ORLANDO – With the NBA Draft Combine in the rearview mirror, the Orlando Magic are in the process of hosting in-person workouts and interviews as they attempt to narrow down the field of options that they’ll be choosing from with the No. 18 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
It’s impossible for anyone to accurately predict who Orlando will choose. No one knows how the 17 prior selections will exactly fall, and even if they did, Magic President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman is certainly not going to tip his hand.
Even when Orlando was picking in the lottery, prognosticators still had difficulty nailing down the Magic’s pick. Last year, with Orlando holding picks six and 11, only two of the 22 selections included in our Media Mock Draft accurately nailed down a pick with both CBS Sports and NBC Sports correctly predicting Anthony Black to the Magic at sixth overall.
And, even when the Magic had the first overall pick in 2022, only two of the 14 publications included correctly had Orlando selecting Paolo Banchero at No. 1.
So, if you’re looking for the consensus to be accurate, you may want to reevaluate your process. However, if you’re looking for some of the names that will likely be in consideration, you’ve come to the right place.
So, without further ado, let’s see who the media is mocking to the Magic at pick No. 18 in the 2024 NBA Draft:
Jared McCain | G | Duke: “Shotmaking has and will always be what powers his offense and value, but McCain’s effectiveness this year in ball-screen situations, using change of speed, footwork, crafty finishing and vision, point to more on-ball upside with his creativity and feel.” – Jonathan Wasserman | Read More
Ja’Kobe Walter | SG/SF | Baylor: “He’s going to get pegged with a safe label that sees a three-and-D 2-guard who can defend both wing positions. The lack of creation and playmaking may just make it tougher for teams to picture upside worth a top-10 pick.” – Jonathan Wasserman | Read More
Johnny Furphy | SG | Kansas: “Furphy, an unusually long guard, comes from a family of athletes in Australia and just shot 46.6% from the field and 35.2% from 3-point range while starting 19 times for the Jayhawks.” – Gary Parrish | Read More
Johnny Furphy | SG | Kansas: “The Magic ranked among the NBA’s least prolific teams in both 3-pointers made and attempted last season. Enter Furphy, who has multi-positional versatility operating in different lineup configurations with some outside shooting potential.” – Jonathan Givony
Isaiah Collier | PG | USC: “There’s a reason why Collier was once viewed as a top-pick candidate, and it would be hard for me to let him fall further than this. He’ll need time to hone his shooting and decision-making, and if those skills don’t improve enough, this could be a miss, but his strength, burst and passing skills are appealing.” – Jeremy Woo | Read More
Zach Edey | C | Purdue: “Purdue center Zach Edey, the two-time National Player of the Year, is a dominant low-post scorer, rebounder, and rim protector. Some NBA talent evaluators, however, believe he’ll be targeted defensively in pick-and-roll actions and struggle guarding smaller guards on the perimeter.” – Michael Scotto | Read More
Tristan da Silva | F | Colorado: “He compared himself to Magic forward Franz Wagner when chatting with HoopsHype and earned his highest projection in the aggregate mock draft since the start of the college basketball season. The 23-year-old combo forward fills the stat sheet across the board and shot 39.5 percent from three-point range in his past two seasons with Colorado, giving NBA talent evaluators confidence he can carve out a role as a stretch-four.” – Michael Scotto | Read More
KyShawn George | SF | Miami: “6-8 “point forward” who oozes potential as a player with polished ball skills, forward size and an innate feel for the game.” – Read More
Jared McCain | G | Duke: “McCain’s shotmaking and playmaking skill would be a dream fit with Orlando’s existing core pieces.” – Kevin O’Connor | Read More
Jared McCain | G | Duke: “McCain was a prolific high school shooter out of Southern California who proved his shot could translate to the next level when he showed up at Duke. The freshman guard hit 41.4 percent of his threes on nearly six attempts per game, and also made 88.5 percent of his free throws.” – Ricky O’Donnell | Read More
Tristan da Silva | F | Colorado: “The 22-year-old is highly touted for his shotmaking and ability to drive and move the ball. He is a good cutter and constantly moves on offense, which makes him a good fit for the Magic. They had trouble finding playing time for two rookies this season, so it will be worth monitoring how the organization approaches this pick.” – Cody Taylor | Read More
Isaiah Collier | PG | USC: “Collier didn’t have a breakout season at USC, but he was a top recruit out of high school and a player whose game could translate to the NBA and exceed his draft stock in this weaker draft class.” – Krysten Peek | Read More
Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Orlando Magic. All opinions expressed by Dan Savage are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Orlando Magic or their Basketball Operations staff, partners or sponsors.
