23. Orlando Magic
Full disclosure, I believe the Orlando Magic missed an opportunity to take a tangible step forward in the Eastern Conference. The moves the Houston Rockets made are exactly what I thought the Magic would do. And I’d argue that Orlando is the team that should’ve made the play for veteran contributors, not the Rockets. Nevertheless, the Magic ultimately elected against adding a veteran guard or difference-maker in free agency.
Instead, they used their two first-round picks on guard prospects in hopes that one of them could develop into the long-term answer in the backcourt. I’m not sure if that will come to fruition for Anthony Black or Jett Howard, but it’s hard to blame the thinking here on Orlando. Either way, it’ll be interesting to see how the Magic’s young core continues to develop.
Paolo Banchero is coming off a Rookie of the Year season and a great summer with Team USA. He has all the look and talent to be a really good player for a very long time. I don’t want to step over my boundary here, but he may in fact be the new face of the franchise for the Magic.