After finishing one of their worst NBA seasons to date with a 21-51 record, the Magic will now look to the well-anticipated offseason. This should start with Free Agency. John Collins, Montrezl Harrell, and Spencer Dinwiddie are just a few names that highlight a deep Free Agent class. The ultimate prize will be to sign 2019 NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, if he decides to opt out of his $36 million player option with L.A. Orlando will still have to make some decisions on a couple of key players hitting Free Agency in a year or two. Both Ignas Brazedikis and Moritz Wagner have played well for Orlando. If Orlando wants to keep these young forwards, then the Front Office must be conservative in Free Agency. The question is, do the Magic believe in Brazedikis and Wagner contributing in the future, or are they just here for the short term?
Possible Roles for Ignas Brazdeikis in the 2021-2022 Season
As the Magic were plagued with injury after injury this season, they signed numerous Free Agents to ten-day contracts. One of those players was Brazdeikis, who was signed in early May. Brazdeikis has made the most of his eight games with Orlando by averaging 11.1 PPG, 5.1 RPG, and 2.0 APG. The former Michigan product has had big-time performances for Orlando, too. In Friday’s loss to Philadelphia, Brazdeikis notched a career-high 21 points and six rebounds. After proving his untapped potential, Brazdeikis was signed to the remainder of the season on May 12th. As it stands, Brazdeikis is inked through the 2021-2022 season with a $1.6 million Qualifying Offer contract. Brazdeikis has made clear strides from when he was a 76er and Knick. Since Brazdeikis is only 22-years-old, he will serve as a cheap and young option for the Magic to build around in the frontcourt.
Possible Roles for Moritz Wagner in the 2021-2022 Season
Unlike Brazdeikis, Wagner’s journey to Orlando has been complicated. After graduating from Michigan and being selected by the Lakers in the 2018 Draft, Wagner was quickly on the move. After Wagner finished his rookie season in L.A., he was initially dealt to Washington and was traded again to Chicago during the Trade Deadline. Wagner would soon be dealt to Boston, and would later be waived. Once Wagner became a Free Agent, Orlando decided to sign him to a ten-day deal. After impressing in limited time, Orlando signed Wagner to the remainder of the season. In the Magic’s final eleven games, Wagner didn’t disappoint, by averaging 11.0 PPG, 4.9 RPG, and 1.1 APG. With Wagner only being 24-years-old and set to make just $2.0 million next season, he should also have a clear role on the depleted Magic moving forward into next season.