After hosting a very successful NBA Bubble at Disney World, the Magic get to look forward to an offseason filled with excellent opportunities. Orlando is coming off of a 33-win season and their second consecutive playoff appearance, where they would even take the reigning league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks to five games. Of course, this offseason isn’t all good news for the Magic, as they’ll have to make head-scratching decisions such as possibly extending former 2017 Draft Picks’ Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac, whether they should accept enticing trade offers for Evan Fournier and Aaron Gordon, and if they should blow the young core up for a superstar to pair with All-Star Center Nikola Vucevic to immediately contend in the Eastern Conference.
In this article, we will discuss the blueprint Orlando should follow in order to have a successful offseason, along with discussing the relevant Free Agents the Magic should keep tabs on, who they should select with their 1st round pick in the NBA Draft, and what they should do with multiple contracts expiring this summer.
The Coaching/Front Office Situation
When the Orlando Magic introduced Steve Clifford as their head coach in the summer of 2018, president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman promised a few things about what fans would see when an Orlando Magic team led by Clifford team took the floor. The Magic would be a very disciplined team and they would not beat themselves up after a harsh loss. This is exactly what Clifford delivered to the Charlotte Hornets from 2013-2018. Clifford may have made the playoffs in only two of his five seasons in the Queen City, but the Hornets were never out of the playoff race. The teams Clifford coached under in Charlotte and Orlando have always had a chance to win. The only problem is, the Magic are to finally come through and actually win this next season.
Clifford isn’t worth firing, especially with the coaching market going downhill as Doc Rivers, Tom Thibodeau, Steve Nash, and Billy Donovan have all found new homes. Clifford is a defensive-minded coach and used his skills to turn the Magic into a team with a top-tier defense in the NBA, only giving up 108.3 PPG to opposing teams. The problem for the Magic is their Offense, as Orlando scored the 6th-fewest PPG at just 107.3 PPG. This won’t get the job done in the Eastern Conference with the Milwaukee Bucks, the Miami Heat, the Boston Celtics, and the Philadelphia 76ers all looking better than ever.
Trade Scenarios
One of the easiest ways the Magic will be able to add some offensive firepower to their roster is through a trade. It also helps that big names such as Chris Paul, Bradley Beal, and others have been floating around in NBA trade rumors. The best trade that we could see the Magic making is trading for Victor Oladipo from the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Evan Fournier, the Magic’s 2021 1st Round Pick, and their 2022 1st Round. Oladipo would pay immediate dividends on the team that drafted him in 2013, as he will be able to run the Offense without being overshadowed by Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner. When healthy, Oladipo is an elite two-way guard who positively impacts his team offensively and defensively.
Although Oladipo had his 2020 Season cut short due to a ruptured quad tendon, he was still able to average 14.5 PPG, 3.9 RPG, and 2.9 APG in 19 games. In Oladipo’s last full season in 2017-2018, the two-time All-Star averaged a career-high 23.1 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 4.3 APG, and even led the league in Steals at 2.4 SPG. A healthy Oladipo with Markelle Fultz in the backcourt, along with Jonathan Isaac and Nikola Vucevic in the frontcourt would make the Magic much more dangerous in the East. As for the Pacers, they save approximately $21 million now not having to extend Oladipo, and they also net Fournier who will provide good backcourt depth behind Malcolm Brogden, along with Orlando’s two 1st-round picks which could turn out to be valuable if the Oladipo experiment in Orlando ends up failing.
2020 NBA Draft
After a short playoff run, the Magic earned the 15th overall pick in the NBA Draft. With the 15th overall pick, the Magic should select PG Cole Anthony out of North Carolina. Anthony did slide out of the Draft Lottery in most mocks because of concerns about his Injury History, a ball-dominant approach, and his defensive skills, but Anthony’s upside is too good to pass up on at 15th overall. The North Carolina product averaged 18.5 PPG, 5.7 RPG, and 4.0 APG on 38% from the field and 34.8% from the 3-point line. He could even play behind Fultz and Oladipo as a rookie and gain experience in Clifford’s offensive/defensive schemes.
Let’s not forget about Orlando’s first-round selection from 2019 in Chuma Okeke. Okeke never signed his Rookie deal, as he underwent rehabilitation from a torn ACL injury. Okeke won’t “wow you” with his College Stats at Auburn with 12.0 PPG, 6.8 RPG, and 1.9 APG, but he’s worth noting here as he will add depth to the team.
Relevant Free Agents To Re-Sign
Entering the 2020 Offseason, Orlando can extend Markelle Fultz, Jonathan Isaac, Aaron Gordon, and Evan Fournier (Orlando won’t have to extend Fournier if they do end up trading him). I think the Magic should prioritize signing Fultz and Isaac to long-term deals. Fultz and Isaac do look like the future of this team, and both players have shown flashes of stardom. Fultz struggled early in his career with the 76ers, but had a major bounce-back year this season, as he averaged career-high numbers in PPG (12.1), RPG (3.4), APG (5.1), and Field Goal Percentage (46.5%).
As for Isaac, he showed the NBA that he’ll be a Defensive Player of the Year Candidate for years to come. Isaac also averaged a career-high in PPG (11.9), RPG (6.8), APG (1.4), SPG (1.6), and BPG (2.3). Even if these guys want bigger contracts than the Magic would like them to take, Orlando needs to be ok with that, especially when both guys are coming off of career years. As for Aaron Gordon, the Magic would love to keep the 25-year-old around, but Gordon is Orlando’s biggest trade chip, and extending Gordon wouldn’t allow the Magic to trade him for six months.
Relevant Free Agents To Try And Sign
With signing Free Agents this offseason, Orlando doesn’t have that much to work with. Orlando has the $9.3 million-dollar Midlevel Exception and the 3.6 million-dollar Biannual Exception at their disposal. Orlando’s biggest needs are a backup Point Guard, Shooting help at any of the positions, and an experienced veteran to help the youngsters mature. Here are some Free Agents that would fit these needs and the price tag:
1. Austin Rivers, PG, Houston Rockets
Rivers would be a good addition with that $9.3 million-dollar Midlevel Exception. Rivers’ stats won’t shock you at just 8.8 PPG, 2.6 RPG, and 1.7 APG on 42.1% from the field and 35.1% from the 3-point line, but Rivers does give the Magic key depth and scoring off the bench, and he can help Fultz develop as an NBA Star.
2. Wesley Matthews, SF, Milwaukee Bucks
Just like Rivers, Matthews isn’t a superstar that could vastly change the Magic. However, Matthews would provide key leadership and some veteran experience, something that this team doesn’t have. Matthews also brings 7.4 PPG, 2.5 RPG, and 1.4 APG on 39.6% from the field along with 36.4% from the 3-point line.