Personnel needs: PG, SG, PF
Major need: The most glaring need for Orlando is to bring in a playmaker who doesn't just create offense for others but can also be a threat himself. The Magic need a player who will elevate the offensive production and efficiency for a team that ranked 27th in the league in points scored per 100 possessions (101.6) and 20th in effective field goal percentage (48.5). Another point of emphasis should be the ability to generate "easy" points, as the Magic were 29th in 3-point percentage, 29th in FTA rate and 27th in fast-break points per 100 possessions. Translation: Every point scored seemed to be a struggle. An athletic wing player who can shoot could help fill that void.
Quiet need: Orlando might still need a legitimate option at power forward, as the incumbents fit the profile of backups for a variety of reasons. The best options on the roster are 2012 first-round pick Andrew Nicholson, who needs to improve tremendously on the boards, and midseason acquisition Tobias Harris, who is more of a tweener.
Not a need: The running joke in the NBA is that Orlando got the best center in the Dwight Howard-Andrew Bynum trade in Nikola Vucevic. While no one should be rushing to Springfield with a Hall of Fame ballot for Vucevic, he has rebounded extremely well for Orlando, averaging a double-double, and quietly developed into a nice pick-and-roll option.
Depth chart
Jobs in jeopardy: The writing is on the wall for point guard Jameer Nelson, who has two years left at $8.6 million and $8 million, respectively, although just $2 million is guaranteed in the final season. He might be retained for veteran leadership purposes, but Orlando could recoup some value by moving him to a contender looking to shore up its backup point guard spot. Similarly, the end is almost certainly here for Hedo Turkoglu, who has $6 million guaranteed on the final year of his $12 million deal. Unless another team is looking to unload picks in exchange for cap relief, the Magic will release Turkoglu this summer.
Don't mess with it: There's not a whole lot to declare untouchable on the Magic roster. Vucevic is a nice option to monitor at center, and Harris and Moe Harkless have shown potential.
What free agency could solve
By waiving Turkoglu, Orlando would drop to about $47.8 million in payroll, but the cap hold of unrestricted free agent-to-be Beno Udrih is worth $11.1 million, swallowing up almost the entirety of the cap space created. Until they either sign Udrih to a new deal or renounce his Bird rights, Orlando will have limited resources to sign free agents.
Once they do clear up the Udrih situation, there will be several point guard options available on the market, such as restricted free agents Brandon Jennings, Jeff Teague and Darren Collison. But none of these names would transform Orlando into anything more than a slightly better team, so the most obvious play would be to use its cap space to help facilitate deals as a third party and recoup assets in return.
How they draft
Orlando's management team has just one draft under its belt (2012), where it selected a pair of bigs: Nicholson in the first round and Kyle O'Quinn in the second. Nicholson showed promise as an inside-outside scoring threat, with decent efficiency in the post and the ability to knock down perimeter shots in the pick-and-pop. O'Quinn was a dirt worker in limited minutes, rebounding at a high rate on both ends of the floor.
Three best fits
Trey Burke could be a building block for Orlando if Jameer Nelson is phased out.
If presumptive No. 1 overall pick Nerlens Noel is available, they should take him and worry about positions later. But assuming that Noel is off the board:
Trey Burke, PG, Michigan (Chad Ford Big Board Ranking: No. 4): I wrote about how Burke's skill set fits with Orlando's needs a month ago and praised his ability to penetrate and create scoring opportunities for his teammates. Despite his small size, he is adept at finishing through contact.
C.J. McCollum, Combo, Lehigh (No. 7): McCollum is more of a scoring guard, but that's not a bad thing for Orlando considering their scoring woes. At 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, he has good size and strength. In his limited appearances last season, he improved his main weakness from prior seasons (perimeter shooting). It's also important to note that McCollum has four years of college experience, despite being just 21.
Dennis Schroeder, PG, Germany (No. 21): An outside-the-box option if Orlando decides to trade down, Schroeder is an athletic penetrate-and-kick point who plays with great aggression. He's young (19) and raw but has the physical tools to develop into something special.
It's a successful draft if ...
What they must accomplish: Add talent of any kind. The Magic have plenty of holes to fill, so they shouldn't get caught up in trying to fill specific positions, although point guard is the biggest need. The most important thing is to maximize the value of their picks, and if that means trading down to get more picks or adding a player, then they should be open to that. This draft might not be deep in star power, but it does offer a lot of viable options who can become contributors.
Additional goals: Orlando's second-round pick this year goes to Cleveland, but the Magic own Golden State's second-round pick (No. 51 overall). While there might be some international draft-and-stash opportunity there, they should also explore moving that pick or trying to move up.
