The Orlando Magic have two selections with the top 11 draft picks to work with on Thursday night to build on what Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero are bringing to the table. The future is bright two with two excellent young scorers, and they’ll look to build on that on draft day.
The Magic are in need of a ton at this point, which is why they finished with a 34-48 record. Orlando just needs to build for the future by acquiring as much young talent as possible. This probably won’t be a very good team this upcoming season, but this is a franchise that can take its time in rebuild mode.
Magic 2023 NBA Draft selections
No. 6: Anthony Black, Point guard, Arkansas
No. 11: Jett Howard, Small forward, Michigan
Black is a playmaker who can whip the ball upcourt in transition and much like Lonzo Ball, who he has drawn plenty of comparisons to, he can serve as a connector for the likes of Paolo Banchero.
Howard enters as a pure 3-point shooter with the potential to hit the shot while moving off the ball as well. He’s also comfortable pulling up from the midrange and loves using a floater, with a scoring average of 14.2 points per game with the Wolverines.
Fantasy basketball outlook
As an already adept pick-and-roll playmaker, Black should reap the rewards of playing alongside Banchero in Orlando. As long as the Arkansas product forms a seamless rapport with the reigning Rookie of the Year, fantasy managers should look to him as an ample source of assists through the regular season.
Howard brings a nice dose of outside shooting to a Magic team that boasts Banchero as well as sixth-overall pick Anthony Black. Chances are Howard will play more of a supplementary role during his rookie season.