Paolo Banchero gave the Orlando Magic a real anchor when they hit the No. 1 pick in 2022, but the rest of the last five drafts has been a mixed bag. Some picks have settled in, some have slipped away, and one 2026 selection barely got a chance to show what he could do.
Banchero, 23, arrived after plenty of debate about who should go first, and Orlando made him the third No. 1 pick in franchise history. He became a franchise cornerstone right away, even if he has also emerged as one of the more polarizing forwards in the sport.
The Magic’s second-round swing that same year didn’t land the same way. Caleb Houstan, taken with the second pick in the second round, never really found a foothold in Orlando despite then-head coach Jamahl Mosley calling Houstan a "machine."
He averaged just 4.1 points in 168 career games with the Magic. Orlando waived him in June of 2025 to open cap space, and he spent last season in the Atlanta Hawks organization.
He is now with the New Orleans Pelicans on a one-year, non guaranteed contract.
A year later, the Magic were back in the lottery after a 34-win season and stayed put at No. 6, where they took Anthony Black. The Arkansas guard came in with plenty of hype, but he needed time before turning into a useful rotation piece.
Last year was his breakthrough, as he averaged 15.0 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. He is now coming off the bench for the Magic.
Orlando also added Jett Howard in 2023 after landing the Bulls’ first-round pick in the Nikola Vucevic deadline deal, which became No. 11 overall. Howard, the son of former 19-year NBA veteran and two-time champion Juwan Howard, never quite stuck in Orlando the way the team hoped.
The Magic declined his fourth-year team option for 2026-27 and did not bring him back in free agency. He is now on a two-way contract with the Dallas Mavericks.
The 2024 class brought Tristan da Silva, one of the older players in the draft and also one of the most polished. Orlando got a ready-made wing who has already become a dependable rotation piece.
He does not light up the box score, but the 6-foot-8 da Silva has been one of the team’s best shooters and offensive connectors. He has started barely half of his 152 career games, averaging 8.6 points and 3.5 rebounds while shooting 35.7 percent from 3-point range.
The Magic also used that 2024 class on rookie wing Antonio Richardson, the son of former 13-year NBA veteran Jason Richardson. He spent most of his first season outside the rotation, though he held his own when he did get on the floor.
In 10.9 minutes per game, he averaged 4.4 points on 47.3/35.4/71.7 shooting splits. He brings effort and intelligence on both ends, but his size - or lack thereof - still leaves questions about whether he can hold up on an NBA court.
Orlando entered the 2026 NBA Draft with only one pick, No. 46 overall, and traded back five spots before taking Nasir Nelson. The South Florida defender is athletic, hyperactive and disruptive, but his summer ended quickly. He fractured his ankle in his third Summer League game, so there was not much chance to evaluate him.
In Other News...
Magic Face A Russell Westbrook Debate They Cant Ignore
Russell Westbrook keeps surfacing in the conversation around Orlando as the Magic weigh whether they need another veteran organizer to steady the offense and raise the floor in a playoff chase. The appeal is obvious: a former MVP with real postseason mileage, a proven playmaker who can push pace, bring edge, and give a young locker room a different kind of voice. For a team still sorting out how it wants to balance growth with win-now urgency, the idea has enough logic to linger.
Still, the fit question is what makes this more than idle chatter. Orlando already knows the conversation around Westbrook comes with tradeoffs, and the debate centers on whether his style helps enough in the half court to justify the attention he would command. The Magic do not need another headline for its own sake, they need answers about how a veteran like Westbrook would change the shape of their offense and whether that would actually make them more dangerous when the games matter most. [Read more 🡒]
Magic Season Opener Could Set The Tone For A New Era
The NBAs full schedule is set to arrive Thursday at 3 p.m. Eastern, with a few marquee dates being dribbled out earlier in the week on Today and Good Morning America. The Magic are not expected to land among the early national TV reveals, but the bigger picture for Orlando will come when the full 82-game slate is unveiled and the first night of the season finally comes into focus.
For a team trying to establish what comes next, the opener can matter almost as much as the calendar around it. Orlando has historically started at home more often than not, opening in its own building 26 times compared with 11 road openers, and when the Magic do begin away from home it has often been against a nearby Southeast Division opponent. Wherever the league sends them this time, the first game will offer an early hint at the tone of a season the franchise hopes feels different from the one before it. [Read more 🡒]
Magic Fans Are Saying Goodbye To A Voice That Defined The Franchise
For more than three decades, David Steele was as much a part of the Orlando Magic experience as the game itself. Known as the Voice of the Magic since the franchise began in 1989, Steele built a run that stretched across 37 years with the team and a total of 51 years in sports broadcasting, becoming a familiar presence for generations of fans along the way.
Now officially retired, Steele leaves behind a legacy that reaches well beyond the mic. He said he wanted more time with his family, a decision that fits after a career spent around the game, and the Magic and their fans have taken the chance to thank him for the imprint he left on the franchise and on the sport. [Read more 🡒]