NBA Draft: Should Magic Trade Back Into First Round?

The team has two picks at the top of the second round.

Jeremy Brener | Jun 1, 2022

NBA Draft: Should Magic Trade Back Into First Round? /

ORLANDO -- The Orlando Magic hold the top pick in this month's NBA Draft, and the team is probably going to keep it to select either Auburn's Jabari Smith or Gonzaga's Chet Holmgren.

However, the team also has two second-round picks at Nos. 32 & 35 that hold a little less certainty.

The team could stay where it is and take two players at the top of the second round, trade back to acquire more assets or dip their toes back in the first round.

All three are legitimate options, but the most intriguing one is definitely finding a way to trade back into the first round.

A standard rookie contract for a first-round pick is typically a four-year deal with the third and fourth years being team options. That's why Indiana Pacers second-year player Jalen Smith, the 10th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, is an unrestricted free agent this coming season. The Phoenix Suns drafted him in the lottery, but once they saw no path for Smith to get minutes on a contending team, they declined his team option, making him an unrestricted free agent.

In the case of a player like Mo Bamba, the Magic's 2018 first-round draft pick, he played four years on his rookie deal but now faces restricted free agency. This means that the Magic could match any offer he signs in free agency this year.

Second round picks aren't given the luxury of restricted free agency.

For a player like Dallas Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson, a second-round selection in 2018, he enters unrestricted free agency instead of restricted because he was a second round pick. This means that he will get to choose any team to sign with.

The second-round picks also get less guaranteed money than their first-round colleagues.

The rules favors players who come into the league with higher draft stock, but rewards second-round picks who can find a way to make it work.

That's why trading back into the first round benefits the Magic, as it gives more control over its selection. And the team doesn't have to risk not drafting the player it wants.

But any trade in the NBA Draft is a risk. Just make sure the risk warrants the reward.

Published Jun 1, 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.