NBA Draft: Grades for all 15 teams in the Eastern Conference

Eastern Conference NBA Draft Grades: Orlando Magic

Picks: Paolo Banchero, Big, Duke (1); Caleb Houstan, Forward, Michigan (32)

For the fourth No. 1 overall pick in franchise history, the Orlando Magic kept everyone guessing right up until the moment their pick was sent in. Two days before the draft the Vegas odds for the top pick went haywire, and even though Adrian Wojnarowski tried to keep things calm, in the end the news burst just before tip-off: Paolo Banchero, not Jabari Smith Jr., would be the first overall pick.

Banchero is one of the best playmakers in the draft, with his combination of on-ball shot creation and passing skill. The Magic have a lot of interesting pieces but they had neither an offensive engine nor a foundational star, and now they may have both by taking Banchero. His defense is a question but it’s not a true weakness, and playing alongside Wendell Carter Jr. or Jonathan Isaac at center he should be set up for success.

With the 32nd pick the Magic reached into the bag of players who were highly heralded coming into college but floundered at that level; Patrick Baldwin Jr. and Peyton Watson went within the last five picks. Orlando went with Caleb Houstan of Michigan, a 6’8″ small forward who has some shot versatility but is incredibly raw with a host of weaknesses and will be a long-term project. Yet who better to take that time than the Magic, locked into a long-term rebuild?

Grade: A-