With the NBA season on hiatus, we ranked the Orlando Magic’s last ten first-round draft picks, where there are names fans would probably like to forget.
The best small-market NBA teams draft well. The San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Utah Jazz have been successful with this model, and despite a recent stretch of futility, so have the Orlando Magic. During Orlando’s NBA Finals run in 2008-09, they were led by 2004 first-rounders Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson.
(Technically, Orlando traded for Nelson on draft day, but Jameer is one of the most beloved players in franchise history, so I’m lumping him in with Dwight.)
But the Magic haven’t drafted an All-Star since Howard and championship teams are usually about finding that elusive superstar to build around. The current Magic squad has young talent, but it’s still unknown if a superstar exists on their roster.
Like most teams, the Magic’s draft picks range from success to failure. They have their share of hits, misses, and busts. It hasn’t been great, but it could’ve been a lot worse.
Chuma Okeke (’19) is yet to play a game in Orlando, and Fran Vasquez (’05) never suited up for any NBA team. They were left off the list. Players left off this list were selected by Orlando but traded on draft-night like Domantas Sabonis. Each player was ranked by their tenure with the Magic, not by their career in any other place.