Until very recently, the Orlando Magic were on a shameful run of NBA Drafts. Year after year, they either reached on raw prospects, selected specialist-type players or traded away the rights to a future All-Star (Domantas Sabonis).

The franchise has been mired in obscurity for over a decade, with a couple of lackluster postseason appearances from 2018-20 serving as the highlights of this exhausting era of Orlando basketball. Brighter days might soon be ahead, though, following the addition of multiple promising talents. And with this newfound optimism, comes the opportunity to revisit the organization's biggest draft-day triumphs.

Fans know the biggest names to ever wear a Magic jersey, but it's important to contextualize their lasting impact on the team. Moreover, there are talents who were not fully appreciated in their time and deserve their flowers. You might deem it frivolous to dissect the history of one of NBA's most embattled franchises, but Orlando has a richer history than is often acknowledged.

Our goal is to bring it into light with this following list. Get ready to relive the glory days, the ugly ones and everything in between, as we rank the 10 best draft picks in Magic history.

10. JJ Redick (2006 NBA Draft)

Although he is best known for the shade of blue he wore in college, the former Duke star was a key contributor on the late-2000s and early-2010s Magic teams that contended for titles and consistently enjoyed 50-game seasons. JJ Redick saw the humble beginnings, rise and fall of what is the last proud era of Orlando hoops.

While the No. 11 pick of the 2006 NBA Draft was never a star player throughout his six-and-a-half years with the team, he helped push the game towards a 3-point heavy attack. Redick never dipped below 37 percent from distance and consistently made defenses pay for leaving him unattended on the perimeter.

Sure, there have been many snipers before and since, but it is not easy to make the transition from college deity to professional role player. Redick played to his shooting strength and endured in the NBA for 15 seasons. He is in the top 20 all-time for both 3-pointers made and 3-point field goal percentage.

9. Paolo Banchero (2022)

Yeah, I'm going to be that guy. There have only been three Magic players ever to be named NBA Rookie of the Year. Only two of them are on this list. While Mike Miller deserves his due for two-and-a-half seasons of highly efficient offensive basketball, the two-time champion (Miami Heat 2012-13) did not have to contend with the deep draft class that Paolo Banchero did last season.

The No. 1 overall pick quickly validated the Magic's faith in him. Despite not yet being the most capable shooter at 42.7 percent, he regularly led this struggling but scrappy squad. Banchero took on top-guy responsibilities right away and helped Orlando earn 12 additional wins than it had the year before.

His 20 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game were enough to hold off other strong candidates like Walker Kessler, Jalen Williams and Keegan Murray for ROY honors. It might seem too premature to place him on this list, but the 20-year-old deserves this privilege after vaulting himself into franchise history.

How he performs hereon after will determine exactly where the new face of the Magic ultimately lands on this all-time list.

8. Aaron Gordon (2014)

It is kind of crazy to think that recently-crowned NBA champion Aaron Gordon was drafted by Orlando as a top-five selection almost a decade ago. His ranking is a bit tricky because we are now seeing the best version of him with the Denver Nuggets. A growing pains-laden Magic career, and a successful start to his second act, slots him in at No. 8.

To be sure, there were plenty of highlights in those first six-and-a-half years before the front office traded Gordon. The former Arizona Wildcat faced a difficult transition to the NBA, taking quite a while to develop a serviceable outside jumper. The game was evolving, forcing the 6-foot-8 forward to adjust.

Much like JJ Redick, Gordon played to his strengths and was a fixture on the only winning team fans have witnessed since the rebuilding 2010s. Gordon's athletic gifts and defensive tenacity was on full display by 2017. He averaged 17.6 points and nearly eight rebounds per game that season, while also taking a massive leap in his perimeter shooting (29 percent-34 percent).

Because the on-court product was still not pretty, Magic fans needed a reason to invest beyond just the win-loss column. Aaron Gordon answered the call by putting on one of the greatest performances in NBA Dunk Contest history. How he didn't dethrone defending champ Zach LaVine in 2016 is still a mystery to many fans. Especially to those residing in the 407.

