Orlando Magic Daily Mailbag Volume 14: Decision time

My summer plan for the Orlando Magic is mainly to keep flexibility. I do not want to advocate or predict for any individual player, but I think the key for the team is to fill in some of the gaps left on the roster from last year and build an actual team. The team cannot be merely collecting assets, it has to start figuring out how these pieces fit.

The big need is bringing in a veteran, preferably for the starting lineup although that might be difficult. Other than that, the team could use a more solid backup point guard and more length on the wing (boy, Maurice Harkless or Tobias Harris would be useful for that).

This team though has shown good progress. There are big questions. But a wholesale change should only happen if it makes the team better. Change is not needed for change’s sake. This is a young group that can still get better and make that leap from 35 wins to 41 or higher and make the Playoffs.

But hitting the key dates:

Step one is the Draft. I think the Orlando Magic need to explore all trade opportunities and try to turn Ersan Ilyasova‘s unguaranteed contract into something. I am sure Nikola Vucevic and Victor Oladipo will be shopped some and the Magic will probably look to deal the pick instead of developing one of the projects that seem to be available around 11.

There are some good backup center options available at No. 11, so if the Magic do not make a deal, they probably fill that need (letting Dewayne Dedmon go in the process) through the draft.

In free agency the Magic have to find a veteran. I suspect they will go after Al Horford, but that might depend on what the trade market for Vucevic is or whether they believe Horford can play power forward (and then what do you do with Aaron Gordon?). I think going after a veteran like Luol Deng or trying for Nicolas Batum makes a lot of sense too. Harrison Barnes makes some sense too, but I am leery of his price tag. Same goes for Hassan Whiteside.

But the team has to find a veteran somewhere. Someone who can lead the team and maybe even take over when the time calls for it. Someone who can command the locker room.

The team should still try to re-sign Evan Fournier at a reasonable contract. And just keep an ear to the ground and look for ways to improve the team one way or another. Yes, that includes considering Dwight Howard.

There is a ton of talk of making a big splash, and I think the Magic will try to do that. But more likely, the Magic will be forced to be smart and make little moves to improve the current roster. The summer can still be successful if they do that.

Add a key piece here or there, let the roster continue to marinate a little bit and the Magic can still accomplish all their goals and make progress — saving the cap room for next summer when there are more free agent possibilities and still another big cap spike oncoming.

Next: Questions of fit