The Orlando Magic are squarely in talent acquisition mode this offseason. Here are five names who can help them at the 35th pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. The Orlando Magic just finished their sixth consecutive season with 35 or fewer wins. They hired Steve Clifford on Wednesday to be their fifth head coach since the franchise parted ways with Stan Van Gundy after the 2011 season. They have no one on the roster who you’d bet your life is a core piece moving forward, with the possible exception of a rookie who missed 55 games due to injury. Other than that, everything is going swimmingly. The one silver lining to this situation is that the Magic don’t have to worry about pesky things like “fit” or “areas of need” when making their draft picks. If someone is very good at basketball, he’s eligible to proudly put on the Mickey ears. With that in mind, let’s take a look at five names who could be in consideration for them with the 35th pick in the draft, each a different type of prospect that brings value in their own way.<doc-sep>I’m a firm believer that late in the Draft, whether it be the late first or early second round, teams should draft for need. Swing for the fences in the lottery; go for the “best player available” if that’s what the organization needs to do. However, outside of the Top-20 picks or so, completely different story. Positional need, skill-set need, and situation are determining factors that should be weighed before selecting a young prospect. As we all know, the Magic were awarded the sixth pick in the upcoming NBA Draft last Tuesday night. Regardless of what the Magic decide to do with that pick, one fact remains. Heading into next season, the Magic have one point guard on their roster with a guaranteed contract. Of course, Orlando’s new management team decided to trade former Magic starting point guard Elfrid Payton at the NBA Trade Deadline last February. That created an opportunity for Shelvin Mack to earn some regular minutes for the Magic to close the year out, but his contract next season is only partially guaranteed. The Magic own the 35th and 41st picks in this draft, they need to use one of those picks to add some point guard depth to the roster. And I think the lead-guard depth in this class is most plentiful in the 25-45 range, so the Magic are in a great situation to have a look at guys like Landry Shamet, Khyri Thomas, Tony Carr, Devonte Graham, and others. Over the last few weeks, I’ve profiled Aaron Holiday, Jevon Carter, Jalen Brunson, and Elie Okobo. I believe the Magic should take an opportunity in this spot to target their guy who can become the team’s back-up point guard. If he’s not going to be there at #35, they can try packaging their two picks in an effort to move up (into the 25-30 range for example). The Magic also have Nikola Vucevic and Terrence Ross, two players with expiring contracts, to work with. I’m going to provide pieces that take a deeper look at the kind of lead guards the Magic should be targeting in an effort to rebuild their point guard depth. Fifth in this series, I profile a versatile guard from the Great Plains region who can do a bit of everything on the floor. Shake Milton (21 years old) 6-5.5, 205 lbs. (nearly a 7-1 wingspan) Ranking/Mock Draft Slot The Ringer Tankathon The Stepien CBS Sports Illustrated Shake Milton 21st 21st 22nd 45th 38th I’ve been putting off writing this first paragraph of my breakdown of Shake Milton for some time now. Truthfully, it’s been because I really don’t know where exactly to start with Milton. This kid can do a little bit of everything. Shoot the ball, score; rebound the basketball, dish it out. He can do it all. Do you like length in a guard? It’s certainly not a prerequisite for what makes-up a solid NBA lead guard, but for Milton, his length is just a cherry on top of what he can offer a team. In Milton, you’re talking about a guard who measures just under 6-6 with a wingspan over 7 feet. To put that length into perspective, Milton’s wingspan measured at the combine longer than forwards in this class projected to be drafted in the first round (such as Miles Bridges, Kevin Knox, and Michael Porter Jr.). Milton’s defensive numbers haven’t been dominant in college, but the size and strength that he brings to the position at the very least makes Milton’s defensive upside at the next level somewhat projectable (career Defensive Rating of 99 at SMU, 1.6 steals per/40 last season). In the NBA, Milton should be able to defend two, if not three positions (he can guard both 1’s and 2’s, and should eventually be able to handle small forwards with added strength). To be a positive defensive contributor at the next level, Milton is going to have to improve his defensive awareness (within a team concept), become a little less stiff in his stance, and certainly get stronger (especially in his lower half). Milton’s long range shooting ability is probably his strongest skill at this point. Milton never shot below 42% from three-point distance in any of his three seasons at SMU. Considering the