Magic Boss on 'Weak' NBA Draft: 'I Think There Are Players in Here'

The 2024 NBA Draft begins Wednesday. The Orlando Magic's progress to playoff team is rooted in developing young players. That success means a later draft slot (No. 18), but President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman says "we've just got to find" a good player.

Mar 31, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Jared McCain (0) controls the ball against North Carolina State Wolfpack forward Mohamed Diarra (23) in the first half in the finals of the South Regional of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at American Airline Center. / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

ORLANDO — For the first time since 2020, the Orlando Magic find themselves outside of the NBA Draft lottery — which is a good thing because the Magic won 47 games and reached the playoffs.

The progress was in large part due to Orlando's ability to draft and develop talent. Its top four scorers were 23 years old or younger, with 2022 No. 1 overall pick and now All-Star forward Paolo Banchero pacing the franchise's best season in over a decade.

This Wednesday, the Magic have the No. 18 overall pick in a draft that is viewed as weak. Magic President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman doesn't expect much difference from previous drafts.

"I think that drafts get regarded by their upside," Weltman said. "Are the top three guys superstar-potential players? This draft has been batted around a little bit [but] I think most drafts are pretty similar if you step back and say how many rotation players did it yield? How many starters did it yield? Most drafts are pretty similar. You're gonna have your outliers once in a while, but I think this draft is a more typical draft. I think there are players in here, we've just got to find them."

The last time the Magic picked outside of the top 14, they landed North Carolina freshman Cole Anthony. He has helped lead a bench that ranked fourth in the NBA last season in points per game.

Duke guard Jared McCain has a similar college profile. McCain, 20, helped lead Duke to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament and averaged 14.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists in his lone collegiate season. The 6-foot-2 guard also made 41.4 percent of his 3-pointers — an area of need for the Magic.

McCain has been a popular projected pick for Orlando in mock drafts, including The Ringer.

If the Magic are willing to bet on upside, that could point toward players such as Kansas' Johnny Furphy or Miami's Kyshawn George. While neither was consistently productive in their freshman seasons, they possess the size and versatility Orlando has proven to covet.

ESPN has connected Orlando to Furphy for much of the pre-draft process. ESPN also mentioned the Magic having interest in George and University of Pittsburgh point guard Carlton "Bub" Carrington.

The first round of the NBA Draft begins at 8 p.m. on Wednesday.

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