Magic Draft History: No. 6 Pick Gives Mixed Bag

The Orlando Magic have had the No. 6 pick twice before. What does the past say about what the future might hold?

Jeremy Brener | May 21, 2023

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Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic will soon be on the clock with the No. 6 pick, a familiar place to the organization in recent history.

The 2023 NBA Draft marks the third time in the last seven years that the Magic will hold the No. 6 pick.

In 2017, the Magic selected Jonathan Isaac, whose talent has made the jump from college to the pros. However, his injuries have hindered his career and led people to think what could have been. Ironically, the Magic may be drafting Isaac's eventual placement with this year's No. 6 overall pick.

A year later, the Magic found itself back in the No. 6 spot and selected Texas center Mo Bamba. The former Longhorn had a ton of promise coming into the league, but ultimately didn't pan out for Orlando. The Magic traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers this past February ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline.

However, there is hope for the Magic when it comes to the No. 6 pick. Every selection since 2012 is still in the NBA, and stars can be found at the position, including Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard (2012) and Boston Celtics forward Antoine Walker (1996). However, there are a fair share of infamous misses, including Jan Vesely (2011) and Jonny Flynn (2009), both of whom were taken over future Hall-of-Famers.

Ultimately, if the Magic keep this pick, Orlando must recognize the risk but be confident in who it takes.

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Published May 21, 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.