Draft has been one of the more anticipated drafts in a while, thanks in part to the immense talent at th..."/> Draft has been one of the more anticipated drafts in a while, thanks in part to the immense talent at th..."/>
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NBA Draft 2021: 3 biggest winners and losers from draft lottery results

By Tristan Freeman

Dec 5, 2020; Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys guard Cade Cunningham (2) during the game against the Oakland Golden Grizzlies at Gallagher-Iba Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rob Ferguson-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 5, 2020; Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys guard Cade Cunningham (2) during the game against the Oakland Golden Grizzlies at Gallagher-Iba Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rob Ferguson-USA TODAY Sports /
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NBA Draft Cole Anthony Orlando Magic (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
NBA Draft Cole Anthony Orlando Magic (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images) /

Winner No. 2 – Orlando Magic

The Magic had good news and bad news on draft night. They fell down to No. 5 in the NBA Draft with their own pick but kept the pick from the Chicago Bulls trade at No. 8. I’m going to look at this situation from a glass half full perspective due to keeping another top-10 pick in a talent-rich draft, especially since Chicago likely will be outside of the top 10 next season with a full season of  Nikola Vučević on board.

Considering that the franchise traded away arguably their three best players (Vučević, Aaron Gordon, and Evan Fournier) this past trade deadline, the Magic are likely to be around the top-5 for the next couple of years. But it’s good that they finally started the rebuild, as their previous core of key players were going enough to barely make the playoffs one time.

Orlando does have some building blocks to work with, including rookie point guard Cole Anthony, along with forward Johnathan Isaac, who missed this past season due to suffering an injury on the bubble. He’ll have to be brought along slowly which is why selection Johnathan Kuminga at No. 5 makes sense, as he’s capable of being a top-notch scorer.

The Magic can then focus on selecting another guard at No. 8, with Keon Johnson and James Bouknight as good options. Both can play off the ball and their scoring potential should be able to translate to the next level. And with the 2022 draft being frontcourt heavy at the top and Orlando likely having a top-5 pick then, they can solidify the frontcourt the year after to create a new core of the future.

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