The Magic Insider

Magic Hopes to Build 'Pathway to Success' for Incoming Rookie Class

The NBA Draft is days away and the Orlando Magic has two picks it could make early in the night.

Jeremy Brener

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ORLANDO - Cards will be revealed during this week's NBA Draft and the mystery surrounding who the Orlando Magic will select will finally be uncovered.

With the Nos. 6 & 11 picks, the Magic has four different paths of action ... Trade No. 6, No. 11, both, or none.

Orlando's current roster already has a lot of promise. Here's a look at the potential depth chart ...

PG: Markelle Fultz / Cole Anthony

SG: Gary Harris / Jalen Suggs

SF: Franz Wagner / Bol Bol

PF: Paolo Banchero / Jonathan Isaac

C: Wendell Carter Jr.

The nine players don't even include last year's rookie Caleb Houstan nor takes into account the fact that the team will sign a couple of free agents. Adding two rookies to this rotation could be counterproductive as the team may not have minutes to offer. But Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman says that whoever the team drafts will have an opportunity to succeed.

"One of the things that we're very keen on paying attention to is giving each player a pathway to success and growing into their potential here," Weltman said. "That is part of our discussion as we go through the process."

It simply doesn't make a ton of sense to pick a strict power forward if Banchero and Isaac play all the minutes at that position. Granted, Isaac's injury history and lack of guaranteed money on his contract could give Orlando reason to take a player there, but maybe not with such a high selection. It would be one thing if these were second-round picks, but the Magic has two lottery choices, and each player taken at that place in the draft -- whether he eventually ends up in Orlando or not -- will have the chance to be a really strong player in the NBA ... if he has a pathway towards success.

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Jeremy Brener
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.

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