5 players to watch from the Orlando Magic at Summer League

DaQuan Jeffries, Tulsa

One of the first calls the Orlando Magic made once the draft was completed was to DaQuan Jeffries. Most likely to the Magic, as it was to Jeffries, they were surprised he was left out of the 60-pick draft.

Jeffries clearly has the talent to get drafted. A combination of teams unwilling to commit to him or thinking he might be available with a more favorable undrafted free agent contract probably knocked him out of the draft completely.

But Jeffries is clearly pretty good.

Last year with the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, Jeffries averaged 13.0 points per game and 5.6 rebounds per game with a 36.6 percent shooting mark from beyond the arc. The 6-foot-5 guard is a better shooter than that might suggest. His usage rate shot up to 22.5 percent in his second year at Tulsa.

The attraction with Jeffries is, predictably, his 6-foot-11 wingspan. He has a big body that suggests he can defend a position bigger than he is. That positional and defensive versatility are things the Magic value heavily.

That is what Jeffries will provide at his heart.

While Jeffries has a lot of the physical measurements and tools a team will like and even participated in the college slam dunk contest, he is not an elite athlete. That is probably what ultimately caused him to tumble out of the draft. His shooting is probably also not as consistent as teams would like in the end.

But Jeffries is a player who fits more the style the Magic play — deliberate and composed. He is a solid all-around player who can defend and hit the outside shot. He has a lot to like from the Magic’s perspective.

This week in Las Vegas, he will need to show his competitive streak defensively and his efficiency from the outside. If he can do that, a two-way contract could very well be on its way. Jeffries is clearly a talented player.

How he responds to going undrafted will be a big part of his story and whether the Magic stick with him.