National Basketball Association

Magic select Kentucky's Orton with 29th pick

Published Jun. 24, 2010 11:29 p.m. ET

foxsports

The Orlando Magic have selected Kentucky forward/center Daniel Orton with the 29th pick in the NBA draft.

Orton was the second-to-last player selected in the first round Thursday night. He was the fifth player selected in the opening round from the Wildcats, the most ever by any school in the first round.

The 6-foot-10 forward/center averaged 3.4 points and 3.3 rebounds in about 13 minutes per game in his only season at Kentucky. Orton gives the Magic another big man behind All-Star center Dwight Howard, perhaps signaling the team could be ready to trade backup Marcin Gortat.

The Magic were eliminated in the Eastern Conference finals this season a year after they went to the NBA finals. Orlando also had the 59th overall pick.