volume in which he was taking those attempts (Career - 6 3PTA’s per/40), that’s pretty damn impressive (2.8 3PTM’s per/40, 43% last season). Milton definitely plays to his strengths. The young man can shoot the basketball, and over half of his career field goal attempts have been from deep (Career 3PAr - .518). I’m fine with Milton firing away; he’s never been the best finisher in the paint at the college level. Despite his excellent length and lateral quickness, Milton seems to play at a very slow pace. I think he’s struggled in the past at getting to and finishing at the rim (probably more of a touch thing than anything). Inside the arc, Milton’s go-to move is a right-handed floater that he pushes over smaller defenders. Milton was enjoying a dazzling junior season that was cut short last year 22 games into the campaign. He missed SMU’s final eleven games with a broken right hand, an injury that Milton is presumed to be fully recovered from. “Shake is one of the better off the catch shooters in college basketball...good shot mechanics, quick and fluid, shouldn’t have much trouble with NBA line as he already hits shots from that range with some regularity. Was a huge loss to the team when he went down, with SMU season spiraling out of control since his injury. One of the highest on/off plus-minus “ratings” in the country.” ~ Mike Gribanov, The Stepien Mike Gribanov, who writes for The Stepien, describes Milton as a “poised decision-maker” who doesn’t try to do too much on the floor. Gribanov thinks Milton is probably a wing/secondary play-maker at the next level who can get away with playing point guard from time to time.<doc-sep>Jaren Jackson Jr. has all the skills of a modern NBA center. That potential has him among the top prospects in the Draft. Someone will bet on his future. Every Draft, there is inevitably the one prospect that wows purely on his potential and athleticism alone. The production is there. As is the wow factor on the court. But not always consistently. The dream is to see what they can become. Especially when they are so young. That is where Jaren Jackson Jr. fits in. His play is impressive in the short bursts he actually gets consistent playing time. If Marvin Bagley III’s problem is he has too much offense and not enough defense and Mohamed Bamba’s problem is he has too much defense without enough offense, Jaren Jackson Jr. should lie somewhere in the middle. But that middle is full of potential and very good. Jackson’s per 40-minute numbers stand out more than anything else. He averaged 20.0 points per 40 minutes, 10.6 rebounds per 40 minutes and an astounding 5.5 blocks per 40 minutes. That all pops off the page and showed what kind of impact Jackson could have. Jackson is a great shot blocker and a smart defender. He was not afraid to mix things up and make his presence felt in the paint. And that athleticism translated to the offensive end too. He could put the ball on the floor and make some rudimentary moves, using his raw skill to get past defenders and to the basket. If that did not work, he was comfortable shooting from the perimeter. With his length, it is easy to get wrapped up in all the potential he has inside. There is a lot to like about Jackson’s game. His potential burst out. But, of course, no one plays 40 minutes per game. And Jackson certainly did not — settling in at 21.8 per game. Jackson, one of the youngest players in this Draft, was often an overeager defender. He fouled a lot, possibly by design, the Michigan State Spartans allowing him to use his energy to mix things up. Whether Jackson can gain control will be the big question facing him as he enters the league. But everyone seems to believe the upside of him doing so is great. If he can reign in his youthful exuberance, then almost certainly he is a center that fits the modern age. He is a center who can step out and hit jumpers, defend the perimeter, defend the post and protect the rim. What more could anyone want from a center?<doc-sep>DETROIT, MI - MARCH 18: Michigan State Spartans guard Miles Bridges (22) gives instructions to his teammates during the NCAA Division I Men's Championship Second Round basketball game between the Syracuse Orange and the Michigan State Spartans on March 18, 2018 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. Syracuse defeated Michigan State 55-53. (Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Buzz City Beat is Swarm and Sting’s one stop for the latest news and stories from around the web about the Charlotte Hornets. May 30th is Jeremy Lamb‘s birthday and the guard has turned 26 years old. (Twitter/ @NBA) In this edition of Buzz City Beat, we look at Woj projecting the Charlotte Hornets‘ first-round pick, Steve Clifford being hired by the Orlando Magic and a trade idea involving Kemba Walker being sent to the Los Angeles Lakers. “They need to go safe here,” Woj said. “They’ve got to get some young talent in this organization. They have not drafted well under the previous regime. I think Bridges, from a winning program like Michigan State, that’s always