10 Best NBA Draft Picks In Orlando Magic History

7. Aaron Gordon (4th overall, 2014)

An uber-athletic power forward, Aaron Gordon spent six-plus seasons with Orlando. In his last three full seasons with the Magic, he had averages of 16.0 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 3.3 assists. Gordon finished four outings with at least 38 points with the team.

6. Dennis Scott (4th overall, 1990)

Known as’3-D’, Dennis Scott was one of the game’s top long-range threats in the 1990s. He made 40.3% of his three-point tries with Orlando and led the league with 267 triples in 1995-96. Scott is the Magic’s all-time leader with 981 made three-pointers.

5. Nick Anderson (11th overall, 1989)

The franchise leader in games played is none other than Nick Anderson with 692. He twice finished just shy of 20 points per contest (19.9) and had over 15 five times. On April 23, 1993, he had a 50-point outing against the New Jersey Nets.

4. Paolo Banchero (1st overall, 2022)

An All-Star in 2023-24, Paolo Banchero also won Rookie of the Year in the previous season. He has averaged at least 20 points each season including a career-high 25.9 in 2024-25. The 6-foot-10 forward draws a boatload of fouls as evidenced by his career 7.5 free-throw attempts per contest.

3. Franz Wagner (8th overall, 2021)

Tough choice between the two active players for third, but Franz Wagner has one more year on his ledger (also wasn’t a first overall pick). He may have been in line for his first All-Star appearance last season if not for a torn oblique that sidelined him for a month and a half. He put up excellent averages of 24.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.3 steals in 2024-25.

2. Shaquille O’Neal (1st overall, 1992)

While he played just four seasons for Orlando, Shaquille O’Neal was dominant from the get-go. The 1992-93 Rookie of the Year had MVP finishes of seventh, fourth, second, and ninth. He won a scoring title in his third year and had averages of 27.2 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks with the club.

1. Dwight Howard (1st overall, 2004)

Dwight Howard gets the slight nod over Shaq due to a much longer tenure with the team. He played eight seasons for the Magic and won three straight Defensive Player of the Year awards from 2008-09 until 2010-11. With Orlando, he led the league in rebounding four times and blocks twice.