Cavs sign and trade with Magic could get Collin Sexton paid

Cavs sign and trade with Magic: Why the Magic would do it

Last season the Orlando Magic were not exactly trying to win games. They were all-out tanking, with two key players out to start the year with injuries and a roster stocked with players on rookie contracts. It worked, too, as they won only 22 games (fewest in the Eastern Conference) and landed the first overall pick in the NBA Draft, which they used on Paolo Banchero.

Even in the midst of an organizational plan to emphasize draft position (not bad for spin, huh?) a glaring weakness on this team was exposed. Their offensive rating, or points scored per 100 possessions, was 104.5. That ranked 30th in the league, and far below league average. The Cavs, in 20th place with a 111.9 offensive rating, were substantially closer to the Utah Jazz in first than to the Magic in 30th.

They addressed part of that weakness in the draft, adding the best on-ball scoring threat in the draft in Paolo Banchero. They have some talented guards to put around him, but none of them are dynamic scoring threats. Jalen Suggs proved to be more of a defender than an all-around guard as a rookie, Markelle Fultz can’t shoot, and Cole Anthony is a wildly inconsistent combo guard who runs hot and cold.

Collin Sexton would immediately give them a steadying force in the backcourt, and his scoring punch would fill a major need. His defensive limitations would be helped by playing alongside Fultz or Suggs, both tough defenders with size. He and Banchero would be a dangerous one-two punch on offense. Sexton’s problems scaling up for a contending team matter less for the Magic, who are a few years behind the Cavs in the team-building process.