NBA Draft: ESPN Likes Kansas' Johnny Furphy for Magic at No. 18

The Orlando Magic are picking outside the NBA Draft lottery for the first time since 2020. The mock drafts (there are a lot of them) are predicting no fewer than seven different players for the Magic's No. 18 overall pick.

Mar 5, 2024; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Johnny Furphy (10) looks to pass as Kansas State Wildcats guard Tylor Perry (2) defends during the first half at Allen Fieldhouse. / Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

ORLANDO — Round 1 of the 2024 NBA Draft is Wednesday. For the first time since 2020, the Orlando Magic are picking outside the lottery.

With Orlando selecting 18th, there comes more uncertainty regarding who will be available and the kind of player the Magic may target. In ESPN's latest mock draft, they project the Magic to stick with the kind of player they've preferred in the past by taking 6-foot-8 Kansas guard-forward Johnny Furphy.

"The Magic tend to value much of what Furphy supplies, having selected players with positional size, skill, and strong intangibles over the past several drafts," ESPN said. "Orlando also has been tied to [Carlton] Carrington and Kyshawn George, two other younger prospects who fit those criteria."

Furphy made the Big 12's All-Freshman Team after averaging 9.0 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. The Australian forward came off the bench for his first 14 games before being inserted into the starting lineup for the final 19. Furphy averaged almost 12 points and seven rebounds as a starter.

Pittsburgh guard Carlton "Bub" Carrington and Miami forward Kyshawn George also have been connected to Orlando in previous mock drafts.

Carrington is the most proven of the bunch, averaging 13.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists and making the ACC's All-Freshman and All-Tournament teams. George was the best 3-point shooter of the bunch, making 40.2 percent of his attempts.

The first round of the NBA Draft begins on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET. Round Two begins at 4 p.m. Thursday.

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