appealed to Michael Jordan, the owner there and you look at Kupchak’s history in LA, to me, Bridges makes perfect sense for them.” During ESPN’s mock draft, Adrian Wojnarowski and Mike Schmitz predicted all 30 first-round picks in the 2018 NBA Draft. Woj projected that the Hornets would select Miles Bridges at No. 11 despite Michael Porter Jr. still being available. Adrian and Mike had MPJ falling all the way out of the lottery and to the Washington Wizards at 15th overall. I don’t know if I agree with Woj that Charlotte should go safe with their pick but he also thinks that the Michigan State forward “makes perfect sense” for the Hornets. If both Miles Bridges and Michael Porter Jr. are both still on the board when the Queen City team is on the clock, it will be interesting to see who they choose. Steve Clifford has agreed to a four-year contract to become the new head coach of the Orlando Magic, league sources tell ESPN. Magic will hold a news conference today to introduce Clifford, who led Charlotte to two playoff appearances. Coach Clifford will be re-joining his former team. He coached in Orlando as an assistant from 2007-12. He will now be the head coach of the Magic as he signed a long-term deal with them. Steve wanted to get right back into coaching after being fired by Charlotte at the end of the 2017-18 season. Clifford will not look to turn things around in Orlando and lead the Magic to their first playoff appearance since 2012. He’s got a few pieces to build around in Aaron Gordon (restricted free agent), Evan Fournier, Nikola Vucevic and Jonathon Simmons. Steve will also be reunited with Bismack Biyombo who he coached for two seasons with the Hornets. Lonzo Ball + Luol Deng + 2019 #1 pick to Charlotte Kemba Walker + Michael Kidd-Gilchrist to LA The Hornets are another attendance-challenged team (26th at home) that could be jumped-started by the flashy Ball. In a year or two, a Ball/Malik Monk backcourt could be something. If the Hornets are set on dealing Kemba, this wouldn’t be the worst return. Getting a promising guard like Lonzo Ball and a future first-round pick could set Charlotte up nicely going forward. This trade would also allow them to get MKG’s contract off of their books. Although, they would be forced to take on Deng’s massive deal. Luol is set to make $18 million in 2018-19 and $18.8 million in 2019-20. That’s quite the pill to swallow if you’re the Hornets. Still, maybe you could buy out his contract or use the stretch provision to spread his cap hit over multiple seasons. It may not be the best possible deal but it is an interesting one and one that would give Charlotte plenty of attention.<doc-sep>
The Orlando Magic have a need at point guard. But fans are afraid of a repeat of a non-shooting guard. Collin Sexton asks those and many other questions. One story dominated the Thanksgiving weekend set of games. It was a historic performance. The kind that tends to stick in your mind and you keep coming back to. Something you hope says something bigger about a player. Six minutes into the second half, a brawl broke out ejecting five players. The Alabama Crimson Tide only had four players left. An injury knocked out another a few minutes later. The Tide were down to three on five. Collin Sexton did not care. Alabama was down 57-50 at the time. Sexton scored 21 points as the Alabama Crimson Tide played the Minnesota Golden Gophers even. It was an impressive performance. Sexton finished with 40 points overall. And it was that game that put Sexton firmly among the top-10 prospects early on in the year. This was Sexton at his most competitive and his best. He was not going to go down swinging. That is quite an impression. A game and a performance that will go down as one of the greatest individual performances in NCAA history. Even in defeat. The game seemed emblematic of the will and the desire to win within Sexton. That is stuff no one can teach. The question is whether his play can match that. The buzz around Sexton died down in the middle of the season as he struggled to get himself going with the same eye-popping numbers. Only for him to pick it up in the NCAA Tournament and SEC Tournament. He seemed to rise to the occasion of the big stage. Sexton’s scoring numbers are gaudy. He has great end-to-end speed and attacks the basket with strength and finesse. When he gets going, few teams are going to be able to stop him. A point guard more in the vein of John Wall than a pure passer. Sexton does not have a lot of frills to his game. It is just an onslaught on the rim. That can work. Plenty of players have been able to make a living off of sheer will and determination to the get to the basket. — John Wall and Russell Westbrook to name a few. Sexton may not quite be those players. He still has a lot of growing to do offensively. Still, that memory lingers. What he did on the court at Barclays Center back in November leaves a lasting impression. It is something NBA teams will not ignore. When it comes to making a draft pick Sexton has a lot to like and plenty of signs of improvement.