What If Orlando Magic Slip in NBA Draft Lottery?

The Magic have a 20 percent chance to end up with the 6th pick.

Jeremy Brener | May 14, 2022

What If Orlando Magic Slip in NBA Draft Lottery? /

When the NBA Draft Lottery comes Tuesday, the absolute worst-case scenario for the Orlando Magic is to end up with the sixth overall pick.

A.J. Griffin

Well, in Kevin O'Connor's most recent mock draft, that's exactly what happens for the Magic.

The Magic drop to the sixth pick in the draft and end up with A.J. Griffin, a small forward out of Duke.

"You have young guys who you hope can become primary options..." O'Connor said. "He's a baseline as a 3-and-D style guy... but can he turn into a primary? That's a question going to be answered over the course of time."

Griffin appears to fit the mold of a lot of the Magic's current makeup of players. There's talent all over the roster, but there isn't anyone who has showcased definite star potential yet. And Griffin would be categorized along with the same group of guys the team is building around: Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner and Cole Anthony.

USATSI_18010148 — Robert Deutsch/USA Today Sports

Paolo Banchero

Jabari Smith

There's only a 20 percent chance the Magic end up with the 6th pick, but if the Magic fell there, would they try and trade up into the top 3 to take someone like Jabari Smith, Chet Holmgren or Paolo Banchero?

Considering those three players have the best star potential in the draft, it's definitely something the Magic should consider. However, given the fact that there's a steep dropoff between the top 3 and the rest of the class, it's unlikely any team is trading down from a top 3 pick.

While Griffin would be a decent selection, the Magic need someone who is going to shake this franchise up and he doesn't fit that archetype.

The NBA Draft Lottery takes place Tuesday, May 17 at 8 p.m.

Published May 14, 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.