Orlando Magic 2024 NBA Draft Preview: How the current rookies affect the team's development

Intro to the 2024 NBA Draft

The Rookie Conundrum

Philip Rossman-Reich, Orlando Magic Daily: The Magic have a full roster. They don't have room to add anybody. They have to make some decisions about free agents. They are going to have to find ways to improve the roster. I think we all love this team but we all recognize this is as far as this team can go.

They are going to need to add something externally to help make Paolo [Banchero] and Franz [Wagner]'s life easier. Maybe that is Jett Howard. Maybe he helps a lot. Maybe the Magic aren't about to go make that humongous move.

But it does feel like adding another draft pick, even if you are deferring him another year, especially with the amount of draft picks the Magic have coming down the pike, there's just not enough roster room to support a ton more rookies especially if Jett is going to essentially be a rookie.

I don't think the Magic should ever dismiss the draft. You can only take what's given to you. Anthony Black has been great. I run into a lot of Magic fans who don't quite understand the Anthony Black pick, and I'm just like who else are you taking at that spot who is that much better with what we had evaluated at the time?

You can only take what the draft gives you. If the draft doesn't have exactly what you need, you still have to do your best to pick the best player you can. I think the Magic generally did that. We can be skeptical about some things about AB, but he has still been really good.

To that point, we don't know what the draft is going to hold. Summer League is going to be really important for this Magic team. I do expect Black to be too good for Summer League. I want to see him expand his offensive game in Summer League and I'm really excited to see what he can do with an offseason of work.

That's going to be a big proving ground for Jett Howard. Is Jett Howard ready to take a roster spot? Free agency will happen before that. But the Magic should have some idea before they hit the draft if Jett Howard should be someone they can pencil into the rotation or not.

That's probably going to inform some of their draft day decisions at well whether that is picking a player or making a trade.

Richard Stayman, Locked on NBA Big Board: I think this is going to be a fantastic summer. Moving back out of 2024 for all the reasons you said just makes too much sense.

Next year's draft is just better.

We'll have that conversation at a future date. There is a reason that many scouts are all on the same page. If you have a chance to move out for a middle of this year's pick for end of next year's pick instead, it's hard to say no.

Philip: There are still players in this draft. Every draft is an opportunity. Just because this is a down draft, definitely not a time to sleep. There are solid players. There will be a star that emerges in the NCAA Tournament. There are still really solid players in this draft and guys who can help the Magic.

Just because you are full of young players doesn't mean you skip out on the draft. You can still get quality players even in a "down draft."