UCF Freshman Taylor Hendricks Declares for NBA Draft; Staying Home with Magic?

The Orlando Magic has two first-round picks in this year's NBA Draft. Could one of them be used on local UCF freshman Taylor Hendricks?

Jeremy Brener | Mar 22, 2023

UCF Freshman Taylor Hendricks Declares for NBA Draft; Staying Home with Magic? /

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Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - The immensely talented 2023 NBA Draft class just gained another member.

According to ESPN, UCF freshman forward Taylor Hendricks will forgo his remaining eligibility to declare for the NBA Draft, where he's expected to be a high first-round pick.

"I want to thank my mom and brothers Tyler and Jamal," Hendricks told ESPN. "Also, UCF and Coach Johnny Dawkins for pushing me to develop my game and help get me where I am now. Also, I want to thank the lord for ordering my steps through this whole journey."

Hendricks, UCF's highest-rated recruit in program history, averaged 15.1 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game this season. He also shot 39 percent from beyond the three-point line.

Hendricks is ranked 12th in ESPN's draft projections, which could be right around where the Orlando Magic is on the clock with its second pick.

The Magic acquired the Chicago Bulls' first-round pick this year back in 2021 when the team dealt Nikola Vucevic to the Windy City.

As a 6-9 forward, Hendricks is the ideal NBA size for a wing and fits right into the build of players like Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero, both of whom were Orlando's first-round picks in each of the past two years.

Drafting Hendricks may mean there is a challenge for him to crack the starting lineup with Wagner and Banchero there, but he could be a three-and-D wing archetype off the bench that could turn the hometown Magic from a good to great team.

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Published Mar 22, 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.