Orlando Magic 2025 NBA Mock Draft Roundup 2.0

Newell took his talents to Georgia as one of the highest-rated signees in program history and raised his draft stock throughout the season. The forward is an impactful defender and finisher around the basket.

The Thunder have the luxury of being able to take a player at this range with high upside because of their almost nonexistent team needs. Riley fits that bill. He is a terrific shotmaker who would benefit from adding muscle to his lanky frame.

Richardson, the son of former 14-year veteran Jason Richardson, showed last season that he can play at either guard spot and contribute well. He flourished after moving into the starting lineup in February, averaging 16.1 points and 4.6 rebounds on 42% shooting from 3-point range over his last 15 games. The Magic currently have two first-round picks and should be a team to watch that could package one or both selections to bring in additional help. If they keep this pick, Richardson projects to fit in well.

Clayton is most commonly projected to go to the Magic, given their glaring need for shooting and help at the point guard position. He established himself as a consensus first-team All-American and one of the top guards in the country, leading the Gators to their third national championship. He had a great showing at the combine on Tuesday, going 17-of-25 in the 3-point star drill and 16-of-27 in the corner. This is the second first-round pick for the Magic, and it could be used in a potential package to acquire players who can help them win now. But if Jeff Weltman & Co. opt to keep it, Clayton makes a lot of sense at this stage of the draft.

Clifford had about as strong of a close to the season as a player can have, leading Colorado State from the middle of the Mountain West in January to the cusp of the Sweet 16 if not for a Derik Queen game-winner as time expired in the Round of 32. From Feb. 8 onward, Clifford averaged 21.5 points, 9.6 rebounds, five assists and 1.4 steals while shooting 51 percent from the field, 47 percent from 3 and 80 percent from the line.

Orlando could use another player who is smart and can knock down shots from the perimeter. Clifford's defensive play might also appeal to coach Jamahl Mosley. It is worth noting that they took a player similar to this in Tristan da Silva last year, but you can't have enough big wings who can shoot and defend.

Clayton is this year's big NCAA Tournament riser. The Florida guard was the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament. He averaged 18 points and four assists this year while shooting 45 percent from the field, 39 percent from 3 and 88 percent from the line. But more than that, the level of shot-making that Clayton can showcase at times is truly special. He can get to his shot from any footwork or any angle on the court, especially from distance. He's comfortable using a change-of-pace dribble to get to a stepback, and then can also attack and drive off that to score around the rim. He's a former high school quarterback and has real athleticism out there. The questions for me are twofold. First, his ball-screen reads weren't always on point. He was terrific against Houston in the championship game, but the picture often looked a bit cloudy in terms of his decision-making. Then, on defense, the real question is if he's a bit too far in-between positions. He got better this year as a senior but wasn't always reliable throughout his college career. That's concerning for an older, undersized player. Still, teams love Clayton's toughness, and I would expect to hear his name called in the first round.

Pro Comparison: Reed Sheppard

Scouts admired Jase Richardson's scoring efficiency and decision-making. He managed to produce consistently on low usage, making open threes, picking the right spots to attack and finishing plays with advanced adjustments and instincts at the rim.

But it also became clear that he offers more creativity than the numbers suggest. Richardson was one of the nation's most efficient ball-screen scorers whose self-creation shined more and more as his role increased.

Pro Comparison: Jarace Walker

Scouts anticipate Cedric Coward rising into the first round after his measurements mirrored Kawhi Leonard's and he lit up shooting drills at the combine. While he only played six games in 2024-25, he created enough intrigue with his three-level shotmaking, defense, body type and athleticism to create serious intrigue and visions of upside.

Scouting report: Though far from a finished product, Riley is viewed by NBA teams as a significant long-term talent. He is a versatile scorer with outstanding shotmaking skill from all over the floor who shows impressive flashes of ability to create shots for himself and others. He also has polished creativity as a passer, which is highly intriguing for a 19-year-old.

Adding strength and becoming a more consistent shooter and defender will be the next steps in his development, but he showed encouraging progress for Illinois as the season moved on. -- Givony

NBA intel and fit: After back-to-back playoff appearances, Orlando's front office seems intent on helping the team win its first playoff series since 2010, saying it plans to "look through a more win-now lens."

That might signal a willingness to part with one or both of the team's first-rounders (the Magic also hold the No. 25 pick) if "proven offensive help" becomes available, a search that will likely continue through the offseason. -- Givony

Scouting report: Clayton's stellar NCAA tournament showing has vaulted him into the mix as a potential option in the 20s. He brings scoring prowess and the ability to hit tough shots, but also an element of streakiness that accompanies his style of play.

