NBA Mock Draft: Magic Land 'Safe' Two-Way Guard with No. 18 Pick

The Orlando Magic have questions at guard heading into this offseason. Could they address them with Ja'Kobe Walter, a two-way player who is compared to Denver Nuggets shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope?

Mar 24, 2024; Memphis, TN, USA; Baylor Bears guard Ja'Kobe Walter (4) shoots against Clemson Tigers / Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

ORLANDO — For the first time since 2020, the Orlando Magic find themselves outside of the NBA Draft lottery.

But with the No. 18 pick, can the Magic land an impact player similar to the ones that expedited their rebuild?

In Bleacher Report's latest mock draft, the Magic are projected to land Baylor Bears guard Ja'Kobe Walter. Compared favorably to veteran Denver Nuggets guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Walter has been a popular pick in mock drafts for the Magic dating back to before the season.

"He's going to get pegged with a safe label that sees a three-and-D 2-guard who can defend both wing positions," Bleacher Report writes. "The lack of creation and playmaking may just make it tougher for teams to picture upside worth a top-10 pick."

Walter, 19, made an immediate impact in his freshman season, as he led Baylor in scoring with 14.5 points per game and shot 37.6 percent from the field, including 34.1 percent from 3. The 6-foot-4 guard's play landed him on the 2023-24 All-Big 12 team and he was the conference's Rookie of the Year.

Orlando would be banking on Walter improving his 3-point shot, but if he could one day turn into a player similar to Caldwell-Pope, drafting the Baylor guard could be worth the investment.

KCP, 31, has averaged 11.4 points per game in his career and has greatly improved his 3-point shot, shooting better than 40 percent from beyond the arc in three of his past four seasons. The Magic ranked 24th during the regular season in 3-point field goal percentage.

With Markelle Fultz and Gary Harris set to hit free agency and Joe Ingles having a team option, landing a safe player like Walter at No. 18 and potentially having him begin his career in the G-League could be the best route.

Orlando showed its willingness this season to be patient with its draft picks. Anthony Black, the No. 6 overall pick in 2023, barely played down the stretch after starting 33 games. The No. 11 overall pick, Jett Howard, spent most of the season with the G-League Osceola Magic.

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