With the 2019 NBA Las Vegas Summer League coming to a close this upcoming Monday, teams are starting to make their final selections as to who will make the training camp roster. This year more than most in recent memory, a lot of second round and undrafted rookies made their mark during this year’s summer league play. With all 30 teams in Las Vegas this year for the first time the opportunity to make an NBA roster has increased for all these young men exponentially. 

Summer League is the final chance to make an impression on either the team they are playing on any other NBA or international squad. 

Orlando is represented well this year as several players from Central Florida including BJ Taylor, Chad Brown, Tacko Fall, Aubrey Dawkins, and AJ Davis have each  found themselves on a summer league roster. While BJ, Chad, and AJ have struggled to get much playing time, Aubrey Dawkins and specifically Tacko Fall have made a name for themselves and look likely to make a roster. 

BJ and Chad had the unique opportunity of playing with the Orlando Magic while AJ Davis, who is the son of former center Antonio Davis played with the Philadelphia 76ers. While it doesn’t look likely they will remain with their current teams, they are on teams radars for the G-league and possible two way contracts. Dawkins played for the New Orleans Pelicans and continued to show his versatility and overall basketball IQ which was on display during the NCAA tournament. Tacko Fall has become one of the biggest storylines during the summer league. His 7”7 height and wingspan are the longest record in NBA history. It is no secret he has unique size that translates well to the NBA. The biggest questions that surround Tacko come down to his skill set and whether or not a team is willing to take on the project of developing him. 

Orlando’s roster seems to be filled, and with last years two way player Amile Jefferson lighting it up in Summer League it is more likely they will get a chance to play in the G league or even overseas. Still with Orlando’s recent playoff run and the fact  all of these local players are beginning to make a name for themselves, the future is bright for basketball in Central Florida once again!

The 2018-19 season marked a return to the playoffs for the Orlando Magic for the first time since the 2011-2012 lockout shortened season. Orlando’s playoff run was fueled primarily by new head coach Steve Clifford’s emphasis on defense and the improvement the entire team showed throughout the season. Perhaps no players improvement was more impactful than that of first time all-star Nikola Vučević. Often criticized for his lack of defense, Vučević lead the charge in Orlando’s return to the postseason averaging 20.8 points, 12.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists on 51.8% shooting from the field. Another key player for the Magic this season was sixth man Terrance Ross. Ross was acquired by the Magic in the 2017 trade deadline deal that sent Serge Ibaka to the Toronto Raptor for Ross and a future 1st round pick. Ross was the offensive spark not only off the bench but late in games as well. Ross was  given the nickname “The Human Torch” based off of his ability to get hot in a hurry and has become a fan favorite in Orlando. 

The biggest question going into this offseason however was whether the Magic would re-sign both Vučević or Ross in an attempt to continue postseason success. There were rumors swirling around that there were many potential suitors for both players and that Orlando was looking to continue to develop their young core rather than run it back. Magic fans waited nervously as free agency started on June 30th. 

To the delight of Magic fans everywhere both Vučević and Ross agreed to new deals with Orlando within a few hours. Vučević signed a 4yr/$100 million dollar extension while Ross signed a 3yr/$54 million dollar deal. The Magic also signed Al-Farouq Aminu to a 3yr/$29 million dollar deal increasing their size and length and improving their defense. The Magic also added Chuma Okeke out of Auburn who has potential to be a nice three and D player. The questions for the roster are whether Orlando is going to add another guard and also where the scoring will come from The secret weapon in this equation is Markelle Fultz who was acquired at the trade deadline last year. 

Returning nearly the same team as last year, The Magic can now build on what was a successful return to the postseason and make strides to becoming perennial playoff contenders once again. Orlando is ready for more Magic!

The Orlando Magic shocked the entire NBA community when they selected Chuma Okeke out of Auburn with the no.16 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. The reason this selection caught everyone off guard was the fact Okeke was not even listed in the first round of most mock drafts. Okeke tore his ACL during the NCAA March Madness tournament which effectively dropped his stock from a potential lottery pick to a fringe second rounder. During the tournament he would go on to flash his versatile skillset until he went down in the Sweet Sixteen.

