Orlando’s Win-Now Mentality TRANSFORMS Draft Approach | Where do the Magic GO NOW?

Orlando’s Win-Now Mentality TRANSFORMS Draft Approach | Where do the Magic GO NOW?

on today’s show on the locked on NBA big board podcast it is another crossover episode i did one with locked on Bucks and Camille Davis in this episode we’re going to talk about the Orlando Magic and what they should do with their two first round picks let’s go [Music] and I am joined by the man of the month the the busiest person in the lockdown podcast network uh for the next three four weeks maybe a little bit longer after that because then we have to deal with the draft math and all that stuff it is NB Raphael Barlo of NBA Big Board uh Raphael thank you for taking the time i know I am lending some of my air time to to you as well as it’s very very busy for for all of us here in the NBA with the finals and the draft shortly therea shortly thereafter uh first how are you doing like like what what is what is life like right now it’s actually good i mean there’s 16 days until the draft so um you try to add more time onto it but it’s 16 days not three weeks so it’s it it comes quickly and and I I always love this jeff Welman the Magic’s president of basketball operations always says this if you did the draft tomorrow or drift did do the draft in 16 days it’s going to be completely different and it’s just like this little window of time is the one chance you get to do it but it’d be completely different if you do it 24 hours later 24 hours before 48 hours later two weeks before it is it is a wild wild thing and so obviously uh we’re all trying to get a grip on on the draft a lot of us us team guys especially us team guys who’ve been in the playoffs we’re not as worried about the draft a as we used to be but we were talking a little bit before about how the the draft is changing a little bit um you know we saw some players decide to stay in school one of my favorite prospects Yakel Lendorg um who I thought Magic would have been a very good chance of picking him at at 25 or 16 to be honest um decided to return to Michigan which only makes him more likely to be picked by the Magic in the very near future um how has the the a the age of parody that we’re seeing in this league changed how prospects are approaching this draft as well as maybe how how you’re hearing teams are approaching this draft considering how cheap rookie contracts are i think parody is part of it but I think the biggest influence is NIL i mean Axel Lindberg I I thought he was the first round pick like I watched him work out a couple times but before the combine and I’m just like there’s no way this guy’s going back to school he’s a first round pick he played well at the combine and he chose to go back to Michigan that just shows you how how like important or or just how influential the NIL is and then when I think about Yako from an Orlando Magic standpoint it’s like oh yeah I would have went back to school too i’ll probably I’ll make more money unless he was the 16th pick uh but I’m gonna make more money at Michigan i’m going to play 30 minutes a game if if I’m drafted by Orlando like where am I going to play i mean I just saw Tristan Dilva didn’t play a lot i just saw Jet Howard didn’t play a lot so I think that is probably one of the biggest the like the the biggest impact that you’re seeing is I think players are looking at the money they can make in college looking at their draft range and saying like “No I’m gonna play 30 minutes in school and I’m gonna make more money so I’ll just wait.” Now in Yakel’s case I think it’s going to be 24 at the time next year and I don’t know if his stock can be even higher than what it is right now so he’s he’s taking a risk but if he’s got $3 million I mean I guess that’s kind of worth the risk but then it then again it could be like you’re stepping over dollars to get pennies on one on one standpoint because the $3 million or whatever he’s getting in in Iel could be it’s it’s nothing compared to what he could get if he’s you know big second contract yeah exactly it’s it’s it’s really interesting to see this this dynamic and I think it it definitely feels like it adds some intrigue to the draft because you know last year the Magic took Tristan Dilva and obviously he played a bigger role toward the start of the season when they were dealing with a lot of injuries gave them a lot of stability you could kind of feel like okay this is a guy who gets it he played four years in college you know was a veteran player was good in summer league was good in summer league and played like honestly like played well in the NBA like the Magic just got healthy and you know they tightened their rotation they they pushed him a little bit further down but they were comfortable going to him when they needed a spot start you know because you know Fron missed a game or Paulo missed a game or you know even Gavius call Pope missing a game they felt comfortable going to him um the but I’m seeing a lot like as I’ve looked at the draft from the magic perspective and I I’m still kind of looking more globally here too it feels like there’s a lot