The Orlando Magic may not have won the NBA Draft Lottery, but at No. 5 the Magic should have many options to improve their team next month.
There is always a tinge of disappointment when you are not one of the three representatives waiting breathlessly after the commercial break to see if your team had the No. 1 pick, knowing you cannot do worse than third.
The Orlando Magic got passed in 2014 , dropping out of the top three to land at four. This year, they would not get passed. They would just sit where they were expected to be.
And Magic management seemed to be fine with that. The fifth pick is all they hoped to have, defying the odds that said at least one team beneath them was likely to push them down to six.
For the Orlando Magic, there are plenty of good options at No. 5 to fulfill any hopes the team had. Sure, it does not mean getting the consensus top-two picks in Jahlil Okafor or Karl-Anthony Towns, but the fifth pick leaves plenty of options available.
Fan favorite Justise Winslow should remain available. If he is not there, the Magic have their choice of Kristaps Porzingis, the athletic stretch-4 from Latvia; Willie Cauley-Stein, the defensive behemoth from Kentucky; and Mario Hezonja, the versatile wing player from Spain.
All these players — along with possibly Stanley Johnson — make up a solid group of players the Magic could draft at five.
Winslow and Johnson are defensive-minded wing players who have some versatility and plenty of athletic ability following their lone years in the NCAA. Winslow pulled ahead because of his more consistent offensive effort throughout the season and better 3-point shooting.
If the Magic mean to add a small forward with this draft or a wing player, there are probably not any better wing players in the Draft.
The same could be said for Mario Hezonja, the versatile forward from Croatia who played for Regal Barcelona. Hezonja is a bit more of a mystery, but a very talented player who has all the athletic tools to make it in the NBA and successfully transition from the international ranks.
If the Magic want to go big, they have that direction to go too.
Willie Cauley-Stein has the rim protection the Magic seem to so desperately need and want to anchor their defense. Kristaps Porzingis is a stretch-4 in the mode of Channing Frye with more athleticism and the potential to add more strength to be both a stretch player and a post player.
It is easy to get excited about the potential of all these options.
Then there is the other option. Trading the pick.
Chad Ford of ESPN.com is already suggesting the Magic are among the teams that could move their pick. And entering Year Four of the Magic’s rebuild, who could blame them for wanting to see the process speed up just a little bit. Maybe a top-five pick is not the best thing in the world if the Playoffs are a serious goal for 2016.
Expect the Magic, Kings, Pistons and Hornets to seriously consider trading their picks. All 4 want to accelerate rebuild
— NBA Big Board (@chadfordinsider) May 20, 2015
The Magic have a lot of options.
That is what they want at this juncture of their rebuild. They could pick up a player with a ton of potential that can help the team and add to its growing core. This would be a good decision. They could trade for a more proven commodity and veteran to make the team immediately better. This would be a good decision too.
Having the decision and having the options is a very good place for the Magic to be in.
Yes, there is the chance things do not work out. Justise Winslow or Willie Cauley-Stein may not turn into what fans hope they will be. That chance always exists. At one point, Darko Milicic was a can’t-miss prospect.
No one can deny that Rob Hennigan will have his pick of things to do. The more options you have at the pick — and number of different directions — the better trade offers might be. Even though the Magic are trying to build through the Draft, they certainly should continue looking at all their options.
One thing is clear, there are many options for the Magic. And that is a good place to be.