While most Magic fans were seemingly confused and upset by the selection, he is being considered one of the biggest steals in the draft based on his potential and growth throughout his time at Auburn. Nicknamed “Big Chum” his shooting ability and defense make him an ideal fit in today’s NBA Still some fans had a hard time understanding why the Magic didn’t trade down from no .16 to the late first or 2nd round if he was indeed the target all along. When asked whether Okeke would have been available later then no. 16 Orlando Magic President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman said “Not a chance,” Weltman continued. “I think that there were a lot of teams that had their eye on him. The kind of guys you always have to watch out for are the ones that nobody is talking about. And I don’t believe that there was any shot that he would have got to the second round at all.”Had Okeke not suffered the injury, Weltman said the Magic firmly believe he would not have been available for the Magic at 16. What sold Weltman and the Magic on Okeke, other than his pre-injury performance during the NCAA Tournament, was his basketball IQ and versatility. Weltman is the same guy drafted Giannis Antetekounmpo, so he deserves the benefit of the doubt.

The Magic front office believes they got their guy, and while he may sit out the regular season, when he comes back he should be able to fit right in as a consistent 3-and-D threat which would help the Magic immediately. With Markelle Fultz, Jonathan Isacc, Mo Bamba, and Aaron Gordon along with Okeke the Magic’s young core is one of the most exciting in the league. The future for Orlando is exciting.

The no. 16 pick in the NBA Draft is one of the most interesting positions in the draft. This position is usually reserved for one of the final teams that make it into the playoffs. At this spot, it is more likely to find a role player versus a potential superstar, however that does not mean there is not value in this position. Looking through the history of the number 16 pick, the biggest name to selected in this spot is Hall of Famer and former Utah Jazz point guard John Stockton. Stockton’s prime would come in the mid 90’s while teaming with Karl Malone making it to the finals twice in ’97 and ’98. While he never did win a championship, his leadership and passing ability would lead to him becoming the NBA’s all time assist leader. Now while Stockton is more of an outlier there have been some other good picks at #16 including; Ron Artest, Hedo Turkoglu, Marreese Speights, Terry Rozier, Jusuf Nurkic, and Nikola Vucevic.

While this group of names falls short from a championships standpoint there is no denying their talent. Two names should particularly stick out to Magic fans, Hedo Turkoglu and Nikola Vucevic. Turkoglu played for the Magic from 2004-2009 and a second stint from 2010-2014. Turkoglu, the first Turkish born player to play in the NBA was a very important player for the Magic during his tenure with the team. He was a 6’10” point forward, which at the time was rare in the NBA compared to today’s game. He was instrumental in the 2009 finals run and was easily a fan favorite. Nikola Vucevic was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2011 out of USC. He was traded to the Magic the following year in the blockbuster deal that sent Dwight Howard to the Los Angeles Lakers. This past season he was selected as an all star for the first time in his career has been the first all star for the Magic since Dwight Howard in 2012 which reinvigorated the fan base here in Orlando. Not only is there potential all star talent at 16 but the Magic have been on the right side of history with some of the no. 16 picks they have had on their roster.

This years draft class is viewed as relatively weak after the first 3 picks by most scouts and GM’s covering the draft. With that being said however there are several intriguing prospects the Magic can draft at 16. Most mock drafts have the Magic selecting USC guard Romeo Langford, USG guard Kevin Porter Jr. or North Carolinas Cameron Johnson. Either of those players would fit a big for the Magic, scoring. Cameron Johnson is regarded as the best shooter in this draft, he also fits the mold of a Jeff Weltman type of, long and athletic at the forward positions. Both Langford and Kevin Porter Jr. are versatile wing players who not only can score from every level on the floor but play good defense as well. Although they made the playoff this past season, it was clear during their series with the eventual champions Toronto Raptors that producing points outside of Vucevic proved difficult. The Magic will have some intriguing options in June’s NBA draft.

For the first team in 7 years, the Orlando Magic are not in the lottery in contention for a top 14 pick and it must be said, It feels like MAGIC!

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton