Despite winning just 23 games last season, finishing 31 games back in their own division and posting the third worst record in the conference; reason for optimism exists in Orlando. The Orlando Magic are poised to get better here in a hurry as they possess two lottery selections in this draft. I’ll come back and touch on their fourth overall pick later as for now we are focused on the Magic’s 12th overall pick which came courtesy of the New York Knicks and the Dwight Howard ordeal.

In addition to having these two valuable picks at their disposal, the Magic could spend upwards of $45 million in new salary before they surpass the luxury tax threshold. While spending to the ceiling likely doesn’t make any sense at this point in the rebuild process, the flexibility in terms of adding new talent is definitely there.

Downside of having two lottery picks is that the team is going to keep getting younger, when in reality they lack any veteran presence outside of Jameer Nelson. The Magic will use these picks in hopes of adding talent; however, privately they know that they could be in store for another very long season if they can’t find some leadership and experience to round out the youth movement.

Last year the Magic took Victor Oladipo with the second overall pick. In hindsight it wasn’t that bad of a pick and aside from Michael Carter-Williams Oladipo might have been the best pick of the draft. Having said that, the one year that Oladipo played at the point guard spot for Orlando cannot be classified as a success. Oladipo was playing out of position and it showed in terms of inexperience, turnovers and lack of guidance on the offensive end.

Biggest Draft Day Need

The Magic will undoubtedly address this concern via the draft, but it isn’t likely to come here at the 12th slot. Instead the Magic will need to look at getting bigger in the frontcourt and getting stronger and more physical at the same time. Nikola Vucevic has had a great couple years in Orlando and his future looks very bright as an up-and-coming 23-year old; however, he was hurt for a quarter of the season and his absence was a huge loss.

Getting Vucevic some frontcourt help has to be a priority here and given that the Magic will have high hopes of getting their man with the fourth overall pick, I could see them reaching here and getting their guy regardless of draft speculation and pre-draft rankings.

Two players who could step in and fill the role of power forward / center are Jusef Nurkic from Bosnia and Michigan State’s Adreian Payne. Both should be on the board come the 12th slot and while some pundits will feel that the Magic would be reaching with either of these two; the Magic would be addressing their two biggest areas of weakness with immediate solutions.

I think that Payne would be a fantastic fit here for the Magic as he measured in at 6’10” with a 7’4” wingspan to go along with a 240 pound muscular frame carrying around a measly 7.6% body fat. There is no question that Payne could bang around with the big boys under the rim and given his shooting touch and confidence from the wing he could draw those slower less mobile bigs away from the rim and exploit their slow footedness. 

If the Magic can address their point guard needs and nab a guy like Adreian Payne as well then they will have made significant roster upgrades where they are needed most. Payne would join the Magic as a four year player from one of the most respected and structured programs in the Country. Playing under Coach Tom Izzo is sure to instill a work ethic and defensive tenacity that is virtually unparalleled in collegiate athletics. Not only would be Magic be getting an NBA ready big-bodied player, but also one with many on-court and off-court intangibles.

Put basketball aside for a moment and try to evaluate the kind of human that Payne is. If you are not familiar with the heartwarming story of Payne and brave little Lacey Holsworth then take a moment and prepare to have your faith in humanity restored. Sadly, little Lacey lost her battle with cancer; however, her connection and inspiration with Payne is obviously one that he will carry for a lifetime.