{"id":755992,"date":"2026-06-08T19:42:19","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T19:42:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/755992\/"},"modified":"2026-06-08T19:42:19","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T19:42:19","slug":"orlando-magic-2026-nba-draft-preview-the-lead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/755992\/","title":{"rendered":"Orlando Magic 2026 NBA Draft Preview \u2013 The Lead"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Orlando Magic had, to say the least, a disappointing 2025 season. Originally projected to have the sixth-most<\/a> wins in the NBA entering the year, Orlando instead struggled\u00a0to meet expectations amid inconsistent play and a plague of injuries.<\/p>\n

The Magic would finish as the eighth overall seed in the East at 45-37, ultimately securing themselves the eighth seed after beating the Charlotte Hornets in the Play-In Tournament.<\/p>\n

They then entered the first round, set to play the top-seeded Detroit Pistons. Going up three games to one after their first four, Orlando proceeded to drop their next three<\/a> to hand Detroit the series. This would culminate in the firing<\/a> of now-former head coach Jamahl Mosley.<\/p>\n

With the offseason underway, Orlando has begun reshaping its future\u00a0by hiring<\/a> former San Antonio\u00a0Spurs assistant Sean Sweeney as head coach,\u00a0a move that emphasizes player development and defense.<\/p>\n

Now entering the draft, the Magic find themselves at a crossroads.<\/p>\n

With a talented young core already in place, Orlando no longer needs foundational pieces. Instead, they must look for complementary talent capable of easing the pressure off young stars such as forward Paolo Banchero<\/a>. Whether that comes through improved shooting, additional playmaking, or another scoring threat, this draft provides an opportunity for a team still looking to get over the hump.<\/p>\n

Magic Draft Picks<\/p>\n

Magic Draft Needs<\/p>\n

After their core-shaking trade for Desmond Bane<\/a>, Orlando now enters the 2026 draft with slim pickings for prospects.<\/p>\n

Holding just a second-round pick, there are not many options for the team, barring a potential trade that takes place. It is the first time the team has been without a first-round selection since 2011<\/a>. However, with players such as Anthony Black<\/a> and Jase Richardson<\/a> still in development, perhaps this is exactly where they need to be.<\/p>\n

More than anything, the Magic need some combination of shooting, athleticism, and scoring.<\/p>\n

After finishing 18th<\/a> across the NBA in offensive rating and giving up a 3-1 comeback in this year\u2019s playoffs, it is clear that they need a means of putting the nail in the coffin.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, their 34.3% team three-point percentage ranked them nearly dead last in the league at 27th<\/a> overall. Some shooting help would also aid young star Paulo Banchero, who sits well below the league average in three-point percentage at 30.5%.<\/p>\n

Magic Draft Targets
\nBraden Smith<\/a> \u2014 Point Guard \u2014 Purdue<\/p>\n

In terms of intriguing prospects, Purdue\u2019s Braden Smith is about as interesting as they come. Sitting at just 6 feet, 175 pounds, he\u2019s an undersized yet scrappy guard who gives it his all on both ends of the floor.<\/p>\n

Offensively, Smith thrives as a surgical floor general. During his time at Purdue, he engineered enough plays to help him finish as the NCAA\u2019s all-time leader<\/a> in assists.<\/p>\n

In his final collegiate season, he averaged nearly nine assists per game. Furthermore, he levels the floor as an above-league-average three-point shooter. Combining his shooting gravity and passing wizardry, Smith has the makings of a lethal off-the-bench presence.<\/p>\n

Defensively, however, Smith could struggle in a league filled with the world\u2019s best offensive talent. Standing 6 feet tall can result in myriad mismatches, switches, and potential targets for bigger guards on the defensive end. However, he has a fantastic feel for passing lanes, which helped him average nearly two steals per game across his collegiate career.<\/p>\n

Otega Oweh<\/a> \u2014 Shooting Guard \u2014 Kentucky<\/p>\n

When examining this class\u2019s selection of shooters, it would be a shame not to mention Otega Oweh.<\/p>\n

On the offensive side of the ball, Oweh is the shooter of shooters. He can lace it on the move, in place, and relocate efficiently. He averaged nearly 35% from beyond the arc across his time in college, and while the rest of his offense is not as polished, he can still thrive without it.<\/p>\n

Oweh\u2019s defense is what helps push his propaganda as the prototypical 3-and-D player. With a stellar frame at 6-foot-5, 210 pounds, he is a quick-twitched defender capable of intercepting passing lanes and stopping isolation attempts. He is also extremely athletic, which, when paired with his high motor and intelligent positioning, can cause chaos for any opposing team.<\/p>\n

Richie Saunders<\/a> \u2013 Shooting Guard \u2013 BYU<\/p>\n

Similar to Oweh, BYU\u2019s Richie Saunders is another guard who excels at three-level shooting and defense. Earning All-Big 12 First Team in 2025 and Second Team in 2026, Saunders soared in his final season, finishing with 48.9\/37.6\/81.7\u00a0shooting splits.<\/p>\n

Saunders is a flamethrower from all parts of the court, using his quick jump shot to swish shots from deep and short range. He can shoot from his base, off-screen, or into a fade, maintaining his efficiency regardless of shot selection. He also has a serious inside game, using his shot fake to get quick drives to the basket that make teams pay for attempting to play ahead.<\/p>\n

While he isn\u2019t known for his defensive profile, Saunders is serviceable by league standards. Averaging a steal per game across his college career, Orlando could develop the BYU product into a solid piece on this end if need be.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Orlando Magic had, to say the least, a disappointing 2025 season. Originally projected to have the sixth-most…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":755993,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3779],"tags":[25086,7,2456,48,6,12,47,76,3883,3272,402,2464],"class_list":["post-755992","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-orlando-magic","tag-2026-nba-draft","tag-basketball","tag-braden-smith","tag-magic","tag-nba","tag-nba-draft","tag-orlando","tag-orlando-magic","tag-orlandomagic","tag-otega-oweh","tag-paolo-banchero","tag-richie-saunders"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/116716197896394077","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/755992","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=755992"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/755992\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/755993"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=755992"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=755992"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=755992"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}