NBA Draft Rumors: Marcus Smart off the board for Orlando Magic?

The Orlando Magic had their eye on former Oklahoma State Cowboys’ point guard Marcus Smart last year.

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After Smart returned to school, many pundits thought the Magic would select Smart this year. That, however, may not be the case.

According to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, neither one of Smart’s workouts in Orlando went very well.

"For a while it seemed as though Oklahoma State’s Marcus Smart was the Orlando Magic’s guy with the fourth pick. However, after two workouts there is a sense that neither went particularly well and that Smart may no longer be the guy. No one will say he had a bad showing, but there is a sense that there were things the Magic expected to see and did not. On the flip side, both Noah Vonleh and Dante Exum were said to have impressed in their workouts, which is why there was so much hype about Vonleh to the Magic over the last week and why Exum is still very much an option at four."

Of course, with the injury to former Kansas Jayhawks’ center Joel Embiid, the Magic will have to rethink their draft strategy. The Magic have had their eyes on Australian point guard Dante Exum, but he likely won’t be available.

Smart is ranked as the sixth-best prospect in the draft by Jonathan Givony of Draft Express. He averaged 18.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game last season and shot 42.2% from the field, 29.9% from beyond the arc and 72.8% from the charity stripe. Smart measured in at 6’3.25 and 227 lbs. with a wingspan of 6’9.25.

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