecht though is the prospect many Magic fans probably would be obsessed with if not for Orlando climbing out of the top 20 for now.

Also Keep An Eye On

Ja'Kobe Walter, Baylor (vs. 14 Colgate, Friday, 12:40 p.m. on TruTV)

Ja'Kobe Walter is not the shooter that Dalton Knecht is, but he has all the physical attributes the Orlando Magic typically like with good size at 6-foot-5 and a tough, physical style of play for the Bears.

He averaged 14.2 points per game and 4.4 rebounds per game this season. His shooting is a bit suspect this season. But he was fine in high school from deep. That could have him range anywhere in the late-Lottery to where Orlando is picking.

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