Do the Orlando Magic need to land the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft?
The Orlando Magic came to the realization that their current core had peaked and hit the hard reset button at the NBA Trade Deadline by moving their three top players. Even though the team has a few good prospects on their roster, I don’t think anyone is projecting any player on their current roster to make the jump to stardom at any point in their respective careers.
Add that into the fact that the Magic have historically struggled to land significant free agents and you can make the argument that landing the No. 1 overall pick is the only way this team could realistically land a superstar.
Throughout the course of their 30-plus year history as a franchise in the NBA, the Magic had the No. 1 overall pick in an NBA Draft three times. They hit big-time in each of those opportunities.
In 1992, the Magic selected Shaquille O’Neal with the No. 1 pick and then drafted Chris Webber a year later with the No. 1 pick again – though, Webber was quickly traded to the Golden State Warriors for Penny Hardaway. That worked out for the Magic as the team made the NBA Finals two years later.
Then, the Magic earned the No. 1 overall pick again in 2004 in which the team drafted Dwight Howard. Five years later, the Magic was in the NBA Finals again. In fact, you can make the argument that winning the No. 1 overall pick could lead the Magic back to the NBA Finals a few years later. It has in every situation for the team in their brief history.
So, yes, the Orlando Magic desperately need to win the No. 1 overall pick. Perhaps more than any other team on this list based on where the team is in their rebuild.