Instant Grade: Magic Select Tennessee's Felix Okpara at No. 46 Overall

UPDATE: After the publication of this article, Okpara was traded.

The Orlando Magic are adding to their roster by selecting Tennessee big man Felix Okpara with the No. 46 overall pick in the second round of the 2026 NBA Draft.

Okpara gives the Magic a chance to add depth to their frontcourt, which could come in handy with Moe Wagner facing free agency this offseason. The Magic could still sign Wagner, but this gives them insurance in case he moves on.

Size has become incredibly important over the last couple of years, which adds value to Okpara in the league.

Felix Okpara Gives Magic Much-Needed Frontcourt Depth

"Okpara was Tennessee's veteran big man last season, who finished the season with an average of 8 points per game and 6.3 rebounds," Tennessee Volunteers On SI contributor Caleb Sisk wrote.

"While both of these stats are great, he will likely be drafted due to his true defense. In his final season with the Vols, he finished with an average of 1.5 blocks per game, which solidified him as one of the better defenders in both the SEC and college basketball as a whole."

The Magic are still prioritizing defense under new head coach Sean Sweeney, and Okpara can be a valued role protector for them for the future. He was part of the SEC All-Defensive team this past season with the Vols, suggesting that he is coming into the league with NBA-ready defense.

He stands 6-11, which would make him the tallest player on the roster next to the aforementioned Wagner and Goga Bitadze. The hope is that he can emerge into the rotation someday, but that might not come right away.

Although Okpara played four years of collegiate basketball (two at Ohio State and two at Tennessee), he is still very new to the game of basketball. Okpara only began playing the game at the age of 14 when he moved from Nigeria to the United States.

He may not have been playing basketball for his entire life, but he has some raw abilities and size that the Magic seem to like and want to develop.

Okpara should not be expected to play many minutes with Orlando in the 2026-27 season. In fact, he may end up signing a two-way contract with the team. The Magic will develop Okpara in both Osceola with the G League and Orlando, but this is a project for the Magic to work on for the long term.

UPDATE: The Magic traded the draft rights for Okpara to the Washington Wizards, according to HoopsHype insider Michael Scotto.

TRADE: The Washington Wizards are acquiring Felix Okpara, the No. 46 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, from the Orlando Magic in exchange for the No. 51 and 60 picks, per league sources.
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) June 25, 2026

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