The NBA Draft is less than a month away, and the Orlando Magic have plenty of capital to select prospects. With two first-round picks to spend, speculation has Orlando taking various players. A recent Fox Sports mock draft has the front office selecting Stanford center Maxime Raynaud with the No. 25 pick.
"The 7'1 Frenchman out of Stanford was the only player in Division-I to average 20 points and 10 rebounds per game this year. He also shot 34.7% from three on 5.5 attempts per contest, making his size and ability to stretch the floor extremely valuable to any team," the article wrote.
A Paris native, Raynaud is a former teammate of San Antonio Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama. Raynaud earned several accolades in his collegiate career, including AP All-America honorable mention and ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
At the NBA Draft combine, Raynaud named fellow European influences in the league.
"I love the way [Alperen] Şengün plays in the low post; I love the way [Damantas] Sabonis rebounds and plays split action," Raynaud said. "Obviously amazed by how [Nikola] Jokić is playing as well, but I really try to take the best out of everybody. Trying to see how guys are pros; how they organize their life, the off-the-court stuff."
Raynaud also prides himself on being a versatile player who provides intangibles such as leadership.
"I think I try to stay as consistent as possible with my work ethic; it's by doing the little things day after day that finally show in games," Raynaud said. "So now I think it's doing the same thing over and over and over again and trying to hold yourself at a high standard."
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