Magic Lands 2 Lottery Picks; Trade Coming?

Trade rumors will surround the Orlando Magic for the next several weeks as the NBA Draft draws closer.

Jeremy Brener | May 16, 2023

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Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic has struck out on the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes, but the team is walking away from the NBA Draft Lottery with a solid consolation prize.

After the Chicago Bulls' pick conveyed to the Magic, Orlando now has the No. 6 and No. 11 pick in this year's draft.

With two high picks, the Magic could add a pair of promising prospects to its strong core of young rising talents. However, finding the playing time for both of them while also looking for that with the players currently on the roster will be a challenge.

The Magic's current setup makes the team a popular commodity on the trade market this summer. Orlando could turn one or both of its picks in the top part of the draft into future capital or a player that can help the team now.

Teams like the San Antonio Spurs and Charlotte Hornets, both of whom could use multiple pieces to build around, could truly benefit from adding another player in the draft.

No matter how the Magic utilizes its two picks, Orlando has several avenues in which it can improve during the draft as the team looks to make its first playoff appearance since 2020.

The NBA Draft takes place on June 22, five weeks from Thursday.

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Published May 16, 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.