There has been an overwhelming and not so silent cry for the Orlando Magic to sign Kevin Durant this offseason. Is that reasonable, though?
The Orlando Magic are a team in need of a superstar. With few exceptions, the NBA title is won by a team with one single defining talent, a premiere player who can take over games and drive a team through the postseason.
It may be too obvious to say the Magic have not yet found such a player. Victor Oladipo has the highest index perhaps in “star potential”, but few are deluded enough to believe that necessarily translates to superstar, perennial All-Star or a No. 1 option.
Shortly after next Thursday’s trade deadline passes, the focus will turn to free agency where there is one very big fish available.
Kevin Durant.
Of course the Magic would love to add the best pure scorer in the NBA, as any team would and still many will try to do this summer. And still people will point to Magic general manager Rob Hennigan’s previous relationship with Durant from his Oklahoma City Thunder days as proof that he can somehow persuade Durant to come to Orlando.
What the Magic do at the trade deadline will do as much to set the team’s path for the immediate close of the 2016 season as it will prepare them for their strategy in the offseason.
But there are many reasons why acquiring Durant is unlikely. Extremely unlikely.
Durant has already found he is merely on the cusp with Russell Westbrook as a teammate and a pretty solid supporting cast. He knows that championships do not come easy, and that it requires multiple stars to win a title. The Magic just do not offer enough as a team, and Durant is surely going to want to play with another big name, getting a chance to win a title immediately.
That has been the mark of this era, super teams and super teammates. Durant would find no major second fiddle in Orlando. The title contention, let alone the titles, would have to wait.
Beyond all of these hypotheticals there is the simple fact the Magic are currently not positioned to be offering any max contracts this offseason.
The Magic can change that in the next week before the trade deadline. But currently they are not in play for the team to both acquire a free agent of that caliber and retain most of the better talents on the roster currently.
Orlando will have to maneuver to get in a financial position which could launch the Magic into the Durant Sweepstakes, or the sweepstakes for some other max-level free agent. The Magic have attracted two major free agents in a similar rebuilding scenario in 2000 when they acquired Grant Hill and Tracy McGrady in sign-and-trade deals.
Otherwise, the Magic have mostly added complementary pieces in free agency while acquiring franchise talent from the draft.
The Magic did not add any surefire franchise talent from the last three drafts because the team was not positioned to grab such players. The Magic did not do poorly with any of the draft picks, the chips did not fall in place for them.
But Orlando was not lucky enough to land the likes of Karl-Anthony Towns, Jahlil Okafor, Kristaps Porzingis, Andrew Wiggins or even Jabari Parker.
The Magic have missed chances at some top-shelf young talents through no fault of their own. All those seemingly surefire All Stars were taken before the Magic could select.
As such, the Magic are now entering the limbo state that I said we should not fear before. This team is likely too good to land a high enough pick to get a sure franchise player, making trade and free agency the only avenues left to add a superstar and grow this roster.
To make the leap, it will require a player falling in love with the Magic franchise and figuring the Magic’s roster has enough talent with his play the team would be in the Finals. Or the Magic acquiring such a player in a trade.
Durant may think that way in free agency. It just seems unlikely the Magic are at that stage.
There is nothing to suggest Durant will not consider the Magic, because there are surprises all the time. It just seems far more likely a team already housing a superstar will add Durant to form a Big Two or Big Three. LeBron James already showed us that principle when he teamed with Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade.
Or that he will stay in Oklahoma City and ride out this core group.
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What indication do we have Durant is any different than the other stars who have come and gone?
The Magic would be foolish not to make a courtesy call when that clock strikes midnight on July 1, 2016. But at this present state, Durant is not a realistic goal. It is a pipe dream and nothing more, no matter how much talent the Magic might think they have already on the roster.
Of course, the trade deadline could change everything and reveal the Magic’s offseason plans to be different.