NBA Draft Rumors: Orlando Magic eyeing top-2 pick

Mar 13, 2014; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Andrew Wiggins (22) laughs while on the foul line during the second half against the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the second round of the Big 12 Conference college basketball tournament at Sprint Center. Kansas won 77-70 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports /

It is widely believe that there are four elite prospects in the 2014 NBA Draft – former Kansas Jayhawks’ center Joel Embiid, his college teammate, forward Andrew Wiggins, former Duke Blue Devils’ forward Jabari Parker and Australian point guard Dante Exum.

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That’s why the Orlando Magic, who hold the fourth-overall pick, despite finishing with the third-worst record in the league (23-59), believed they were in a good place.

The Magic reportedly covet Wiggins and hoped that they would be in a position to land him, but after the lottery, it was pretty clear that would not be happening. That’s why the Magic were reportedly down to Exum, who is viewed as the best-case scenario for the Magic and former Indiana Hoosiers’ big man Noah Vonleh, who the team is very interested in. Several reports indicated the Magic are very high on former Oklahoma State Cowboys’ point guard Marcus Smart, but a recent report suggested the Magic weren’t happy with Smart’s two workouts in Orlando.

Now that Embiid has suffered a stress fracture in his right foot, he will likely fall out of the top-3. Unless the Magic really do covet Vonleh as some reports indicate, they likely will not get their man. That’s why Chad Ford of ESPN.com reports the Magic, like the Philadelphia 76ers and Utah Jazz, who hold the third-overall and fifth-overall selections in next week’s draft, are looking to trade up.

That would put the Magic in a position to possibly land Wiggins or at least assure themselves of drafting Exum.

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