The Orlando Magic have had a lot of players cycle through their gym and they have done their homework and probably even some interviews — virtual or otherwise — with plenty more prospects. There is a lot of information to sort through.
Still, somehow, reports and rumors about who the Magic are interviewing and thinking about taking with their two top-10 picks can still surprise.
The report from Sam Vecenie of The Athletic that the Magic were considering taking Turkey center Alperen Sengun with the eighth pick as a “potential replacement for Nikola Vucevic” was a bit surprising.
Sengun is an incredibly talented and strong player. He averaged 19.2 points and 9.4 rebounds per game in winning the Turkish Super League MVP at 18 years old. That is not something or someone that should be brushed aside so easily.
Sengun is a skilled offensively player. He is still fairly paint-bound, but he has a good understanding of how to use space and timing on pick and rolls to get to the basket. His jumper is still improving, but Sengun is a talented player and would be a strong pick at No. 8.
The question that inevitably comes up then is if the Magic are going to go out and draft Vucevic’s replacement, why didn’t they just stick things out with Vucevic, a proven and reliable player albeit in his 30s, and merely add a young player to a more-established core.
The Orlando Magic have to collect talent with their pick and should not shy away from the top of the board. But some consideration of fit is important as they plan his development.
The Magic though are not in a position to be picky about position. There are not a lot of players on the roster that should be considered long-term pieces at this point. The main goal for the Magic in this draft should be to collect talent.
And so even with a crowded center position, the Magic have to look at every option available to them. But they still need to make sure whoever they draft has a pathway to play and becomes a central part.
This draft is about collecting talent but it is also about finding players who will fit the bigger picture. And that is why picking a center, even one as talented as Sengun, would be a bit puzzling.
Orlando certainly traded high on Nikola Vucevic and gained a lot of assets — two first-round picks (one of them became the eighth pick) and a young player in Wendell Carter.
Mixed into this discussion then too should be discussions about what the Magic plan to do with Wendell Carter and Mohamed Bamba.
Carter had a solid run with the Magic, averaging 11.7 points and 8.8 rebounds per game 26.5 minutes per game in 22 appearances. He provided a strong defensive backstop for the team.
Bamba has struggled to stay healthy and get consistent playing time in his three seasons with the team. After the trade deadline last year, Bamba averaged 11.1 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in 20.8 minutes per game in 24 appearances.
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Those numbers appear close, but Carter is likely the stronger player because of his consistency defensively. That does not mean the Magic are settled at center long-term though.
Both players are set to become restricted free agents at the end of the season. Neither is expected to get extensions this offseason.
Carter and Bamba have to prove their worth this season regardless of what the Magic do on draft night. They have a lot to play for.
Drafting a player like Sengun would certainly suggest the Magic are ready to move on from both and are ready to invest in Sengun. That would also likely require moves to make sure Sengun has a clear path to play.
Whomever the Magic pick, the team needs to make sure they have a path to play in their first year. The team is still drafting a foundational piece.
With centers, there is certainly less versatility to make unique lineups. It is harder to play two big lineups and moving Sengun or Carter to power forward would be exceptionally difficult, even as a short-term solution before the team moves on.
None of this should preclude the Magic from taking Sengun if they believe Sengun is the best player available to them or if they believe he can be the anchor for the team long-term. There is no player on the roster — except perhaps Jonathan Isaac and maybe Markelle Fultz and Chuma Okeke behind him — that is completely untouchable.
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If the Magic view Sengun as a better long-term center option worthy of investing this draft capital, they should begin seeking a way to move Carter and Bamba to give Sengun the lead job — or move one of them to make sure Sengun can be part of the rotation.
The writing would be on the wall either way, most likely.
Sengun probably is not the player to make the Magic do all these machinations. It is true that Orlando’s rotation is so loaded with young players, that there is likely to be a rotation crunch somewhere. The Magic cannot rest after draft night and have to remain active to reshape their roster.
This season is about figuring out what the team ultimately wants to be. But Orlando and Jamahl Mosley should have an outline of that beforehand and begin shaping the team in that direction.
And the draft pick has to play a part in that.
The players the Magic select next week may not be foundational pieces, but they are critical to the team’s future and have to fit into the bigger vision for both the short- and long-term.
That may very well be a player like Sengun. He would not be a poor pick. But it is a pick that has to come in tandem with other moves.
Remember, when the Magic selected Bamba it was likely with the idea he would understudy with Vucevic for one year before Vucevic left in free agency. Sengun might have to have the same understudy program. But that can derail fairly quickly if Carter takes a huge step. There are few signs Carter is set to take that leap though.
In the end, the Magic have to take that player they think best fits their vision and the best, most talented player on their board. They are at such a beginning stage of their rebuild that position should not be a deciding factor.
They should consider how players fit together at this point. But the ultimate question on draft night should be: Is the player we are picking better than what we have already? And, more importantly: Is this the best player available at our pick?
Those are the questions that matter. And Sengun may well answer those questions enough for the Magic to pick him in the end.
There is clearly a lot of consideration for the Magic as they weigh their picks. Position is only a secondary one as they begin to piece this roster together.