He projects as a potential microwave bench scorer, capable of putting up points quickly as a change-of-pace guard. His lack of size, defensive struggles and limited playmaking skills are drawbacks, but there are teams that might benefit from adding him to their bench mix next season. -- Woo

NBA intel and fit: This is the Magic's second first-round selection, acquired from Denver in 2021 in the Aaron Gordon trade. Orlando appears to be shifting into more of a win-now phase, making this pick a potential trade chip but also a spot to bolster depth. -- Woo

Clayton deserves to go down as a March Madness forever hero after powering Florida to the national championship. The NCAA tournament was his playground, with huge scoring performances and clutch daggers piquing the NBA's interest along the way. There will be some skepticism about Clayton's translation if only because he enters the draft as a senior without plus positional size and with defensive question marks. There's no doubting his shooting ability, though. Clayton ripped 38 percent of his threes and 87 percent of his free throws for his college career, showing excellent touch on self-created, off-balanced shots. He made strides as a distributor this year, and finished well at the rim (65 percent) without great size. The Magic need shooting any way they can get it. Clayton's closing kick was impressive enough to make the middle part of the first round a possibility.

Pettiford is one of the the biggest names to watch during the combine from a college basketball perspective. He might be the best guard in the country next season if he returns to Auburn for his sophomore year, but his electric scoring ability just might be enough to get a team to take him at the end of the first round. Pettiford is incredibly shifty with the ball in his hands, and is a threat to pull-up with his jump shot any time he approaches the three-point line. He shot 36.6 percent on 191 attempts from deep this year, with nearly 45 percent of those attempts being self-created. Pettiford just effortlessly creates space with the ball in his hands, and that's alway going to be a valuable skill even if he's undersized for an NBA guard (listed at 6'1) with limitations as a defender and rim finisher.

Clifford's maturity as a defender and versatility on offense just make too much sense for the Magic. This past season at Colorado State, Clifford was just as effective shooting from 3 out of the pick-and-roll as he was coming off screens. He created for himself at the elbows. He took on tough assignments. He did Niko Medved's taxes. I made the last one up, but that's how diligent and capable Clifford is. He is more or less the same age as Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, so while he took a much longer road to the league, he'll be ready to roll in a way that Orlando needs.

Florida Man is drafted by Florida Team, and said team gets something that it needs to add in a significant way this offseason: dynamic shooting on and off the ball. Because that need is so glaring, I've wondered whether the Magic might go ahead and secure Clayton, the no. 26 player on our Big Board, with their first pick to assure that someone else doesn't scoop him up. But in this scenario, they end up waiting and still get the player who did more for his stock in the months of March and April than anyone else in this class. The ease that he showed on big stages and the variety of ways he accessed his premier shooting solidified the fact that he is a prospect worth taking seriously.

Bryant looks the part of a winning two-way wing who can defend and knock down shots. He hit 37.1% from 3-point range and rated in the 80th percentile as a jump shooter in his freshman season at Arizona. Teams are growing increasingly intrigued by his skill set and potential.

Newell is 6-foot-11 with above-the-rim dynamism as a lob threat and shot-blocker. His shot-making and length makes him a high-floor type prospect whose skills could seamlessly fit in Orlando.

The Magic ranked 25th in 3-point attempts and last in percentage. It'd be a shocker if they didn't draft someone who can shoot at this spot. McNeeley is a sharpshooting wing with superb instincts moving with the ball, and the touch to splash from deep ranges. Though he doesn't project as a primary shot creator, his feel as a connective passer gives him the skill to fit into any type of offense.

Pettiford is a combo guard with a sniper's touch, raining 3s and lethal floaters while flashing playmaking savvy and a bulldog mentality on both ends. But his smaller size means he'll need to clean up his shot selection and decision-making to max out his game at the next level. In Orlando, those flaws could be masked since he'd have size in the backcourt next to him with Jalen Suggs and length across every other position.

So far in this mock the Magic have drafted a point guard (Pettiford) and a wing (McNeeley). Both of them can shoot. Here, they get a combo guard in Lanier, who transferred to Tennessee after four years at North Florida and immediately thrived as a knockdown shooter with shot-making creativity. Without great size or playmaking at his age, he's a second-round prospect. But the Magic have those areas covered already by other players on their roster.

Toohey is a jack-of-all-trades Australian forward who grinds on defense and loves to dish the ball around. But his scoring comes and goes with his streaky jumper since he's not someone who generates many of his own shots. After taking so many more reliable shooters earlier in the draft, it wouldn't hurt Orlando to roll the dice on someone who shows flashes though.