7. Victor Oladipo (2013)

Another player who did not reach his full potential until after his Magic days were in the rear-view mirror, the Indiana Hoosiers alum could have been a legitimate All-Star player for the team that drafted him No. 2 overall. That is, of course, if the organization had exercised more patience.

Victor Oladipo was included in the aforementioned 2016 deal that sent over Sabonis and Ersan Ilyasova to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Serge Ibaka. He eventually blossomed into a two-way star with the Indiana Pacers, but the embers of that spark were present in Orlando.

Showcasing a well-rounded game, Oladipo averaged nearly 18 points while also exceeding four rebounds and four assists per contest in the 2014-15 campaign. One cannot forget his active hands, as the 31-year-old recorded 1.6 steals or more in all three seasons with the team. While injuries derailed his prime NBA years, Victor Oladipo's departure remains a sore spot among fans.

6. Dennis Scott (1990)

Dennis Scott is perhaps the most unheralded key member of the great early 1990s squads. Magic fans remember and appreciate 3-D, but his contributions to the rise of the franchise cannot be understated.

Although his career numbers might not be what many conventionally hope for from the No. 4 overall pick (12.9 points on 42 percent shooting), Scott provided Orlando with essential offensive balance on the perimeter. He shot 39 percent or better from 3-point range in five of his seven seasons with the team.

Finding ways to score with Shaquille O'Neal, Penny Hardaway and Nick Anderson on the floor is a daunting task, but luckily for them, Scott could not be silenced. As one of the first NBA Draft picks the organization ever made, the NBA TV analyst will always hold a special place in Magic history.

5. Nick Anderson (1989)

While Dennis Scott was nearly with the franchise since its inception, Nick Anderson was the literal foundational piece of the Orlando Magic. The No. 11 pick of the 1989 NBA Draft was a stabilizing force on this team for a decade. Without him, fans may have never been able to enjoy such a rapid ascent in the Eastern Conference.

Unfortunately, Anderson is also remembered as one of the reasons the city never got to enjoy a championship parade. The two-way guard/wing missed four consecutive free throws near the end of Game 1 of the 1995 NBA Finals. If he had made just one, then victory against the defending champion Houston Rockets would all but be guaranteed.

Orlando does its best to block out the rest of that painful night and the rest of the series. Kenny “The Jet” Smith nailed a 3-pointer to send the contest into overtime. The Rockets prevailed and went onto sweep the Magic. A promising group destined for multiple titles never recovered and eventually dissolved, while Anderson's NBA career would be defined by a couple moments of weakness.

Again, though, such blissful dreams could not even be envisioned without this inaugural building block. The versatile Nick Anderson scored 15.4 points per game while shooting 45 percent from the floor and 36 percent from distance, to go along with 5.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game for Orlando. His 692 games played remains a franchise record.

4. Jameer Nelson (2004)

There will be many fans who believe this is Nick Anderson's spot. This was admittedly the hardest decision to make on this list. How do you choose one resilient fan favorite over another? Usually, the tiebreaker would go to the more well-rounded player, but in this case, it is going to the heart and soul of one of the more improbable NBA Finals teams of all time.

Jameer Nelson was technically drafted by the Denver Nuggets with the No. 20th overall pick in 2004 before the Magic promptly acquired him via trade. The Saint Joseph's point guard made up for his six-foot frame with crafty ball-handling, efficient 3-point shooting, and underrated playmaking.

While Orlando was definitively Dwight Howard's team, Nelson was a vital maestro who ensured that the offense flowed as head coach Stan Van Gundy intended. He was recognized for his efforts with a 2009 Eastern Conference All-Star selection, and a billboard, per Legion Hoops.

Like Anderson, Nelson excelled in the playoffs. But also like Anderson, he is arguably best remembered for his struggles on the biggest stage. During the 2008-09 season, No. 14 suffered a torn labrum that caused him to miss half the regular season and almost the entirety of the postseason. Nelson valiantly, and also probably misguidedly, worked his way back in time for the NBA Finals.