more upper classmen who you know have that experience you know I’m thinking of Rashir Fleming i’m thinking of Nick Clifford got you know uh you know we’ll talk plenty more about Walter Clayton it feels like there is this you know certainly at the top of the draft still a lot of those you know freshman players high up you know high upside guys who haven’t you know you haven’t been able to pick apart all the all the all their flaws quite yet but in this back half of the lottery kind of just outside the lottery it feels like there’s a lot more of these more senior players who yeah you maybe they’ve transferred around a little bit um maybe they’ve maybe they’ve been around the block a little bit a little bit kind of found their niche but they come to the league a lot more experienced a lot more seasoned is is is that also part of this trip yeah and I think it’s going to be the story going forward i mean it’s like if you’re not a first round pick and even going back to Yako I think he was a first round pick but if you’re a a college prospect and you’re not comfortable with your draft range you can just go back to school which is going to lead to classes thinning out like this one but teams are going to have a lot more options of players that are are ready or or expected to be ready to contribute there’s just not a lot of freshman that are betting on themselves outside of of the guys that are projected lottery picks so one hand I think it can help teams you’re not you’re not like swinging for the fences in a sense on a 19-year-old that you’ve only evaluated for 30 games now you can say “All right this guy that we drafted we’re comfortable with him because we’ve seen him play 30 or or shoot 60 90 or even like four or five years of of college basketball but I think from an evaluation standpoint a team is like “We love the fact that we’ve seen this guy play like I said 60 games or 90 games over his college career.” Yeah and and I think that especially for a team like the Magic you know that that is competitive you know we we’ve heard Jeff Welman say that they want that they want to make moves with a win now lens it it really feels like the Magic are not going to do the thing that they typically do with their draft pick or or with their off seasonason they’re going to put some skin in the game and and you know this isn’t the episode to get into what the Magic can get 16th pick or you know whether they can package 16 and 25 to move up or how they’re going to move around this draft i think most of us expect the Magic to use only one of their two picks in this draft um but still kind of sticking globally the Magic do have a type um you know I think I ask this question every time I have someone from NBA Big Board on to preview the draft um let’s let’s start with the basic basics of this then who is the most Orlando Magic player in this draft the the most like you know the the typical Orlando Magic going for length over everything else nate I’m sorry i was going to say Nate Clifford but Cedric Coward yeah said Cedric Coward long I mean 72 wingspan at 65 shot the ball well still somewhat mysterious as he only played like six games at Washington State but I thought he was really good at Eastern Washington i’ve actually projected him as a first round pick before like the combine blow up but that that’s like the first name that comes to mind just this massive long wingspan but then there’s some other guys that you know when you think of like bigger guards like bigger point guards Jagor in a sense because he’s a big guard may not have like the defensive Jor de from BYU that is doesn’t necessarily have like the the the defense that Orlando has kind of valued in the past but he is like a big unselfish playmaker that you know even if he’s not like a great defender he’s still 69 and you know he still has length so those two guys come to mind yeah I those are the two names that I had i Clifford is also kind of on my mind like to I want to get more into this after after our break here but Jagger Demon like screams I am an Orlando Magic player like 69 point guard you know like the Magic love guys who play unconventionally for their size but at the same time he is just not a good shooter like he he shot the ball so poorly at BYU his free throw percentage isn’t impressive either and and while like I think there’s I mean there are a lot of Magic fans who would point to Deon as that’s the guy the Magic should take if he’s there he’s obviously super talented but the Magic are in this are in this weird place where they’re trying to evaluate how to build their team to be more competitive in the playoffs and and I think that means a change in their draft strategy and what they’re looking for i want to get a little bit more into that because the Magic with two two first round picks are an interesting team in this first round and in this draft i want to get to that coming up here in just a moment but first today’s episode of Lockdown Magic is brought to you by our friends over at Door Dash if I can find my uh thing here which is somewhere on my list there it is uh NBA fans you know what time it is it’s not just draft