2026 NBA Draft: 3 potential second-round bigs Magic fans must know

The Orlando Magic own just one second-round pick.

Mar 3, 2026; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators center Rueben Chinyelu (9) reacts after a dunk against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the second half at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images | Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

The most exciting time of the basketball calendar has arrived! We are now eight days away from the 2026 NCAA Tournament, with plenty of conference tournaments already underway.

This is one of the most important times of the year for evaluations ahead of the NBA Draft. The 2026 class is expected to be stacked, though the Orlando Magic own just one pick -- their second-rounder -- as a result of the Desmond Bane trade.

In the final of our three-part series -- we examined guards and wings here! -- which bigs should Magic fans keep tabs on?! Let's examine!

(Editor's note: This list 1.) not in order based on want/need or 2.) does not factor in which of these players may or may not return to school next season.)

Motiejus Krivas, C, Arizona:

Feb 28, 2026; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats center Motiejus Krivas (13) points up after he dunks the ball during the first half of the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at McKale Memorial Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

Skinny: Krivas has been the backbone of a top-3 defense, with the 7-foot-2 big swatting 1.8 shots per game and 3.1 per 75 possessions. Krivas is a mountain. He's elite in drop coverage defensively. Krivas also has a pretty good low-post game offensively with improved shooting touch and some legitimately fun passing chops.

He's not going to overly wow you every game. But his impact -- 10.8 points and 8.2 rebounds across 25 minutes per night -- transcends the box score, especially defensively, where he deters everything in the lane with his 7-foot-5 wingspan and monstrous standing reach.

Rueben Chinyelu, C, Florida:

Apr 7, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Florida Gators center Rueben Chinyelu (9) reacts after a play against the Houston Cougars during the first half in the national championship game of the Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Skinny: Chinyelu is another member on my first-team All-Mammoth squad (I'm trying to come up with a better name, but that's what I got for now!). He's 6-foot-11 with an outrageous 7-foot-8 wingspan and 9-foot-4 standing reach -- not far off from Victor Wembanyama's 9-foot-7 standing reach.

He's as strong as an ox. Chinyelu leads the nation in rebounds per game (11.7) and total rebound rate (24.8) while topping the SEC in both offensive (18.2) and defensive (31.0) rebound rate. He's still flawed offensively, but has shown glimpses of being a switchable big with solid shooting touch around the rim, despite being limited athletically.

Henri Veesaar, C, North Carolina

Feb 23, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels center Henri Veesaar (13) shoots a three point shot as Louisville Cardinals forward Vangelis Zougris (53) defends in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Skinny: Veesaar parlayed a strong end to his season in 2024-25 into a breakout season at North Carolina. Alongside presumptive top-5 pick Caleb Wilson, Veesar is 16.3 points and 8.4 rebounds on 61.4 percent shooting and 66.6 percent true shooting.

I have genuine concerns about his frame and how lack of sheer strength. But he's a lob threat and can stretch the floor better than he was able to in his two healthy seasons with the Wildcats. If you're looking for a potential stretch 5, he may be one of your better bets in the middle of the second round.

Anyone else who deserves a quick mention?:

Mar 3, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Kansas Jayhawks forward Flory Bidunga (40) against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Desert Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Alex Condon, F/C, Florida:

I also have concerns about Condon's physicality (or lack thereof) against bigger, stronger NBA athletes. But he's had a great season offensively as one of Florida's top play finishers alongside Chinyelu.

Zuby Ejiofor, F/C, St. John's:

Ejiofor might be the closest thing to a "jack of all trades" for a big in the middle of the second. The Big East Defensive Player of the Year can do a little bit of everything on both ends, save for space the floor.

Flory Bidunga, C, Kansas

Bidunga shouldn't fall to the middle of the second round, but weirder things have happened. The hyper-athletic big excels at two things: Vertical spacing and shot-blocking. The sophomore does the "big guy" stuff at a remarkable level.