The Orlando Magic have not completed their offseason.
The acquisition of Desmond Bane is a move that is worth celebrating. The Magic added a key player and significantly bolstered their starting lineup. The rest of the league has spent the last week debating whether Orlando has done enough to climb into contention.
But their task is not done. And considering the financial restrictions the team faces, Orlando has to get every part of its offseason right to vault its way up the standings.
The first stop on that trip is with the Draft.
There, the Magic should have a lot of options in a fairly deep draft. And there are plenty of players who would fit the team's needs -- the addition of a backup point guard, shooting wing depth and perhaps a beginning to boost some interior defense.
The Magic are likely to leave open the possibility of using the non-taxpayer MLE to add to the roster, too. What they do on Wednesday and Thursday night will go a long way.
Since the NCAA Tournament ended, though, Magic fans have had their focus on one player: Florida Gators guard Walter Clayton.
Who could blame them? Even before the team acquired Bane, the Magic needed shot creation and players who were unafraid of big moments. The team still needs that.
Clayton remains a possible target.
Unlike many of the other positions and needs the Magic could address with their first-round draft pick -- No. 25 in the order -- there is a direct comparison and argument to be made.
Clayton is the veteran scorer who led his team to the national championship. But he lacks much upside beyond being a sparkplug jump shooter.
The other option is Michigan State guard Jase Richardson.
Son of former Magic guard Jason Richardson, Jase Richardson has a lot of tools working in his favor. He is incredibly efficient finishing at the rim and was a plus 3-point shooter while largely playing a role he was not fit for in college.
There may not be a wrong answer between the two guards -- and neither may end up making it to 25 when Wednesday night arrives. But there are no players in this draft range that are more directly comparable to these two guards.
The Magic may have to make that decision. Fans are alrady debating the merits between the two.
The case for Walter Clayton
Orlando Magic fans have been closer to Walter Clayton than any other prospect. Playing 90 minutes away in Gainesville for Florida will do that. Clayton was on many people's radars for a while. And then he got his big stage, leading the Gators to a national championship.
The NCAA Tournament should not be the end-all, be-all for a player and their draft review. But Clayton showed all the skills that helped push Florida to a 1-seed and then improved those skills under the greatest pressure in the NCAA Tournament to lead them to the title.
That has to count for something, right?
Clayton finished his senior season averaging 18.3 points per game and shooting 38.6 percent from three on 7.8 attempts per game. He added 4.2 assists per game as the engine for that Florida national championship team.
During the postseason, he averaged 21.8 points per game and 3.8 assists per game while shooting 45.8 percent from three. That included several clutch baskets to push Florida through the tournament.
The Magic need Clayton's off-the-bounce scoring ability and his ability to create his own shot and space to shoot. They need players with that killer offensive instinct.
What works for Clayton is his experience. Scouts told The Athletic how much they love that he knows who he is as a player, and that it is not easy to speed him up. He is the kind of player a championship-ready team like Orlando should be eyeing.
If the Magic are targeting a player to replace what they got from Cole Anthony -- from his size to his scoring ability -- they could do a lot worse than Clayton. The team that drafts him just has to understand he is not a true point guard.
But that veteran poise and his ability to step up in big games is something nobody can ignore.
The Case for Jase Richardson
If the Orlando Magic are looking to make the upside play, the answer might be Jase Richardson.
To most big boards, Richardson is considered the better prospect. But he also comes with loads of questions.
Richardson averaged 12.1 points per game at Michigan State last year. He made 41.2 percent of his 3.2 3-point attempts per game. He is also rated as one of the most efficient finishers at the rim.
Because of injuries, Richardson had to play on the ball a lot more. He was not a proficient playmaker, averaging 1.9 assists per game. But he could create separation and get to his jumper or get to the rim. There is a lot of promise in Richardson.
But it is all promise at this point. And there are at least a few questions about how he translates to the NBA.
The biggest question came at the Combine where Richardson measured at 6-foot-0.5 without shoes at the Combine (he was listed at 6-foot-3 at Michigan State). He did have a 6-foot-6 wingspan to begin to counteract that.
Richardson needs to play shooting guard at the next level. And it could be hard to envision him having a future in the league without better playmaking at his size. The Magic might be set up to do that with Anthony Black playing alongside him.
But there are still a fair amount of questions.
Smart people would disagree on these two players.
Orlando may be presented with that choice. It seems like Clayton is the surer pick for the Magic that fits their needs and style. Time will tell if this is the direction the Magic ultimately go.