time it’s NBA Finals time and that means big performances and even bigger rewards door Dash is bringing the heat with a slam dunk deal for Dash Pass members during the 2025 NBA playoffs it’s called they swoosh you score anytime a player drops 50 or more points in a playoff game Dash Pass members score a free threepiece crispy tenders combo from Wingtop the very next day just place an order of $20 or more use the code wingstop50 at checkout and the combo is yours crispy delicious and totally free offer valid noon to midnight the day after the game terms apply no matter what game it is or what the celebration is food always ties it together so whether you’re celebrating a big finals win or trying to drown out the sorrow of a loss with food we all do it it’s okay imagine being rewarded with free food just because someone went off for 50 even if it was against your team if you’re ever looking at delivery fees and thinking there’s got to be a better way with Dash Pass you get zero dollar delivery fees and exclusive perks like this one how much would you save over a season get a jump start on that now so here’s the play sign up for Dash Pass to unlock this and more exclusive deals all season long when any player scores 50 or more in a playoff game Dash Pass members can grab a free P free three-piece crispy tenders combo from Wingstop the next day with a $20 or more order and code Wingstop 50 that’s Dash Pass your door to more savings more flavor and more ways to win terms apply this is Philip Ross Reich the host of Locked on Magic joined once again by Raphael Barlo of NBA Big Board we’re talking about the draft in general we we’ll pin down the Magic a little bit more here because the Magic are in this interesting space um they have made the playoffs the last two years they’ve kind of built organically think there’s a stat that the Magic have the most or second most players on their roster on their roster that they drafted in the league they’ve been very very heavy on drafting their roster and building through the draft they’re not only a team now that has aspirations to to get to the second round you know to be a homec court advantage team to do all these things in the playoffs they’re also flirting with the first apron and fl and certainly going to be over the tax next year with some of their salary responsibilities and so draft picks and getting them right are really really important and and we were talking a little bit before the break about Aigor Demen and and about how he is the kind of player the Magic would normally go after but may not fit this vision of a winning team from your perspective how should the Magic kind of change how they approach the draft knowing the aspirations that they have now to to be a lot more competitive and to focus on maybe short-term goals over long-term goals i think Orlando’s just in a weird situation right i mean you you look at the guys that they’ve drafted in recently that haven’t been able to get on the floor so do you want to keep drafting guys that aren’t going to be able to crack your rotation i think Orlando needs some shooting and I don’t know if adding two more rookies helps but then you look at it from the financial standpoint you need some guys on some cheap contracts so I think Orlando’s just in this in this weird predicament they’re they’re a good team they were good this past season despite like the injuries like you have to wonder like hey if Orlando were healthy all year long and Ben Carroll doesn’t miss all that time what what could have been from this season and I think Orlando’s just a couple of pieces away from being in that in that range i mean you got to look at Phillies getting I don’t know if they’re older or they’re younger philly’s getting Philly Philly’s got the weird situation you you look at Boston I mean they’re gonna have this battle between the they’re facing the apron and and Jason Tatum being out you got to imagine Cleveland is going to get too expensive real soon the Pacers might get too expensive and Orlando has has young pieces i I don’t think they’re far away but in this case and it’s probably like a long answer to your question i think maybe you go against the tradition that they’ve had of taking like big long players maybe you just you don’t necessarily draft for or how about this maybe you draft for best fit you draft for the guy that can can come in and provide some outside shooting which you know obviously that’s what Jet Howard was was supposed to do and that they did that with Caleb Houston even though he wasn’t a first round pick but I think maybe you consolidate and maybe you make a move and and and you try to find a veteran that can come in and complement your your two big dogs and Ben Carroll and and Vagner yeah you I mean shooting is is obviously the the big thing the Magic Need finished last in the league in three-point field goal percentage they they really like it was just like a it was just like a virus it almost felt like where just they could not get shots to go down even if the shot quality was fine even when they were healthy just like it just had taken over this team and so many guys just like