After a decade of near-misses and bad luck, the Orlando Magic finally had their moment on Tuesday night when they won the NBA Draft Lottery. A fantastic turn of events for a franchise that is in dire need of a bounce to go their way, with one of their more famous fans missing the lottery in the hopes it would give the franchise a better chance to win.
Superstitious as that may be, it worked. The Magic will have their pick from an intriguing 2022 draft class. One that features possible standouts like Chet Holmgren, Paolo Banchero, and Jabari Smith, all of whom look like they could be a potential cornerstone for an organization that has been searching for one since 2012.
Orlando Magic fans everywhere are feeling a bit giddy by this turn of events, so let’s really lean into the optimism of it all and go a bit wild here.
It is time to look at some of the more wild and outrageous directions that the Magic are going to go after nabbing the top pick. After all, the two times that they’ve taken and kept the first pick before, they ended up with two Hall-of-Fame players in Shaquille O’Neal and Dwight Howard. Both nicknamed Superman (sorry Shaq), and who both led the team to the finals.
We’re some way off that, but with the Magic having a young collection of intriguing talent already at their disposal, this feels like the moment when things begin to turn for them. We are still some way off free agents actually choosing to come down to Orlando to play, but no matter what, this group just became much-watch League Pass television next year.
3 overreactions to the Orlando Magic getting the first-overall pick: 1. It could have been a better year
Alright, so it is not going to be all optimistic here. We had to draw you in somehow to keep reading. Obviously, there are no problems in getting the first overall pick, but the only potential downside is that this is not a can’t-miss year like we have seen before. There is no Zion Williamson or Anthony Davis, or even Karl-Anthony Towns, waiting for them on draft night.
Between Banchero, Holmgren, and Smith, there is still some conversation as to who is the best player and the right one to take. It might seem like all are can’t-miss talents, and that’s because, on the surface, they are. But remember, for every Kevin Durant being selected second overall, a Greg Oden was taken first.
So the Magic won’t have their decision made for them like the Oklahoma City Thunder (selecting second) and Houston Rockets (third) will. There is a degree of pressure to get this right and not just take the best available player when the time comes.
On the other hand, though, the Magic have always seemed to pick one spot outside the top-tier talents in the last decade. Whether it was Jonathan Isaac, Mohamed Bamba, or Mario Hezonja, they all came just after superstars like Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, and Trae Young. They even missed out on potential stars like Lonzo Ball and Evan Mobley.
So having their destiny in their own hands is a new feeling to them and one that they are going to enjoy. The Magic picked second in 2013 and took Victor Oladipo that year. That was a strange draft, and the organization was bad at the wrong time, as it was not a good year to have a top-three pick.
The concerns about this happening are not as strong in 2022. There might be no can’t-miss player at one, but the overall top group of players is just stronger than in 2013. The early feeling is that Holmgren is going to be the guy for them. His mix of unique skillset and size, despite the wiry frame, adds up to the kind of player that the Magic front office seems to always gravitate towards.
3 overreactions to the Orlando Magic getting the first-overall pick: 2. Big trades are coming
No matter who the Magic pick, this will put in motion the beginning of the end for a number of players on the team. The franchise had a first rebuild that was centered around Jonathan Isaac and Mo Bamba, and that did not get off the ground. Instead, Bamba has never really kicked on, and Isaac hasn’t played in two full seasons.
The front office then did a reboot on this, selecting Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner last year to pair with Cole Anthony from the year before and Wendell Carter Jr. from the trade that sent Nikola Vucevic to the Chicago Bulls. If we assume they are going to take Holmgren for now, just imagine him next to that collection of young talent.
Markelle Fultz may have been part of the first rebuild, but he has a future in Orlando. He is too talented and moves the needle too much when on the court to give up on. The Magic have a choice to make on whether or not to pay Bamba, but they shouldn’t. Instead, look for them to move on form him and see if they can get anything at all for Isaac.
His trade value is on the floor right now, but he’s intriguing enough for another franchise to at least enquire about him. As great a locker room presence as Terrence Ross is, he should be moved for either a couple of picks or another player on a similar timeline to this group in order to accelerate their rebuild.
RJ Hampton has a lot of redeemable qualities and is still only 21. But there are going to be tough decisions made, and players squeezed out of the rotation. Right now, it looks like Hampton could be that fall guy if the backcourt rotation revolves around Fultz and Suggs. Not everybody can get paid and get the role they want, and with a first overall pick coming, changes will be made.
3 overreactions to the Orlando Magic getting the first-overall pick: 1. Contention within the next five years
No, this is not a joke. The Magic now has a young core that lost many games last year, but they picked up valuable experience. In theory, they are going to draft a player this summer that will have All-NBA potential if all goes well. They already have a center in Carter Jr. who has drawn comparisons to Al Horford, and Wagner looked like their best rookie in years last season.
Anthony is a fan favorite, Fultz will get better, and Suggs can only go up from what was a pretty disappointing first season for him. One that was made even worse by the fact Scottie Barnes, whom the Magic could have taken and fans were glad they did not in favor of Suggs, ended up winning Rookie of the Year with the Toronto Raptors.
Head coach Jamahl Mosley is in it for the long haul, and the organization has cap flexibility if and when a mid-tier star decides they want to try something new with an up-and-coming team. Perhaps even a disgruntled star in another small market like Donovan Mitchell. You never know.
There are more draft picks to come, and the Magic are being run by a smart front office. Armed with a first overall pick, there are no clouds in their immediate future. Time is on their side to get this right, and they have a fanbase that has suffered so much that they will buy into whatever version of this team that is formed. It already looks more promising than what came before it.
So yes, contention in the next five years should be the goal. Getting back to the playoffs in two years would be a great start before the inevitable trials, tribulations, and setbacks that come with being a young team in the postseason. It wasn’t looking too bad for the Magic, but after this news, the acceleration towards a brighter future is well underway.