The Orlando Magic have been out of the Playoffs for four years and caught in the midst of a long rebuild. They believe it is over now and spent like it.
The Orlando Magic were one of the most active and, let’s say, interesting teams in the NBA this summer.
After four years of missing the Playoffs and a massive rebuild project following the Dwight Howard trade, the Magic pushed their chips into the center. It is now do-or-die time for the Magic.
The Magic got older and more experienced. They took the resignation of their one-year head coach and turned it into a coaching upgrade in Frank Vogel. They added players with elite rim-protecting skills to bolster an uninspiring defense.
Even with all that, the way they used resources in free agency and the position switches and role increases they are asking of some of their young players remaining continue to raise questions.
The Magic’s summer makeover will either help them accomplish their goal and return to relevance or be the end of a massive rebuild and leave the team with an uncertain future.
As much as any team, the Magic will answer some very serious questions this year. Will the team gain an identity? What position and what future does Aaron Gordon have in the league? And where do the magic go should this succeed. . . or worse, if it fails?
Every rebuild eventually enters a stage where it has to ask these important questions. The Magic were not willing to wait to see if the lottery would come their way. It seemed time to push chips to the center and try to make the team as good as possible.
The only thing is, it is not clear if the Magic succeeded.