career worse seasons from three including a veteran like Intavia Scwell Pope who was also supposed to come in and improve the shooting but who who are the shooters that you’re looking at for the magic in in the range that that we’re talking about um like like you know like like a great example is I look at a guy like Liam McNeely who I think the not I mean you’re shaking your head too I’m I’m the same way but like everyone’s like this guy’s a shooter this guy’s a shooter and I look at Assass he’s like shooting 31% from three like 38% from the floor defensive concerns like come no I I’m I’m with you there you don’t you don’t need you don’t need to convince me like I mentioned Jerger Demon like shot what 28 29% from threes like upper 60s in free throw percentage and I’m just like screaming I mean that’s a red flag if I’ve ever seen one to to stay away from someone like him because he doesn’t fill those needs but then you go in and look at like Jace Richardson who is a scorer is a creator but is on the small side measured at what six feet I think six feet 2.25 at the combine that’s like not the typical place the Magic go to magic fans love Walter Clayton but he’s not the typical thing the Magic go for either where where do the Magic go for shooting in in this draft i actually like the Jace Richardson pick i’m kind of torn on Jace i was even torn on him before the measurements because I’m like is he a one is he a two the way they played him at Michigan State sometimes he played the three actually had this interesting conversation with someone very close to him i’ll just say it like that and I and I presented the question and they were like well if he would have played the point at Michigan then it probably would have been better for him but it would not have maximized some of the other guys on the team so he had to play off the ball and they were you know basically saying that he could play anywhere he could play on the ball he could play off the ball but he plays in shoes the game is played in shoes the game is not played barefoot so who cares if you measure six foot with that being said I actually like Jace Richardson in Orlando because he doesn’t have to be your primary ball handler or decision maker you can play him in a lineup with Anthony Black and have him guard the smaller point guard and and Black defend the bigger two maybe you can play him with Suggs but he’s smart he doesn’t make a lot of mistakes he shoots the ball very efficient at the rim like I think statistically he’s like the best finisher in this class at the rim despite being well I don’t want to say despite not being an elite athlete he tested very well athletically but his game is not based off of athleticism but he his floater is automatic once he gets into the paint and I think Orlando kind of needs that complimentary guy that that can knock down open shots attack a closeout make a mid-range pullup jumper make get into the paint knock down a floater solid connective passer i think Orlando’s a really good fit the question is which pick do you take him at do you do you assume he’s not going to be available at 25 and do you take him at 16 but he’s the guy that I think like if there was a player that was tailor made to fit next to Ben Carol and Vagner I think it’s it’s it’s Chase Jace Richardson yeah and I like like that’s something that that really attracts me about him too because like my opinion the Magic probably need creation and more guys who can attack off the dribble as much as they need outside shooting just have like getting some shooters will help with spacing but right now it’s the last two playoffs I’ve said Paulo Benero and Fron Vagner are banging their head against the wall because they’re the only ones that can attack off the dribble and look they’re putting they put some cracks in that wall whether it was the Cavs at last year the Celtics uh this season but they’re not breaking through that wall if they don’t have like an like almost an Andrew Nehard type like another like kind of secondary ball secondary creator who could even step up in his role and that’s I think why like Richardson’s really good like Walter Clayton I I you know there there’s obviously an attraction to Walter Clayton here in Florida a lot of a lot of Magic fans see him plenty as Gator fans too he won the national championship as well they they they like I I I agree with you i think Richardson might be a more talented you know version he finishes at the rim a little bit better but they’re very much of the same cloth like what are your thoughts on on Clayton’s fit with with the Magic because I know Magic fans will yell at me if I don’t ask that specifically yeah I think Clayton is a It’s weird to say and and hopefully people understand this i think Clayton is more of a bucket getter than a shooter he can shoot he’s clutch he makes big shots but I think he’s like a rhythm guy where you know he’s going to need some rhythm i don’t know if you if he’s going to be the best as just like a guy that just kind of stands around and catch and shoot guy and with Richardson that’s kind of like the role that he played at Michigan State i think now