Magic 'Willing to Listen' to Trades For No. 1 Pick?
The Orlando Magic are set to pick with the first overall pick in this summer's draft for the first time since 2004 ... but there's a slight chance that might not happen.
By holding the most prized possession in the draft, Orlando Magic general manager John Hammond is going to be popular over the next few weeks.
In an interview with 96.9 The Game's Brandon Kravitz, Hammond says that he "expects to get calls" for the No. 1 pick.
Considering the Magic had the second-worst record in the league last season (22-60), it would likely take a lot for the team to consider relinquishing the top pick.
In a separate interview with ESPN, Hammond gives more insight into the thought process behind trading the top pick.
"It's hard to move those picks," the Magic general manager said. "But once again, you have to do your due diligence. You have to be willing to listen and see if there's something at least worth discussing."
But it isn't all that taboo to trade the top pick.
In fact, if the Magic were to trade the first overall pick, it wouldn't be the first time it has happened. Back in 1993, the Magic traded the top overall pick to the Golden State Warriors for the No. 3 pick and a future first-round pick. However, the circumstances were extremely different back then.
The Magic had drafted generational big man Shaquille O'Neal with the No. 1 pick the year before and were not fond of pairing him with Michigan forward Chris Webber, who was the consensus top player in the draft. The Magic wanted to draft Memphis State point guard Penny Hardaway and were able to afford trading back to get him.
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In this draft, the top three players are all in the frontcourt, a position of need for the Magic, so if the team were to trade back, that would not be the reason.
While it seems unlikely for the Magic to trade the top pick, when you have the best card in the deck you want to make sure to listen to every option.
