The Orlando Magic have two picks in the lottery during the 2023 NBA Draft. With the first Magic pick at No. 6, most mock drafts have Arkansas point guard Anthony Black as the selection. However, the Magic draft could go a different way if the team uses the No. 6 pick to take one of these sneaky players, including the second-ranked prospect in the class, Scoot Henderson.
Gradey Dick, Kansas
There is a decent chance that Kansas freshman sharpshooter Gradey Dick will be available with the Magic pick at No. 11. However, a knockdown shooter is a valuable commodity in the NBA, and there’s an equal chance Dick will be off the board at that point.
If Orlando thinks that Dick will be gone when the Magic draft a few picks later, a sneaky move would be to take him five picks earlier at No. 6.
The Magic finished tied for 24th in the league last season in 3-point percentage, shooting 34.6% from deep. That’s one area the team desperately needs to improve in, and Dick is the one player in the 2023 NBA Draft who is almost guaranteed to do that.
The former Jayhawk does have limitations on defense and getting to the net off the bounce, but with Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner playing alongside him, some of those issues will be mitigated. Moreover, his shooting will help those two players immensely on offense to find more space to operate in.
Gradey Dick is more of a top 12 prospect than a top six one, but if he turns into a 40% 3-point shooter in the NBA and transforms the Magic offense with his range, who cares if he goes a few slots too early?
Taking Dick with the first Magic draft pick would be a sneaky way to get the best player in the draft who fills the team’s biggest offensive need, so it’s not that outlandish an idea at all
Bilal Coulibaly, Metropolitans 92 (France)
With two Magic picks at the top of the 2023 NBA Draft, Orlando can afford to take a flyer on a lottery ticket player with one of them. One player who fits that bill is Victor Wembanyama’s Metropolitans 92 teammate, Bilal Coulibaly.
Coulibaly is a long, 6-foot-7 forward who has the athleticism to be a plus NBA defender right away as a rookie. He is also a high-flyer and an improving shooter who, at 18, has the potential to develop into an incredible 3-and-D wing in the pros.
The French teenager has already shown improvement by leaps and bounds playing alongside Wemabanyma this season. Pairing him with Wagner and Banchero in this Magic draft could give the team incredible length across the frontcourt that will frustrate opponents for years to come.
Coulibaly may fall in the NBA draft because he is still raw. However, if the Magic want him for his tremendous upside, they may have to grab him with the Magic pick at No. 6.
Rumors are heating up that the Oklahoma City Thunder (No. 12) and the Toronto Raptors (No. 13) both like Coulibaly and could try to leapfrog the Magic draft pick at No. 11 to get him.
Scoot Henderson, G League Ignite
So, this isn’t exactly taking Scoot Henderson at No. 6. It’s more about using the Magic draft picks to go get the second-best player in this NBA Draft.
In almost any other year that didn’t include a 7-foot-5 French phenom, Henderson would be the top selection. However, with Victor Wembanyama-mania and the Charlotte Hornets picking No. 2 (with PG LaMelo Ball already in the fold, Henderson may fall down to No. 3.
If that happens, the Portland Trail Blazers might take Henderson to pair him with Damian Lillard, but they may also want to move back to get (bigger) players who fit better with Lillard, or even use multiple picks to trade for a veteran running mate for their star.
The Magic have picks No. 6 and 11 this year, and packaging those two together could allow them to go up and get Scoot Henderson.
Henderson is an incredibly athletic, speedy point guard who can score. He is also a true floor general and an incredible competitor. Orlando has its fair share of young guards on the roster already righ now (Markelle Fultz, Jalen Suggs, and Cole Anthony), but none of these players is the potential game-changer that Henderson is.
Combining its two picks into one and using it to add Henderson to Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner would be a sneaky move that could set the Orlando Magic up to have an NBA-contending Big 3 for years to come.
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