if you brought him in for a workout and had them go against each other I think Clayton’s going to get the best of him because he’s older more polished more mature but I just think as far as just like being the connective guy that is going to be efficient off the catch that can be effective on a very low volume of attempts i think that is Richardson yeah definitely definitely an interesting dichotomy there uh I want to we’re gonna we’re gonna we’re gonna hit our break here in a minute but I want to come out coming out of this break i want to talk a little bit about some of the bigs and and and how they play into maybe some of the Magic’s trade plans and what the Magic might be giving up in a trade uh we’ll talk about your Rasher Flemings you know maybe your Nick Cliffords Thomas Sorber perhaps and other places the Magic can fill to to boost their lineup here in the draft we’ll get to that coming up here in just a moment but first today’s episode of Lockdown Magic is brought to you by our friends over at Monarch Money ever check your bank account and wonder where did all my money go between dining out online shopping and entertainment it’s easy to lose track that’s where Monarch Money comes in your personal CFO giving you full visibility and control over your finances monarch Money isn’t just a budgeting app it is a complete financial command center you can track all your accounts investments and spending in one place so you stop just managing your money and start building wealth when you use Monarch Money you begin to realize how much you are spending in places you should not be spending them or how to rein in that spending because you see it in plain daylight and plain paper or plain computer screen whatever it is all on one screen instead of juggling multiple apps you can use Monarch to check your finances track spending and even plan long-term goals that’s what it’s all about and managing money with your partner is smoother than ever because you can track shared and personal accounts set goals and stay on the same page all in one app without the stress take control of your finances with Monarch Money use code locked on NBA at monarchmoney.com for 50% off your first year that’s monarchoney.com code locked on NBA for half off your first year once again this is Philip Rossmanright the host of Lock Dun Magic joined by Raphael Barlo of NBA Big Board as we go through kind of the Magic’s thought process here entering the NBA draft we obviously still got seven you know two and a half weeks we’re we’re coming up on it very very quickly draft’s going to be here before we know it um and the Magic are interesting players in this year’s draft they have two first round picks 16 and 25 there’s some reporting they may be looking to trade up um I’d be curious who they might want to target there maybe we’ll address that at the end but uh obviously a lot of the theme of what we’re talking about on this show is how the Magic are beginning to kind of fa move into a new phase of their rebuild where they’re focused on being the best team they can be in the short term and and and focused on getting out of the first round and kind of advancing beyond where they have and growing as a team a big piece of that is the trade market obviously and and and you know look I’m not here to ask you about trades you know I think uh my listeners may know who the Magic are hunting um you know they’ll they’ll be they’ll be shopping I think one of these picks in the trade market but I always say this to get something good you’ve got to give up something good and one thing that I’ve been thinking about is how the Magic can use this draft to kind of supplement that trade if they’re going to trade a Contavius Caldwell Pope I in their big deal they’ll probably bring in another two guard they’re going to shop around a Goa Patad or Jonathan Isaac or Cole Anthony someone off their bench they can use that pick to pick a Jace Richardson or Walter Clayton to to supplement what they’re losing in Cole Anthony the Jonathan Isaac piece I think is is the most interesting because when healthy he is still an elite defender his offense may be may be gone and one thing that I find very interesting about this draft class is there are a lot of those kind of rangy wings like not like Jonathan Isaac because he’s kind of an elite level but someone like someone like uh Rashir Rashir Fleming reminds me a lot of like a cheaper version of Jonathan Isaac what what are your thoughts on Fleming or what are your thoughts on this idea of the Magic finding players who can kind of supplement what they’re giving up in these trades to improve the roster coming off the bench or or playing in a in a in a smaller role for this team i like Richer Fleming a lot he’s a guy that I was high on coming into the year and when I used to watch his film prior to this season I’d always say like man he’s two talent to the average 10 points per game i thought the numbers and the talent weren’t on the same page but what I like about him is that when he was in high school he was the third best player on this high school team and DJ Wagner and Aaron Bradshaw were like McDonald’s