Orlando Magic rise 10 spots in ESPN Future Power Rankings

The Orlando Magic are searching for stability and planning a big offseason. ESPN seems optimistic rising the team 10 spots in the future power rankings.

The Orlando Magic have long sold the future. In this rebuild, the Magic have taken a long-term approach to their rebuild. They built slowly through the draft and accumulated talent.

That was the goal.

The promise has only added to what the Magic could be. Adding both to its certainty and its uncertainty.

The Magic have made steady improvement in each year of the rebuild — from 20 to 23 to 25 to 35 wins. That provides some hope for the future for this team.

Still so much is tied to the team’s cap flexibility and how the team uses it.

This newfound cap flexibility is the new hope for the future and a reason some are more ready to jump on board.

ESPN released its future power rankings this past weekend, creating a power rankings based on the team’s next three years. After wallowing at the bottom, the Magic’s 35-win season along with the added cap room has the Magic moving up from 23 to 13 in the power rankings.

As Chad Ford writes:

"The Magic continue their three-year run of treading water, though they have made a major leap in our FPR, this year from No. 23 to No. 13.Cap space is the primary reason behind the move upward. We’re projecting the Magic to have the third-best cap position in the league for the next three years. Orlando has always been a popular destination for free agents because of the weather and lack of state income tax.And with a number of interesting young players in the fold — led by Victor Oladipo, Aaron Gordon, Elfrid Payton and Mario Hezonja — the Magic have enough talent to perhaps lure a young star or two over the next few years.We also see the resignation of Scott Skiles and the hiring of Frank Vogel as a blessing. Skiles is notoriously difficult to play for. Vogel, on the other hand, was well loved in Indiana and could be an attractive head coach for an elite free agent — especially Indiana’s Paul George, who can opt out of his contract after the 2017-18 season."

It is certainly true, the Magic are still getting better. They still have an interesting young core to build around, but no star has emerged. It is tough to predict much of a future.

That is where free agency will come in, perhaps. The promise of cap room is a big one for the Magic. They have to spend smart and supplement the core they have built to have any chance at realizing their potential.

The panel, consisting of Chad Ford and Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com, said the Magic have the third best salary situation in the league and seventh best Drafting in the league.

That is a good sign for a team that still has a lot of flexibility. But that will dry up quickly. To get better, the Magic will have to expend some of that flexibility. And do so smartly.

The Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers still lead the list in the Future Power Rankings. The Utah Jazz are the highest non-Playoff team in the rankings at No. 7 and the Magic are behind only the Jazz, Minnesota Timberwolves and Washington Wizards among non-Playoff teams.

Among Eastern Conference teams, the Magic finished fifth. That would suggest the Magic will be a Playoff team soon.

At some point the future has to become the present. The young players have to grow and become something real. And it seems increasingly like that time is now.

That raises its own set of questions of course. The Magic are pushing some chips to the center of the table. They are preparing to make the future now.