Orlando Magic Trade Value Column 2017
Category I — Sure you can have them
14. Damjan Rudez, $2.7 million/2 years, Qualifying Offer 2018
Damjan Rudez was a training camp invitee and it is hard to see him doing much more than that for the rest of whatever is left in his NBA career.
Rudez does have a NBA skill. He is a good shooter. Coach Frank Vogel’s joke that Rudez can stay in so long as he makes shots is at least partially true. Rudez does not provide much more than his shooting to a team. His defense is suspect at best and he does not do much else offensively.
Rudez is a prime candidate, despite the rest of his contract becoming guaranteed in January, to get cut so the Magic could free a roster spot for a D-League call up at some point this season. At this point, it is hard even to say he is a full-time NBA player.
That good will Rudez built up with Vogel from his time in Indiana only lasts so long. Rudez can only provide so much to the team.
13. C.J. Wilcox, $1.2 million/1 years
The Magic acquired C.J. Wilcox hoping he would add some additional shooting to the team. Wilcox was begging for an opportunity to play. There was some hope he could get that opportunity in Orlando.
Instead, injuries have slowed Wilcox down. The Magic acquired some other shooters and pushed Wilcox to the bench once again. Orlando did not even pick up his team option, turning him into an unrestricted free agent.
Orlando Magic
At this point, Wilcox is hanging on in the NBA. He needs to focus on getting healthy and playing well in Summer League (no matter who that is for).
His potential and salary could make him attractive for a move. But he has done too little in the NBA and with the Magic this season to have any real value right now.
12. Stephen Zimmerman, $5.7 million/4 years, Non-Guaranteed 2017-18, Qualifying Offer 2019
The Magic drafted Stephen Zimmerman because of his upside and talent. Until a knee injury sidelined him at UNLV, there were some projections that had him going in the Lottery. He has first-round talent at the very least.
The Magic decided they were going to take things slow with him. The plan was for Zimmerman to spend a lot of time in the D-League. And so far he has appeared in more games with the Erie BayHawks (21 games) than with the Magic (nine games). That is fine and the Magic can still afford to wait a bit on Zimmerman and see what he becomes.
Other teams might be too. Because the former McDonald’s All-American has something worth looking at. He has an odd versatility for someone his size. Although he still has a long way to go.