Philadelphia 76ers selects Elfrid Payton 10th overall, trade him to Orlando Magic

The Philadelphia 76ers surprisingly drafted Elfrid Payton 10th overall, but then promptly traded him to the Orlando Magic in a deal for Dario Saric and a future first round pick.

Payton is an interesting prospect out of Louisiana-Lafayette, and one that I’m not particularly high on especially as it refers to the Magic’s roster situation. First and foremost though, let’s just talk about Payton as a prospect. He’s a really, really athletic point guard that can get into the paint at will and make plays for others. However, he’s also a turnover machine that often tries to do too much with the ball. I know that he was forced to do a lot for the Ragin’ Cajuns this season, however it doesn’t exactly bode well that defenders were able to force turnovers against him in the Sun Belt.

But that’s not even Payton’s biggest problem. Whereas Marcus Smart is an inefficient shooter, Payton shoots like there is a permanent lid over the rim. It’s tough to project successful, starting-caliber careers for guys who shoot the ball as poorly as Payton does and also turn the ball over as much as he does.

That’s not to say that Payton is a poor player. He’s an excellent defender at the point guard position, and like Smart he will make plays for others. But you can’t really trust him to be a caretaker and you need to develop his shot. And part of the reason that you absolutely need to develop his shot is because of the team situation that he’s been drafted into.

The Magic now have potentially the worst shooting team in the NBA after selecting Aaron Gordon and Payton along with trading Arron Afflalo. Between Tobias Harris, Victor Oladipo, and Maurice Harkless as their future pieces to go with the draft picks (along with Nik Vucevic who admittedly has solid range out to about 18 feet), the Magic don’t have anyone there to stretch the floor. Teams are going to pack the paint against them all day, and it’s going to be a nightmare for them on offense.

My guess is that Payton ends up more as a high-energy, 20 minute per game backup as opposed to a starting NBA point guard unless he becomes less reckless and learns to shoot. Plus, the Magic gave up extra assets to get the chance to draft him. I’m not a fan of this move by any stretch.