NBA Draft Lottery: What's at Stake For Orlando Magic?

The NBA Draft Lottery takes place Tuesday.

Jeremy Brener | May 16, 2022

NBA Draft Lottery: What's at Stake For Orlando Magic? /

With the NBA Draft Lottery fast approaching, there's a lot at stake for the Orlando Magic.

A.J. Griffin

The Magic have a 14 percent chance to land the top pick, tied for the best odds with the Houston Rockets, Detroit Pistons and Oklahoma City Thunder.

As for the worst case scenario, the Magic can land no further than the sixth overall pick.

"Orlando would theoretically be a good fit for any of the top forward prospects," Woo writes. "It has historically been content to roster young players and allow the talent hierarchy to sort itself out."

As for who's the best fit, Woo says it's likely Auburn forward Jabari Smith.

"Jabari Smith and his shooting are probably the best fit for the roster as constituted, but the Magic would strongly benefit from adding any of the top guys," Woo said.

USATSI_18010148 — Robert Deutsch/USA Today Sports

Paolo Banchero

USATSI_18003272 — Bob Donnan/USA Today Sports

Paolo Banchero

As for who isn't the best fit, Woo thinks that it isn't wise for the Magic to add another guard to the roster after drafting Cole Anthony and Jalen Suggs in back-to-back drafts.

"Jaden Ivey perhaps isn’t a natural fit with the guards already on the roster. Making the right pick here could really accelerate Orlando’s timeline for a return to playoff contention, but right now the odds are they’ll also be picking in the lottery next year. Picking anywhere in the top three would be ideal, and falling to No. 5 or No. 6 would be a tough break."

The NBA Draft Lottery takes place at 8 p.m. Tuesday on ESPN.

Published May 16, 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.