Orlando, FL – Magic fans had been counting the days until the NBA Draft lottery since the regular season ended. The Magic ended the season tied with the Detroit Pistons and the Houston Rockets for the best odds (14%) to land the number one overall pick in the NBA Draft. The hope has been for the Magic to end up with one of the top three picks, which will ensure them a shot at drafting one of the top prospects in the 2021 NBA Draft. The majority of the fan base had their eyes set on two prospects in particular – Cade Cunningham and Jalen Green.
While the young roster of the Magic has some really intriguing players that can develop into solid NBA players, there’s a clear lack of a true go-to scorer and a player that can change the course of the franchise for years to come. The 2021 NBA Draft presented the Magic the opportunity to draft a player who has that potential and can make an impact on the team right away.
As the NBA Draft lottery approached, the excitement could be felt on social media and whenever you interacted with a Magic fan. Fans were ready to see their team secure a top-3 pick in the draft. This could be the pick that makes it all come together and help the Magic rebuild efforts much easier.
As the day arrived, the Magic and its fans were ready to make it official. The lottery started well for the Magic, with the Bulls securing the 8th pick, which meant the 2021 Bulls first round draft pick acquired in the Nikola Vucevic trade will be awarded to the Magic. Had the pick landed in the top 4, it would have been kept by the Bulls, so definitely a good start to the lottery for the Magic. A few minutes later we found out the Raptors had moved into the top 4, which started to worry some a bit. A few seconds later came the big announcement: “the Orlando Magic will be picking 5th in the 2021 NBA Draft.” Disappointment everywhere. What a letdown. The Magic ended up dropping in the NBA Draft Lottery yet again. Why does it keep happening to the Magic?
Do not get me wrong, it could have been worse. The Magic could have dropped out of the top-5, but this was not what the organization or the fans needed or wanted. The reality is that The Magic should be able to draft a solid prospect with the fifth pick. For a while now the 2021 NBA Draft top-5 prospects have been considered potential all stars. After that, there’s a significant drop off in talent according to NBA draft analysts, so at least the Magic will be able to get one of those top-5 prospects. The issue is that more than likely the players the Magic organization and fan base wanted (Mobley, Cade, Green and perhaps even Suggs) will be gone by the time the Magic get to make their selection.
As it normally happens in the NBA Draft, there could be plenty of surprises. Players we are not currently projecting to go in the top-4 can make some teams fall in love with them and all of a sudden one of those prospects jump into the top 4. This would open the door for the Magic to end up with one of the high covered top-4 prospects. The Magic also have plenty of assets to put together a solid package if they want to attempt to trade into the top-4, but do any of the teams currently owning those picks want to trade down?
The Magic are expected to have plenty of conversations about what to do heading into the draft in the upcoming weeks. One thing is clear, if the Magic have the opportunity to move up in the draft and acquire a player like Jalen Green they need to do so. He’s the one player that seems to fit best with the Magic current roster and he would be able to make an impact on the team right away. Now, if the Magic are not able to move up in the draft, then that opens up a world of possibilities for the team. Do they draft Jonathan Kuminga who is projected to be a solid prospect, but a bit raw at the moment and then get creative with the 8th pick and other assets to acquire a scorer via trade? Do they package both picks and other assets and pursue a talented player like Bradley Beal or CJ McCollum? Although unlikely, these are the types of decisions the front office will need to make heading into the 2021 NBA Draft.
by Al Grullon
June 28, 2021
Below is a video of our live reaction to the NBA Draft Lottery results: