NBA Mock Draft: Magic Adds 'Explosive' & 'Sharp-Shooting' Wings

The Orlando Magic could make some noise this summer with two first-round picks.

Jeremy Brener | Apr 13, 2023

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Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic could be looking to add a pair of lottery picks in this summer's NBA Draft.

With a talented young roster, the Magic appears to be doubling down on the team's potential.

ESPN recently curated a mock draft with Orlando selecting Overtime Elite prospect Ausar Thompson with the No. 6 overall pick.

"Adding an explosive two-way wing in Ausar Thompson could make sense, especially if they believe in the progress he showed as a perimeter shooter this season," ESPN writes. "Ausar's passing, defensive versatility and transition-scoring prowess gives him one of the highest upsides of any prospect in this draft, and his fit on Orlando looks strong provided he is able to space the floor adequately with his improving jumper."

Thompson would compete alongside Jalen Suggs and Gary Harris for a spot in the starting lineup, a competition that could be challenging ... but it doesn't stop there.

The Magic struggled from long-distance shooting this season, making just 34.6 percent of threes, a mark good enough for 24th in the league. That's why ESPN projects the Magic to take UConn National Championship guard Jordan Hawkins with the No. 11 overall pick.

"Surrounding their young talent with floor-spacers will be a major priority for the Magic, who ranked among the NBA's least prolific 3-point shooting teams last season," ESPN writes. "Hawkins led all projected prospects in 3-pointers made while hitting 39% of his attempts on UConn's path to a national championship. He is more than a stand-still shooter, showing significant versatility on the move while getting to the free throw line at a strong rate and making strides with his passing and defense. With often-injured Gary Harris entering the final season of his contract, a sharp-shooting wing like Hawkins makes sense."

Adding two guard/wing hybrids in the mix in Orlando could be a struggle given the team's strong depth at the position already, but the Magic's roster is sound throughout and it will only get better after figuring out what to do with these two picks.

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Published Apr 13, 2023

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.