Orlando Magic: 5 options for pick No. 35 in 2018 NBA Draft
4. Jalen Brunson, PG — Villanova
Jalen Brunson is the opposite of Donte DiVincenzo despite the fact that they shared the same backcourt for the last three seasons. Despite already being 21 years old, DiVincenzo is the ultimate upside play. With Brunson, you can be fairly certain you’re drafting a guy who’s going to top out as a really good backup point guard in the pros. He’ll be able to give you a spot start in a pinch and play some off-ball here or there, but that’s about it.
Why would Orlando take a guy with such limited upside? Simple: The only thing the Magic are more desperate for than talent is culture. Clifford coming aboard will help with that some, but ultimately they need people in the locker room to hold others accountable, and Brunson fits that mold.
It also helps that he’s a true pass-first point guard who can shoot the lights out of the ball. He hit 40 percent of his 3-pointers during his junior season, and he’s exactly the type of floor general the Magic have lacked since Jameer Nelson‘s days in town. Like his teammate, there’s a chance Brunson is gone by 35, but the Magic would be wise to consider him if he fell.
3. Melvin Frazier, SF — Tulane
A year ago, with the 33rd pick in the draft, the Magic selected a 6’7″, 195 pound wing who never leaped off the page during his four years at Kansas State but was intriguing nonetheless. After a rookie year that didn’t have a lot of scoring but did feature a lot of two-way potential, Wesley Iwundu seems like a keeper built perfectly for the modern game.
This June, a very similar prospect may be available at nearly the same spot. Melvin Frazier measured at 6’6″ with shoes on and 198.2 pounds at the combine, almost identical numbers to Iwundu. His max vertical was bested by only four other players, and his scrimmage backed up what many scouts have been saying about Frazier all season long: He may be a diamond in the rough for whichever team takes a chance on the junior from Tulane.
If anything, between Aaron Gordon (should they bring him back), Jonathon Simmons, Iwundu and fellow rookie Jonathan Isaac, the closest thing the Magic have to an identity is as a super-switchable team in the Houston mold on defense (offense is a different story). Although he might seem duplicitous, Frazier would be a welcome addition to the group.