Orlando Magic: 3 scenarios for sixth pick in 2018 NBA Draft

3. Trade down

It might seem like a risky maneuver, but if the Magic could somehow trade down and add another asset, they could be real winners on draft night.

The two parts to this plan would be firstly gauging how desperate teams below them are to move up and select the player they want.

The New York Knicks, for example, have the ninth overall pick, but are desperate to surround Kristaps Porzingis with talent to one day become a contender.

There’s every chance the player they’re looking at falls to No. 9, but if they could move up to No. 6 it would give them a larger selection of talent to choose from.

What could the Magic ask for in return? The No. 9 pick, a second round pick (No. 37), a future protected first-rounder, or possibly a player on the fringes of New York’s roster. Even another veteran like Courtney Lee could help.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are another team that will likely be doing all they can to convince LeBron James to stick around. They’re currently drafting eighth, though moving up two spots probably won’t warrant a huge return for the Magic.

Then again, if their potential trade partner is desperate, there is no telling what they might actually be able to get back.

The second part of this plan is making sure a player like Trae Young, currently predicted here to go eighth, or Colin Sexton, will still be on the board if they draft down.

Given that most teams have a legitimate point guard and the Magic do not, it is a safe bet to assume one or both of them would be on the board if they moved down to ninth.