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The NBA Draft is upon us.
Not as much intrigue in Orlando this season with the Magic being outside of the lottery, but impact role players could be available at No. 16. Plus, Jeff Weltman and John Hammond have had some success finding gems with with mid-to-late first round picks with their former teams...
With the Draft a few hours away, we gathered some of the final mock draft predictions from around the web to see who the experts have the Magic taking. Also don’t forget to check out our Aaron Goldstone’s draft profiles on some of the players the Magic may target at 16.
Click on each publication for the full mock draft...
SB Nation - Magic select Nassir Little
Little legitimately entered the season with more NBA hype than Zion Williamson before a one-and-done season at North Carolina that provided more questions than answers. Little came off the bench all year behind a veteran Tar Heels front court and failed to carve out a consistent role until the end of the season. He looked lost on offense for most of the year, showing a serious inability to make plays for anyone else and disappointing evaluators with his struggles shooting from three-point range. Even still, Little was once so highly touted because he plays hard and has a perfect frame for a modern combo forward. He feels like one of the biggest boom-or-bust prospects in this draft. -- Ricky O’Donnell
The Athletic - Magic select Keldon Johnson
I’ve gone with Johnson here. His range is something around No. 9 to 18, as he’s considered one of the more complete wings in the class in regard to skillset. He’s not necessarily elite at anything, but he’s a good shooter, can drive in a straight line, defend multiple positions, and he makes the right play while also possessing a high-character personality. He might not be the sexiest pick, but Johnson would fill a real hole for the Magic as a wing who can knock down shots. Additionally, while he’s not the longest player in the world, he does have good positional size with an 8-foot-8 standing reach for a wing, and we know how John Hammond and Jeff Weltman tend to value length and size. -- Sam Vecenie
Bleacher Report - Magic select Nickeil Alexander-Walker
Alexander-Walker should look like a fit for multiple teams drafting in the teens based on his backcourt versatility. He earned an invitation to the green room after expanding his off-the-dribble game and playmaking while continuing to shoot threes with comfort. -- Jonathan Wasserman
The Ringer - Magic select Tyler Herro
Pluses: Quick shooting release with NBA range; he’s capable of catching and shooting the ball at tough angles. Herro’s upside shooting off the dribble is his most tantalizing skill. He’s comfortable with sidestep pull-ups, especially going to his left. Natural feel for off-ball relocation to get open for spot-up jumpers or cuts to the basket; he’ll wear out defenders with his constant, deceptive movement. Has potential as a crafty interior finisher; he has a soft floater and he’s adept at using his off hand on layups. Intelligent passer who knows how to leverage his height to pass over the defense. Runs hard in transition to the wings and corners for 3s. Hustles on defense and crashes the boards. His physical profile should support more muscle, which would allow him to defend stronger NBA wings and forwards. Works hard and models his game after Devin Booker, who had eerily similar strengths and weaknesses entering the NBA. -- Kevin O’Connor
Sports Illustrated - Magic select Nickeil Alexander-Walker
With a host of recent lottery picks still developing in the frontcourt, it would make sense for the Magic to shore up the perimeter with this selection. Alexander-Walker possesses an excellent complementary skillset, shoots and moves the ball well and would be a strong partner for Markelle Fultz, who will get a career reset when he makes his Magic debut next season. There is no way to maximize Fultz without putting reliable shooters around him, and Orlando is hoping to rehabilitate his value, acquiring him at a very palatable price (primarily, a top-20 protected first in next year’s draft).
Scoring-oriented wings like Romeo Langford and Nassir Little could be on the board here, but neither one is a great fit with Fultz, or with Orlando’s roster in general. As a bigger guard who defends, can make plays for others and will be at his best working off of another perimeter creator, Alexander-Walker’s versatility vibes nicely with what they’re building. -- Jeremy Woo
CBS Sports - Magic select Tyler Herro
The best shooter in this draft? Maybe. And that’s one thing that this Magic team — loaded with potential but missing some key ingredients — needs. A 6-foot-6 guard who can score in multiple ways? That’ll do. He’s got size and can shoot it. -- Reid Forgrave
Sporting News - Magic select Tyler Herro
Terrence Ross is set to enter free agency, which means the lone above average 3-point shooter the Magic have on the wing could be set to depart. It’s a scenario that could set them up perfectly to select Herro here at No. 16.
The Kentucky product is one of the draft’s best shooters with the ability to knock down jumpers on the move, off the catch or out of ball screens. He can even occasionally operate as a tertiary ball handler on pick-and-rolls. It might physically pain some in Orlando’s front office to select a prospect with a negative wingspan, but Herro’s skill set is just too important for what the Magic’s roster needs. -- Chris Stone
Yahoo Sports - Magic select Nickeil Alexander-Walker
A versatile guard who had to play the point and the two at Virginia Tech, Alexander-Walker has the potential to be a solid contributor. He can shoot the three, and with his speed he could flourish in Orlando. The Magic have a pretty strong frontcourt with Aaron Gordon and Mo Bamba, and Alexander-Walker can come in and be the shooter they need. -- Krysten Peek
NBADraft.net - Magic select Tyler Herro
Projects to be a serviceable bench player to spot starter early in his career with the ability to develop into a reliable scorer at the next level ... May never be good enough defensively to fill the 3 and D role, but rapid development in college suggests the ability to carve out an important role on a good team ... Is often viewed as just a shooter, but can score in a variety of ways and should be able to translate that portion of his game to the NBA ... Could play a Richard Hamilton type role offensively for a number of teams, albeit with a significantly smaller usage rate ... The added spacing of an NBA offense should open up his offense beyond what he was able to show at Kentucky ... Lack of versatility could limit him as he isn’t a ball handler, but his offensive ability could really impress teams in pre-draft workouts. -- Eric Yearian
New York Post - Magic select Tyler Herro
He can shoot off the dribble and hit over 40 percent from deep. If Markelle Fultz can get right, they can give the Magic much-needed perimeter help, especially if they lose Terrence Ross. -- Brian Lewis
Los Angeles Times - Magic select Romeo Langford
He’ll need to improve as a shooter, but Langford’s other skills have scouts intrigued. -- Dan Woike