Report: Magic would have picked Kristaps Porzingis had he stayed in 2014 draft
The Orlando Magic have swung and missed on most of their draft picks these last few years, but it turns out they narrowly missed on landing the Porzingod.
In a recent episode of “The Woj Pod,” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Magic made a promise to pick Kristaps Porzingis with the No. 12 pick in the 2014 draft, which he initially entered. Feeling he wasn’t ready however, the Latvian eventually withdrew his name and went in the next year instead. Orlando would go on to trade up for Elfrid Payton at No. 10 overall that year.
As fate had it, Porzingis would be drafted by the New York Knicks at No. 4 overall in 2015 just one pick before the Magic’s selection, which they used on Mario Hezonja instead. At the time, Porzingis was seen as a bit of a reach going that high, so it stands to reason that he probably would have been available at No. 12 in the 2014 draft when he was still just 18 years old.
Granted, Porzingis might not have developed as he did if he entered the NBA a year earlier and a year rawer. But that probably won’t be of any comfort to the Magic, who are still looking for a true young franchise talent to build around.
