This upcoming summer is going to dictate the next five to ten years for the franchise. The Magic need to find a starting caliber guard to play next to Jalen Suggs and need to find shooting. There are typically three avenues to add talent during the offseason. Free agency is not an avenue for the Magic due to not having cap space.
There are two options the trade market and the draft. The Magic will be active in the trade market looking to add established offensive talent, and the other avenue will be the draft. Magic fans have found their obsession for the draft in Walter Clayton Jr.
Clayton, in theory, fits what the Magic need as he averaged 18.3 points per game and shot 38.6 percent from three on 7.8 attempts per game. On paper, it makes sense, but looking at the whole picture, it would be a mistake to draft any rookie this offseason and should trade out both picks this summer.
The major problem is the Magic won't have time to develop a rookie, let alone two. Two years ago, the Magic drafted Anthony Black and Jett Howard in the lottery. Black was drafted as a point guard and replaced Markelle Fultz in the rotation and is the team's point guard. Black has moments where the potential is clear, but there are still questions about whether or not he's the point guard of the future.
During the exit interview, Black hinted at wanting more opportunities, and with the team looking to add another guard, it leaves the question of where Black will fit.
Jett Howard is another story. Howard struggled to stay in the rotation after essentially not playing during his rookie year. Howard was labeled as a shooter and had the ability to score off the dribble coming out of Michigan. Howard has lacked the reps during his first two years and has struggled in the limited minutes shooting 37.4 percent from the field and 29.6 percent from three. The team hasn't found the time to develop Howard.
The Magic suddenly have an accelerated timeline
The Magic find themselves on a timeline that is ahead of schedule. Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero have both taken leaps in a wide-open Eastern Conference, and the Magic can't afford to let the opportunity to compete slip away. Banchero and Wagner became the first Magic duo since Shaq and Penny to average at least 20 points per game. Franz Wagner was playing at an NBA level before tearing his oblique.
The Magic are looking to add talent to compete now. The Magic have young players in Anthony Black, Jett Howard, and Tristan Da Silva. Anthony Black has seen opportunities to play, while Howard and Da Silva's opportunities have been inconsistent. The Magic are past the stage of giving away playtime, and Orlando is going to the next stage, looking to add established players to their team.
The two draft picks will be better served as trade assets to improve the team. The Eastern Conference is wide open, and the Magic can't fumble this opportunity by drafting one or two rookies who will not see the floor next season. The Magic have their core guys, and now is the time to add proven talent to reach the next level. The draft is coming, and the Magic will make a decision that will shape their franchise for the next decade.