What rotten luck.
The Orlando Magic received the sixth pick in the NBA draft lottery on Tuesday night.
Most experts predict University of Washington point guard Markelle Fultz, UCLA point guard Lonzo Ball, Kansas small forward Josh Jackson and Duke small forward Jayson Tatum already will be off the board before the Magic pick at No. 6.
In that scenario, the Magic could choose from a pair of point guards, Kentucky's De'Aaron Fox and North Carolina State's Dennis Smith Jr., or Kentucky shooting guard Malik Monk.
The Magic lack All-Star-level talent. They have not reached the playoffs for five consecutive seasons, the longest postseason drought in franchise history.
The 2016-17 season was especially painful. Team officials expected to contend for a playoff berth in the mediocre Eastern Conference, but the Magic faltered and posted a 29-53 record. The team fired general manager Rob Hennigan and assistant general manager Scott Perry after the season ended.
Due to prior trades, the Magic also entered the lottery hoping the Los Angeles Lakers would not receive a top-three pick.
The Magic's hopes fell flat.
The Lakers obtained a top-three pick, which means the Lakers will not send an unprotected 2019 first-round pick to the Magic. Instead, the Magic will receive the Lakers' second-round pick this year (33rd overall) and the Lakers' second-round pick next year.
The Boston Celtics won the lottery, while the Lakers finished second.
Magic officials hoped the lottery would help them infuse their roster with talent.
Orlando entered the night with an 8.8 percent chance of winning the top pick, 9.7 percent odds of obtaining the second pick and a 10.7 percent probability of receiving the third pick.
They had a 26.2 percent chance of obtaining the fifth pick and a 36.0 percent chance of receiving the sixth pick.
The Magic already had the 25th and 35th overall picks.
Franchise co-founder Pat Williams sat in the secluded room at the New York Hilton Midtown hotel where the Ping-Pong balls were drawn.
Coach Frank Vogel represented the Magic on stage while the lottery results were announced.
The team won the lottery in 1992, 1993 and 2004 and used those top picks to select Shaquille O'Neal, acquire Penny Hardaway in a draft-night trade and pick Dwight Howard.
All three of those players served as franchise cornerstones.
This year, the Magic won't have the benefit of the No. 1 pick to draft a cornerstone.
Either the teams ahead of them will have to make a mistake, or the Magic will have to find value where other teams do not.
