Orlando Magic Rumors: Draft workouts and coaching staff come together

The Orlando Magic are keeping themselves busy now that they have a new coach. A slew of workouts this week and some new staff members are on deck.

The Orlando Magic got their first major decision out of the way in hiring Steve Clifford last week. It is hard to go through a season, let alone an offseason, without a head coach. Check that one off the box.

The work is just beginning this offseason.

With the coaching situation resolved, attention turns now fully toward building Clifford’s staff and preparing for the NBA Draft. Things have been relatively quiet on that front.

Many of the major players held their pro days with their agents last week. And among the top prospects, they are certainly trying their best to control impressions and information. Teams, meanwhile, are still doing last-minute information gathering — the Magic reportedly were among the teams that filed through Oklahoma to speak with Trae Young’s coaches.

Eventually, the team will get players in Orlando for individual workouts. The more intense workouts where teams try to get that last bit of information about his game in that setting and then give him the big job interview.

That process appears to be starting in a major way for the Magic this week.

Orlando Magic Daily can confirm other reporting that several prospects will be coming to Orlando this week. OMD can confirm some of the names previously reported will be in Orlando this week including UCF Knights star A.J. Davis (a player not likely to get picked in the Draft), IMG Academy star Anfernee Simons and, yes, Oklahoma Sooners guard Trae Young.

The team will surely have other players involved in some of these workouts, so it is far from a complete list.

Additionally, Duke Blue Devils Wendell Carter Jr. said he has a workout planned with the Orlando Magic. OMD cannot confirm when that workout will take place.

With still a little more than two weeks before the NBA Draft on June 21, things will certainly ramp up at the Amway Center for these workouts and last-second draft prep. The team is going to be working hard to make sure they not only get the best player they can at 6 but also with their two second-round picks.

There is another race going on for the Magic.

Clifford is working to get to know his players and get to know the organization. And build his own organization at that. Everyone is eagerly anticipating to see what kind of staff he will put together.

That process already seems to be beginning.

Marc Stein of The New York Times and Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel report the Magic will hire Pat Delany and Steve Hezel to the staff.

Both Delany and Hetzel were members of Clifford’s staff with the Charlotte Hornets. They both have head coaching experience with the G-League, adding to that emphasis on player development the Magic have right now.

Delany spent 11 seasons with the Miami Heat as a video coordinator and scout before he took over the Sioux Falls Sky Force. He led that team to a 31-19 record before joining Clifford’s staff with the Charlotte Hornets.

Hetzel was a player development coach with the Detroit Pistons before he became the head coach of the Canton Charge. He joined the Hornets after that. In his time with the Pistons, several of his charges became members of the all-rookie team. An imperfect measure, but a sign of how much he can help young players.

There are still a few more coaches to add and plenty of staff to hire. Not to mention legwork for Clifford to get to know his players.

He has been doing that already meeting with players already in town — ranging from Jonathan Isaac to Terrence Ross to Evan Fournier to Nikola Vucevic. He reportedly will be making a trip out to California to meet with Aaron Gordon in the near future.

Next: Orlando Magic Offseason Manifesto: Predicting the Magic's type

To say the least, the Magic are keeping plenty busy as this offseason continues. Now, things appear set to ramp up for the team.