Thu, Jun 26, 2014 at 9:44pm

MAGIC GETS POINT-MAN PAYTON FOR SARIC, PICKS

The Philadelphia 76ers acquired the draft rights to forward Dario Saric, a second-round draft pick in 2015, and a first-round draft pick in 2017 from the Orlando Magic for the draft rights to point guard Elfrid Payton.

What does it give the Philadelphia 76ers
Philly is building with youth and Saric will likely be a very nice piece for them--probably a starter--a few years from now (after he leaves Europe). They didn't need another point guard (with reigning Rookie of the Year {P Michael Carter-Williams} running the offense) so the Sixers did a great job here of landing a quality prospect in Saric plus two future draft picks for Payton. They also save money by not having to pay Payton's rookie salary (or Saric's, since he's staying overseas for awhile), so this is a big win for the Sixers.

What does it give the Orlando Magic
Will it be worth it to the Magic to give up two future picks (including a first-rounder) just to move up two draft spots? Probably. Payton is mostly NBA-ready, and while an argument can be made that the Sixers could've saved their picks and drafted, say, {P=3768 Tyler Ennis} instead, they clearly coveted Payton. His stock rose dramatically heading up to the draft, and he should pair superbly with {P Victor Oladipo} in an explosive, gifted star backcourt for years to come.

Fantasy impact
It's clear Payton is the point guard-of-the-future for Orlando, but for now {P Jameer Nelson} is still around. Additionally, Payton is still polishing up his game so might not be ready to be a fantasy force just yet. We would consider drafting Payton in the later rounds of most leagues next season (while keeping an eye on what happens with Nelson). Meanwhile Saric has definite long-term appeal in dynasty leagues, but won't be fantasy-relevant until roughly 2017-18.