All-Americans projected first round picks coming out of out of out of um Camden High and Fleming is a guy that just got better and better and better and better and this was the first year I felt like the talent and the production were on the same page so I think he adds a lot of value as as a guy that can knock down shots he shot 39% from three if you look at the stocks numbers it was probably around three per game something like that so when you think about a guy that can play as like a lob threat in a sense but also knock down open shots and and protect the rim and get steals and switch i mean I I think that’s worthy of a lottery pick if he falls to like 16 I think that’s a win i have him going inside the lottery but I think he’s a good complimentary player that may not be the cleanest fit in Orlando because sometimes if you’re picked that high you want to at least think like “All right there’s a chance for me to be the starter in a couple years with Orlando.” I don’t fron are going to hold down those forward spots for a little while yeah so you’re like “All right maybe the five can I play the five?” But I actually do believe that he can sneak some minutes in as a small ball five because he can space the floor yeah and and it’s really it’s like really interesting with him like he’s gotten better each year like the three-point shot I don’t like that’s looking at his numbers was not there his first two years and this year felt like a a breakthrough for him he gets you the stocks he gets you kind of the rim protection he’s he’s 69 he’s a little bit on the small he’s obviously a small ball five um but he’s he’s a big body like he is he is tough tough to move and he plays above the room which I think is something the Magic don’t have a lot from their bigs where you know I I’ve seen a lot of people talk about Asa Newell he’s a little bit more of a a prospect where does where does he fit in into into this draft I don’t know if it’s like a good fit for Orlando like my questions or concerns with new is like one I think he’s stuck between a four and a five I don’t think he’s big enough or strong enough to play the five but I don’t know if skilled enough at this point right now to where you can say he’s a four he does show flashes of it but when you look at fours in in today’s NBA they’re really like threes you know what I mean so I don’t think he has three skill to be the four but he’s a guy that has a defined role as like your energetic lob threat rim runner easy to kind of plug and play my concerns with him is despite being like this bouncy pogle stick athlete does not like rebound exceptionally well especially on the defensive end now the offensive glass he’s going off to the offensive glass like there’s money coming off the boards but on the defensive end he’s not as engaged and then he’s not like the the shot blocker rim protector you would think the way he gets off the ground so fast so that would be my concern for him but if he could end up being a a floor spacer like he’s shown some flashes of it and I’m sure Orlando fans if they paid attention to those Mont Verde teams could have like three or four first round picks he was a sneaky good passer and we didn’t really get a chance to see all of that at at Georgia but I just think for him it’s all about the shot we know what he can be as far as like just being that energetic dunker spot finisher but if he can knock down open shots and had add a little bit of a face up game then I think he becomes really valuable the magic obviously I think a lot of us are are focused with the magic on the trade to get a veteran you know Afrey Simons called Ston like using 16 or using 25 to kind of bring in a veteran player um there was at least some reporting uh I think Jake Fischer noted in this in the Steinline substack that the Magic with 16 and 25 are considering moving up in the draft um you know I don’t know exactly who they would target i I have some ideas but you know just based on your board or how you’re seeing this draft shake out if the Magic were really in on a player to move up in the draft who who would that player be if it were me I I think some of the options would be like a Khan Canppel or Trey Johnson these are two guys that were lights out shooters different types of shooters kppo was able to benefit from playing with Cooper Flag and he shot 41% from three but he’s a good connective passer and Trey Johnson I think you got to get into that top five range trey Johnson and I’m a little biased i’ve been watching him since he was in 10th grade but he led the SEC in scoring he shot 39% from three without anybody really setting him up for those looks it was a heavy volume of contested threes on a good volumes like six attempts per game so I think Johnson is the type of shooter that could really open things up for for Orlando he’s familiar with Anthony Black they both grew up in in the Dallas area so um that would be something that I could I could see but if they’re targeting shooting and they’re looking to move up to me those are the the two best options as far as like dead eyee shooters but then there’s Cedric Coward again shot the ball