The Orlando Magic were the biggest winners of the 2022 NBA Draft Lottery. They finished with the third-worst record in the league this season, meaning they had the third-best odds of landing the No. 1 overall pick. It was their lucky night, as they moved up two spots ahead of the Detroit Pistons and Houston Rockets, landing the No. 1 pick in the draft.
Right now, three prospects have separated themselves as the cream of the crop in this year’s draft class; Jabari Smith out of Auburn, Chet Holmgren out of Gonzaga and Paolo Banchero out of Duke. The Magic will have their pick of the trio as they are officially on the clock with the first pick.
With all three players being frontcourt guys, as Smith and Banchero are likely power forwards and Holmgren a power forward or center, moving up in the draft could impact the Orlando Magic’s decisions when it comes to their roster this offseason. Namely, restricted free agent Mo Bamba.
There is a feeling around the league that Mo Bamba will be departing Orlando this offseason now that they are likely to add another frontcourt player to the mix with the first overall pick in the draft.
“The idea of incorporating Smith or Holmgren into Orlando’s rebuild has sparked an expectation among league personnel that Bamba, a restricted free agent this summer, is likely to depart the franchise, especially after being considered a trade candidate prior to February’s trade deadline.”
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: These 3 Should Monitor Mo Bamba In NBA Free Agency
It isn’t difficult to connect the dots when it comes to Holmgren being the No. 1 overall pick. He has a great relationship with Jalen Suggs, whom the Orlando Magic selected fifth overall in the 2021 NBA Draft. Both players attended Minnehaha Academy in Minnesota, where their overlap led to four consecutive state titles. Both also went on to play single seasons at Gonzaga.
With Wendell Carter Jr. already locked into an extension, the writing is seemingly on the wall for Bamba. But, he should have no shortage of suitors this offseason.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: These 3 Should Monitor Mo Bamba In NBA Free Agency
Mo Bamba had the best season of his young career, averaging 10.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.5 steals and 1.7 blocks in only 25.7 minutes per game. He showcased an improved jumper as well, connecting on 37.1 percent of his 3-point attempts and providing that unicorn skillset teams are looking for from their centers nowadays.