You know the rest. Van Gundy used Nelson in a limited role, but the results were ugly just the same. Nevertheless, his Magic legacy must be forever revered. He did not produce eye-popping stats (12 points, 5.4 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game in 10 seasons for Orlando), but Jameer Nelson was a critical piece of the last great basketball squad this city has known.

3. Penny Hardaway (1993)

With the center position already filled, the front office completed a draft-day blockbuster deal that traded the rights of “Fab Five” star Chris Webber (No. 1 pick) tot he Golden State Warriors for Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway (No. 3). The Memphis Tigers star guard, and now head coach, joined Shaquille O'Neal to form one of the most exciting duos in NBA history.

Of course, injuries, tension and contract disputes prevented it from lasting as long as NBA fans desperately wanted. Before the sad end, however, Hardaway helped put on quite the show. He was the backcourt force that head coach Brian Hill needed to really unlock the full potential of his young, promising group.

Hardaway made the jump to stardom in his second year, which coincided with the Magic's first trip to the NBA Finals. Although they were swept by the Rockets, he left everything on the court. His 25.5 points on 50 percent shooting, 8.0 assists and 4.8 rebounds in 43 minutes per game is still one of the greatest Finals showings ever by a losing player.

The last part of that sentence is what prevents the four-time All-Star from being a true legend of the game. That, and the aforementioned injury issues. Multiple knee injuries greatly diminished his explosiveness, something Derrick Rose would also experience many years later.

But we will remember the Penny Hardaway who gave the then-Orlando Arena countless thrills in such a short period of time.

2. Dwight Howard (2004)

Before the organization scooped up Jameer Nelson, it selected its cornerstone with the No. 1 overall pick. While Dwight Howard has been used as a punchline in recent times, he was a two-way beast inside for the Orlando Magic who gave opponents endless fits during his prime.

Howard was a rarity as soon as he stepped onto an NBA court. He played 82 games for five of the first six seasons of his career and led the franchise back towards the top of the standings in short order. Arguably the last true old-school dominant big man, the eight-time All-Star averaged more than 20 points and 13 rebounds in four separate seasons.

The juggernaut was at full force during the 2009 postseason, as implied by NBA Memes. Howard led the Magic past both the defending champion Boston Celtics (Kevin Garnett was injured) and the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers to earn an NBA Finals meeting with the Lakers.

Orlando fell in five games, but the three-time Defensive Player of the Year deserves his flowers for arguably guiding the team closer than it has ever been to hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy. It is terribly unfortunate that some of the goodwill he built up in this city is tainted by the rough way he left.

1. Shaquille O'Neal (1992)

There is really only one choice for the best Magic draft pick of all-time. While Dwight Howard had to carry a bigger burden on the court, Shaquille O'Neal launched a still-fledgling organization into relevance almost immediately after his arrival.

With Michael Jordan switching to baseball in the wake of his father's tragic death, fans were hopelessly searching for his successor. Diesel was a star on and off the court, making this small-market team must-watch television. Of course, he did not do it alone. Orlando boasted a talented and versatile starting five that was once tapped to be the next great basketball dynasty.

Needless to say, that prophesy faded along the way. But O'Neal was every bit the phenomenon that was promised when he was drafted No. 1 in 1992. He was an All-Star in each of his four seasons with the Magic, averaging a sensational 27.2 points, 12.5 rebounds and 2.8 blocks during that stretch. Most importantly, though, the Big Aristotle's impact was reflected in the standings.

Orlando nearly doubled its win total in O'Neal's rookie season (21-41). The addition of Penny Hardaway opened things up even more for the Hall of Fame center and brought the team to new heights. Shaq claimed his first of two career scoring titles in 1995. Fans were not accustomed to seeing that type of dominance and superstardom at such a young age.

But none of it ultimately resulted in a championship parade. At least not in O-Town. After O'Neal and company fell short of realizing their supposed destiny in both 1995 and 1996, O'Neal decided that LA was the place where he would truly morph into a megastar. And the rest is history.

The Magic are still chasing the level of excitement that the former LSU product infused in Orlando. Maybe Paolo Banchero or another player to be named later can recreate that atmosphere. But for now, drafting Shaquille O'Neal stands alone as the Magic's most important moment.