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The Orlando Magic continue to prepare for the 2013 NBA Draft, which is set for June 27th. In his latest mock draft for ESPN Insider, Chad Ford pegs Orlando to select Kentucky center Nerlens Noel with the top overall pick, but Noel may not be the highest player on Orlando's board.
"According to sources, Orlando had its heart set on Oklahoma State's Marcus Smart," Ford says, "until he broke its heart when he decided to stay in college." Further complicating Orlando's options if it wins the first overall pick is that Noel, the consensus top prospect in the class, won't address the team's need for a young point guard. If the Magic prefer to go with a point guard, Michigan's Trey Burke is an option for Orlando, Ford says.
Smart posted 15.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in his freshman season as he earned Big 12 Player of the Year and Consensus All-American Second-Team honors, and he looked like a surefire high lottery pick. Instead of entering the Draft, he opted to return to Oklahoma State for at least one more season.
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