Who's No. 1? ESPN Projects Big Orlando Magic Haul in Post-Lottery Mock Draft

The Magic have three picks in the upcoming draft, including the No. 1 overall selection.

Jeremy Brener | May 18, 2022

Who's No. 1? ESPN Projects Big Orlando Magic Haul in Post-Lottery Mock Draft /

The Orlando Magic won big Tuesday night after being slated to select first in next month's NBA Draft. It's the first time the Magic have been on the clock to start the draft since 2004.

Chet Holmgren

USATSI_18010148 — Robert Deutsch/USA Today Sports

Paolo Banchero

Jabari Smith

The Magic currently have three picks in the upcoming draft (Nos. 1, 32 & 35).

With the first pick, the team has a choice between Duke's Paolo Banchero, Gonzaga's Chet Holmgren and Auburn's Jabari Smith. ESPN projects that the Magic will choose the latter of the three.

"The Magic struggled to space the floor effectively last season, and Smith is arguably the most dynamic shooter in the college game, converting 42% of his 3-pointers despite standing 6-foot-10," ESPN said. "He's also a highly versatile defender who plays with outstanding intensity, switching all over the floor with quick feet and impressive energy, giving the Magic the ability to play in a variety of lineup configurations with their many existing pieces."

Jamahl Mosley

With the team's other two selections, ESPN has the Magic selecting Colorado State power forward David Roddy and New Zealand Breakers guard Hugo Besson.

Roddy, the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year this past season, averaged 19.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game for the Rams, leading his team to a 6-seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Roddy has not hired an agent yet, meaning he can remain college-eligible if he isn't ready to make the jump to the NBA. Roddy has until June 1 to make a decision on whether he will stay in the draft.

Besson, who hails from France originally, played for R.J. Hampton's old team, the New Zealand Breakers last season. In 25 games with the team, he averaged 13.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.

Published May 18, 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.