Magic Gaming Acquires No. 3 and No. 16 Overall Picks in 2024 NBA 2K League Draft Along with ReturnOfDJ in Pair of Trades

ORLANDO – Magic Gaming’s offseason has been all about going from good to great.

With that goal in mind, Orlando has been extremely active on the trade market in the attempt to acquire high-end talent.

Magic Gaming continued down that path on Thursday as they completed a series of trades, nabbing the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NBA 2K League Draft from Pistons GT, the No. 16 selection from DUX Infinitos, and shooting guard Darjean “ReturnOfDJ” Henderson from the Gen.G Tigers of Shanghai.

“Overall, we tried to reapproach our upcoming season and our roster and optimize our team as much as possible,” said Magic Gaming General Manager and Head Coach Jonah Edwards. “These deals came on our table, and they made a lot of sense. We were looking to improve our roster. These deals were big with a lot of different pieces. Leaving it with a great shooting guard who has the flexibility to play a little bit of lockdown for us, the third overall pick, and 16^th overall, we feel really confident about where we stand in building out our roster.”

In the process, Magic Gaming had to part with some proven talent. Orlando sent big man Devin “Scoreo” Lawrence and the No. 12 overall pick to DUX and shooting guard Alexander “BSmoove” Reese – who the team had just acquired from Heat Check Gaming earlier this offseason – to Pistons GT.

“It’s absolutely a move about going from good to great,” Edwards explained. “We don’t just want to be a team that’s pretty good and has a little bit of success. We’re trying to be one of the best teams in the 2K League. To do that, sometimes you have to make big moves and you have to make tough decisions. The toughest part of this deal, for me, was trading Scoreo. He was a guy that we really enjoyed and liked having in our room. We’re going to miss his personality, his mindset, and his communication for sure. And we were really excited to have Bsmoove as well. Both of those guys are still incredibly talented.”

The move adds to a dramatic overhaul of Orlando’s roster this offseason. Point guard Joshua “unguardable” Hunter is now the only player remaining who took the virtual floor for Magic Gaming last season.

However, the team believes all their offseason movement will set them up for success and long-term sustainability in the future.

Unguardable has proven he’s one of the best 2K players in the world and is coming off a campaign in which he was named the NBA 2K League’s All-Star Game MVP in both game modes. Big man Ashton “LowkeyGodlike” Agredano, who Orlando acquired earlier this offseason, is fresh off a rookie season in which he was named SWITCH OPEN MVP and played an integral role in helping his former squad capture not only a banner title but the 2023 2KL 3v3 championship as well.

That dynamic duo along with ReturnofDJ, who spent two seasons playing a significant role for Gen.G, provides Magic Gaming with a young core capable of accomplishing big things in the league. And when you also consider that the franchise will have the ability to add one of the top three players in the draft along with another high-end selection, the blend of youth and upper-echelon talent could potentially set the organization up for success for years to come.

“That’s the hope,” Edwards explained. “DJ was a top seven shooting guard in the league last year. If we get similar production from him and add a guy who’s capable of being top five at his position in pick three, then we have four guys at minimum – depending on what we land at 16 – who are top end at their position across the league. They’re all so young, hungry, and motivated. Along with those things, they bring a little edge, which is something that I think our group has lacked in the past. We’re coming in with a different mentality this year.”