extremely well over his career um yeah I mean those those would be the guys that make the most sense if they’re looking for shooting yeah and and I’ll note you didn’t mention Casper Yakushonus who kind of like Liam McNeely has this reputation as a shooter but doesn’t have the numbers necessarily to back back that up um yeah Casper’s can play a little point guard he’s like a guard tweener which I think is but not like for size just like position you just don’t know what his role would be um I’d be I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s who the Magic are thinking i have him mocked there i actually have him mocked and just my personal mock about what I would do and he was like the guy that fell out of the lottery because I had some some upside swings and then even though it may not be the cleanest fit it’s like all right he’s too good to to pass up if he’s available at at 16 but the shooting is I think he can shoot with his feet set i think for him the inefficiency relied on the fact that he just became real predictable you knew that he was going to shoot a a a step back jumper and I think that impacted his his efficiency yeah and that’s that’s fair and I think that’s again like the I think the magic need I always say this the magic need guys who can do more than one thing they have a lot of guys that do one thing when all the conditions are right they do that thing really really well but really Paulo and Fron are the only ones that do multiple things and they especially offensively they need guys who can do multiple things on offense i’m a big conpple fan i I I was really impressed not only how he played off of someone like Cooper Flag but when Cooper went down he stepped up and carried Duke in pressure games like you know I know you don’t want to put too much emphasis on tournament games but those are pressure games something is on the line and to play well on that stage neutral sight everyone kind of going for it i think that does say something and I think I think Canel is a little bit uh little bit underrated in this draft at least to my eye you would you would know more than me so um there’s obviously a lot more to get to we didn’t talk about really any of the the foreign guys like Nolan Trayor like uh Assang like if I’m pronouncing that correctly um there there are a lot of honestly I I I think for the magic and where they’re drafting there are a lot of interesting prospects i don’t know if they’re good prospects but there are a lot of interesting prospects and the best place to learn about all them for the next three weeks is over at Locked on NBA Big Board uh Raphael I want to thank you for coming on and kind of breaking down the magic side of things uh for for my listeners on locked on magic where where can they find you yeah you can find me at NBAboard.com that is my my newsletter and like I mentioned I kind of gave away my my or Orlando Magic picks i had them going with Yakonis in my latest mock and then I had them going with Jace Richardson a little bit of redundancy there but I don’t think they’re going to keep both of their picks i don’t think so i think I think one of them is gone yep i I agree so then I I’m on the Lock NBA Big Board podcast so if you listen to the Lock Network you know it’s five days a week or at least 20 episodes a month so I’m pretty easy to find yep and Raphael is is the best resource i want to thank thank you for coming on coming on with me helping me with my draft prep helping Magic fans get a really good introduction to what’s what’s on the table for them in this draft class and hopefully uh hopefully everyone understands Magic are a real interesting team this offseason they’re going to they’re going to do something and I don’t know what it is but they’re they’ll do something this offseason uh Raphael thank you again as always man no problem thank you [Music]

The NBA Draft is in 2.5 weeks and the Orlando Magic face a lot of key decisions on draft night with the 16th and 25th picks in the Draft. Will the Magic use the picks? Trade them? Trade up? Or trade out?

Whatever the case, the Magic must maximize these choices as they begin their win-now approach and try to change their teams outlook for the 2026 season.

Locked On NBA Big Board’s Rafael Barlowe joins the show to talk about the Magic’s draft options, how their draft approach should change and which players they should target and which ones they should avoid as the Draft approaches.

0:00 Intro: NBA draft preview with Rafael Barlow
5:53 NIL’s impact on draft decisions
10:26 Magic’s draft strategy and player types
16:40 Evaluating Orlando’s draft needs and options
24:23 Potential Magic draft targets and fits

NBA Draft analyst Rafael Barlowe from NBA Draft Junkies and current author of the NBA Big Board newsletter is joined by Richard Stayman (@MavsDraft), James Barlowe, and Leif Thulin to breakdown the NBA Draft. Rafael & Team gives passionate NBA Draft fans a deep look into the NBA Draft with great guests, Mock Draft, player rankings, and of course BIG BOARDs. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network.

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