Orlando Magic draft rumors: Who has made their way to Orlando so far?
The NBA Draft is quickly approaching.
Fans are far more focused on free agency and the chance to add a high-priced player to the starting lineup. The team broke through to the playoffs and seems on the doorstep of not only a long playoff run but perhaps sneaking into the championship picture.
Why not?
To get there will take a major move or two and plenty of internal growth. But the Magic will have free agency to sort all of that out.
First, though, comes the draft. While the Magic will still have to figure out how to integrate their rookies from last year, they still have to do their due diligence on the new prospects arriving into the NBA.
With the No. 18 pick in the first round, the Magic still have the opportunity to add a key player to their team. No team can or should skip the draft. There is still an opportunity to add a quality young player to the roster.
What the Magic need from the draft is still up for plenty of debate. They could go for a veteran player who can contribute immediately like Tristan Da Silva or Tyler Kolek. They could go for a development project like Kyshawn George, Kel'el Ware, or Yves Missi. They could fill their point guard need with Jared McCain or Devin Carter.
Or they could look to move the pick. That is still an option.
In any case, the Magic are doing their due diligence on everyone to build their player profiles. Today's pick that you pass up on is tomorrow's player you are acquiring in a trade. Every detail matters. And the team is crossing its t's an dotting its i's at the moment.
Unlike many teams, though, the Magic tend to operate in secret during the draft. That is just a team preference and not an attempt to do any type of subterfuge. Orlando typically does not make players available after workouts or publicize who is working out for them.
But there is activity inside the AdventHealth Training Center (beyond offseason work from current players).
Cody Taylor of Rookie Wire is cataloging all the workouts throughout the league. He gives us a look at the notable players who have made their way through Orlando already.
Orlando Magic hosted set of bigs on June 5
The biggest name that has confirmed to come through Orlando is Duke big man Kyle Filipowski.
Filipowski averaged 16.4 points per game and 8.3 rebounds per game last year. He is a skilled big man, especially on the low block. He is a traditional center. But he could have the ability to expand his range, shooting 34.8 percent on 3.1 three-point attempts per game.
There is hope that he can be a versatile and athletic big man who can play on the perimeter and be a bit of a creator. At the very least, Filipowski will be a solid screener and someone who can work and be comfortable with the ball either in the low post or in the high post.
Perhaps his skill set makes him the kind of center who could make an immediate impact in the NBA. But Filipowski also has a negative wingspan working against him, at least in the Magic's book. He measured at 6-foot-10.75 without shoes and a 6-foot-10.5 wingspan.
This is why getting a workout with him was likely pretty vital. So far, he is the only likely first-round pick who has confirmed to workout with the Magic so far.
He worked out Wednesday with a set of bigs that included some interesting second-round prospects too.
Marquette forward Oso Ighodaro averaged 13.4 points per game and 6.9 rebounds per game as a senior last year. He is a completely interior player, but plays the position well, posting 2.0 defensive win shares and a 3.4 defensive box plus-minus last year. That at least suggests he knows how to defend his position.
Ighodaro measured at 6-foot-9.5 without shoes at the Combine with a 6-foot-11 wingspan. That checks the Magic's likes, even if his shooting needs a lot of development.
Some notable guards came through on June 2
The Orlando Magic hold two picks in the upcoming NBA Draft. Their second-round pick will come at No. 47. What the Magic do with their second-round pick is anybody's guess—the Magic have a pretty extensive history of just selling their second-round picks.
But there are some intriguing players they could look to take with the second round. And two of those options came through Orlando last week.
A popular player for the Magic in the second round has been Colorado guard K.J. Simpson.
Simpson measured at 6-foot-0.25 without shoes at the Combine but with a 6-foot-4.5 wingspan. He averaged 19.7 points per game, 5.8 rebounds per game and 4.9 assists per game as the point guard for likely first-round picks Cody Williams and Tristan Da Silva.
Simpson shot 43.4 percent from three on 4.9 3-point attempts per game. He was a career 83.4 percent free throw shooter in three seasons at Colorado.
That all profiles like a big guard who can playmake and hit from the outside. And as a veteran player, he should be able to contribute quickly. He is just on the small side despite his positive wingspan. That could lead to him being overlooked.
The other guard to know in this group is Houston guard Jamal Shead.
Shead averaged 12.9 points and 6.3 assists per game. But he was known at Houston for his stifling defense. That is something that will resonate with the Magic for sure. He measured at just 6-foot-0.25 with a 6-foot-3 wingspan. He makes up for that with his feistiness.
Coming from Kelvin Sampson's Houston team means that he will defend at a high level. Shead is someone to have an eye on in the second round.
The Magic are sure to have plenty more of these group workouts throughout the next two weeks and likely more from first-round picks soon.