The NBA draft lottery is Sunday at 3 p.m. While the Magic won’t be lottery participants this season, Orlando has one of the more interesting lottery histories.
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This year’s lottery teams are Washington, Indiana, Brooklyn, Utah, Sacramento, Memphis, Atlanta, Dallas, Chicago, Milwaukee, Golden State, Miami, Charlotte, the L.A. Clippers and, improbably, defending NBA champion Oklahoma City. You can thank (blame?) the Clippers for that.
None of the teams in the 2026 draft lottery compare to the Magic’s record of success in this luck-of-the draw event, which was created in 1985 and has existed in the weighted format since 1990. Orlando and Cleveland are tied for the most top picks collected via the lottery with four.
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The Magic grabbed centers Shaquille O’Neal (1992) and Dwight Howard (2004), forward Paolo Banchero (2022) and traded 1993 pick Chris Webber for guard Penny Hardaway.
The Magic’s No. 1 picks after winning the NBA draft lottery
- 1992 – Shaquille O’Neal: Despite not having the worst record, the Magic won the lottery and selected the Hall of Fame center out of LSU with the first selection.
- 1993 – Penny Hardaway: The Magic became the first team to win back-to-back lotteries, overcoming 1-in-66 odds (1.5% chance). They drafted Chris Webber but traded him to Golden State for Memphis’ Hardaway and three future draft picks. O’Neal and Hardaway led Orlando to the NBA Finals in 1995.
- 2004 – Dwight Howard: The Magic selected Howard out of an Atlanta high school first after winning the lottery. Led by Howard, Orlando reached the NBA Finals in 2009.
- 2022 – Paolo Banchero: Entering with a 14% chance (second-best odds), the Magic moved up to take Banchero out of Duke and he went on to win Rookie of the Year and has become the face of the franchise.
More Orlando lottery history
- 1989: Ahead of the team’s first year, Orlando was placed in the lottery and got the 11th pick, which was used on Nick Anderson.
- 2013: The Magic had the best odds (25%) to land the top pick but fell to No. 2 and selected Victor Oladipo.
- 2021: The team held two lottery picks, drafting Jalen Suggs (No. 5) and Franz Wagner (No. 8).
Key 2026 NBA draft details for Orlando
- Summary: Based on projected 2026 NBA draft orders ahead of the lottery, the Magic are scheduled to pick at No. 46 in the second round. They do not own a first-round pick in the 2026 draft. They are preparing for the draft without a head coach, as Jamahl Mosley was fired May 4 after five years.
- Note: The draft order is subject to change based on the final, official 2026 draft lottery results and the final 2025-26 NBA standings.
- Primary pick: As of now, Orlando has the No. 46 selection in the second round.
- First-round status: Orlando does not own its 2026 first-round pick. The pick was part of a series of trades, with several future assets moved to Memphis and other teams as part of the deal that brought guard Desmond Bane from the Grizzlies to the Magic.
- Last year: The Magic drafted Jace Richardson out of Michigan State in the first round in 2025 with the No. 25 pick.
Sources: Orlando Sentinel research via Orlando Sentinel archives; basketball.realgm.com; cbssports.com; basketball-reference.com; nba.com; Orlando Magic; espn.com; champsorchumps.us