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NBA Draft: Orlando Magic’s draft needs

By Kyle Williams

ORLANDO, FL - JULY 2: Orlando Magic General Manager Rob Hennigan and Head Coach Scott Skiles introduce the Magic's 2015 NBA Draft Picks Mario Hezonja and Tyler Harvey during a press conference on July 2, 2015 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. Mandatory Copyright Notice: ©2015 Fernando Medina/Orlando Magic
ORLANDO, FL - JULY 2: Orlando Magic General Manager Rob Hennigan and Head Coach Scott Skiles introduce the Magic's 2015 NBA Draft Picks Mario Hezonja and Tyler Harvey during a press conference on July 2, 2015 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. Mandatory Copyright Notice: ©2015 Fernando Medina/Orlando Magic /
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The Orlando Magic have an important draft coming up to move some assets around or perhaps add a rotation player. The Magic must find a NBA-ready prospect.

It is hard to believe the NBA Draft is coming around the corner next month on June 23. The league will come together Wednesday for the NBA Draft Combine for measurements, scrimmages and the first formal interviews with the draft prospects. The Draft Lottery will take place next Tuesday, May 17.

This draft class seems like another grand slam, with the likes of Ben Simmons, Brandon Ingram and Jamal Murray at the top of the class.

But the Orlando Magic likely will not have a top-five pick. The Magic have the 11th-best Lottery odds for next week’s NBA Draft Lottery and will in all likelihood pick at the 11th spot.

Still it is apparent the Magic need to turn away from rebuilding and start winning. So this upcoming draft is a very important one to add depth to the roster or to use that asset to bring in something valuable to the roster in the short term.

If the Magic keep the pick, they should select a NBA-ready prospect. The past draft selections Rob Hennigan has made were projects. With contention in sight, the Magic need someone who can contribute now.

Aaron Gordon, drafted in 2014, was someone who needed work, and Mario Hezonja, drafted in 2015, is someone who still needs work. Even Elfrid Payton, someone the Magic traded for in the 2014 draft, could work on his shooting. They are all still developing and have shown a place in the NBA, but their rookie years were all learning experiences.

Now, it is time for the Magic to take a player who can showcase his talents more immediately.

Aside from bringing in someone NBA-ready, there are two positions the Magic could improve: small forward and center.

Orlando is mostly secure at point guard position, and are more than supplied with its shooting guards and power forwards. Now all the team needs is security with its small forward and center.

Defense and efficiency would be a great addition for the Magic too. Defense was something the Magic were inconsistent at this past season, and efficiency is an obvious hole with them.

Two players the Magic could look at that fit those needs listed above are Jakob Poeltl of Utah and Jaylen Brown of Cal.

Poeltl, standing at 7-foot-1 and 235 pounds, would be a very nice backup for Nikola Vucevic. He has soft hands combined with a soft, accurate touch around the basket. He plays with a strong motor and provides solid defense. Poeltl averaged 17.2 points, 9.1 boards and 1.6 blocks per game this past season.

He was a sophomore, so at least he has two full years under his belt. He is also very fluid on the court, not shaky or awkward. So his ceiling may not be the highest, but he is definitely ready to produce some numbers and give the team good minutes fairly quickly.

Feb 28, 2016; Berkeley, CA, USA; California Golden Bears forward Jaylen Brown (0) dribbles the basketball against USC Trojans guard Elijah Stewart (30) in the first half at Haas Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 28, 2016; Berkeley, CA, USA; California Golden Bears forward Jaylen Brown (0) dribbles the basketball against USC Trojans guard Elijah Stewart (30) in the first half at Haas Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports /

Jaylen Brown on the other hand, would be the small forward Orlando would want. He is an energetic, tough and versatile forward who played for California. Reminiscent of Jimmy Butler or Jason Richardson, he is extremely athletic with great defensive tools.

Imagine him backing up Evan Fournier. Brown could be a spark plug off the bench, while adding his high IQ and heart to the team.

Jaylen Brown was a freshman, but he plays older than his actual age (19 years old). He has got an NBA-ready body, and he is not afraid of contact at the hoop or physical play. Every team could use one of those guys, so Brown could just be that guy.

Only problem with Brown is the possibility of going too high for Orlando to reach in the draft. He may not have Simmons’ level of hype, but he is still valuable. Teams will take a close look at him throughout the Draft process.

Without going too far into the players Orlando needs, they are just one of the many options they have. This draft will be just another important piece to the rebuilding puzzle.

Next: What is Evan Fournier's market value?

Hopefully, it is one of the last pieces they have to fit in to make the Playoffs.