2023 NBA Mock Draft: Magic Adds Pair of Top-10 Picks

The Orlando Magic could be one of the biggest players in the 2023 NBA Draft with two potential lottery picks.

Jeremy Brener | Dec 29, 2022

2023 NBA Mock Draft: Magic Adds Pair of Top-10 Picks /

ORLANDO - With the calendar about to flip to 2023 and college basketball about to reach conference play, NBA mock drafts are beginning to enter preliminary phases.

ESPN released its first 2023 mock draft and has the Orlando Magic taking a pair of top-10 picks, one with their own selection at No. 6 and the other with the Chicago Bulls selection, which was acquired in the trade for Nikola Vucevic back in 2021 and is top-4 protected this year.

With the No. 6 pick, ESPN projects the Magic to take Cam Whitmore, a 6-7 freshman forward out of Villanova. Whitmore is averaging 11.3 points and 5.7 rebounds so far this season with the Wildcats. Should he come to Orlando, he could slot in next to Franz Wagner on the wing. Whitmore has a ton of upside, but will need to improve his three-point shot, which he's only making 24 percent of at this point in the season.

With the No. 9 pick, the mock draft projects Kentucky freshman guard Cason Wallace, who's averaging 12.4 points per game. Wallace could add competition next to Markelle Fultz and Cole Anthony to be the team's starting point guard of the future, but it could also create a logjam in the backcourt.

The mock draft also has the Magic taking Tennessee forward Julian Phillips, an athletic 6-8 freshman with the ideal NBA body but skills that need some fine-tuning before he becomes a legitimate rotational piece.

There's still a lot of season left and the Magic could move all the way up or down the standings, but the wheels are beginning to turn towards the next draft class.

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Published Dec 29, 2022

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.