The Orlando Magic selected South Florida forward Izaiyah Nelson with the No. 51 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on Wednesday. The American Conference Player of the Year stays in Florida to join a contending Magic team.
“For what we walked away with in the draft and where we were, we’re very pleased to draft a guy like Izaiyah,” Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said in a phone interview Wednesday night.
Nelson played all four years of college basketball under head coach Bryan Hodgson, following him to USF for his senior season. In his final season, he had a career year, averaging 15.9 points, 9.6 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and 1.2 blocks en route to the Bulls’ first March Madness appearance since 2012.
In USF’s lone tournament game, Nelson scored 22 points, with 15 coming in the second half. Despite the loss, Nelson showed why he should be drafted in a talented class. Orlando’s selection marked the first Bull to be drafted since 2010.
Though he was a forward in college, it is projected that the 6’ 9” Nelson will become a center in the NBA. His strengths stem from his athleticism, as he grabbed 4 offensive rebounds a game for USF. Nelson could be the Magic’s replacement for veteran Jonathan Isaac, who league sources believe will be cut for salary purposes.
Orlando only made one selection in the draft, trading three of their four picks. The Magic’s first round pick was part of the Desmond Bane trade, leaving Orlando out of the No. 16 pick. The Grizzlies selected Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz and traded him to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The other picks the Magic traded were No. 46 (Felix Okpara) for two seconds, and flipped No. 60 (Malique Lewis) for cash considerations. Orlando will look to add players along the edges during free agency, as the team is close to the second apron.