After missing the playoffs five straight seasons, what can the Magic do in order to take a step forward and compete in the Eastern Conference next season?
The Orlando Magic had high hopes entering the 2017 season. The Magic brought in a new coach in Frank Vogel who promised a playoff appearance in front of Magic fans at the team’s open practice in October. They kept busy in the offseason acquiring veteran players Serge Ibaka, Bismack Biyombo, Jodie Meeks, D.J. Augustin and Jeff Green.
The goal was to complement their young core with a solid group of veterans that would help the team take a step forward and compete for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Despite their best efforts, the Magic did not seem capable of putting together a good stretch of games all season as the team struggled to find consistency from game to game.
The Magic season came to a complete meltdown during January as the team struggled with a 4-12 record. This stretch proved costly for the Magic as it took them completely out of the Playoff picture. As a result, Rob Hennigan had to prepare to make some serious decisions about the future of the franchise heading into the trade deadline.
The Magic promised to be active at the trade deadline as the team tried to regroup and find a way to save the season. A week before the deadline, the Magic traded Serge Ibaka to the Toronto Raptors for Terrence Ross and a 2017 1st round pick. This was a trade many anticipated as the Magic could not afford to keep Ibaka and risk losing him during the offseason when he will become an unrestricted free agent.
At the time, it seemed like the Ibaka trade was the first of many to come leading up to the trade deadline. There were rumors that followed indicating the Magic were interested in Detroit Pistons point guard Reggie Jackson and Phoenix Suns point guard Brandon Knight. Despite the rumors, the trade deadline passed and the Magic ended up not making any additional moves.
It surprised many when the Magic decided to stay put at the trade deadline since the team has some veteran players such as Jeff Green and D.J. Augustin that contenders could use to strengthen their teams heading into the playoffs. Many fans also wanted to see some of the veterans traded in order to open up playing time for players like Mario Hezonja and C.J. Wilcox since the team’s playoff chances were slim, to say the least.
Since Terrence Ross’ addition and a smaller lineup featuring Aaron Gordon at power forward, the Magic have been playing much better basketball. The record may not show it, but the team has been playing more competitive basketball and it finally seems like the pieces fit together. Adding Ross to the lineup has provided the Magic with another source of scoring and shooting, which the team desperately needed.
Despite their recent improved play, the Magic will once again be heading to the lottery this season. The Magic are hoping this is the year in which the team is able to find a player in the draft that can transform this franchise.
The 2017 draft class has been advertised as one of the best draft classes in recent years. This should help the Magic since they should have a top-10 pick and a mid-20s pick in the first round. Players such as Markelle Fultz, Lonzo Ball, Josh Jackson, Jonathan Isaac and Jayson Tatum are just some of the names that have NBA general managers hoping for a high first round pick this year.
The question is what are the Magic looking for in the draft?
Based on what Hennigan attempted to do at the trade deadline, it seems like the team is ready to move on from Elfrid Payton as their starting point guard. Or at least, they are not as certain as they once were about him.
He could remain with the team as a sixth man or backup point guard, but the Magic were often mentioned in trade rumors involving other point guards such as Goran Dragic, Brandon Knight and Reggie Jackson. Those are not likely to stop despite Elfrid Payton’s recent run of triple-doubles.
If that is the case, it is possible the Magic will attempt to draft a point guard in the draft. There is plenty of point guard depth in the draft for the Magic to find a way to acquire one that can help them going forward. Point guard prospects Markelle Fultz, Lonzo Ball, Dennis Smith and Frank Ntilikina are just some of the players the Magic could be interested in.
Orlando Magic
The Magic could also decide to go for a wing player, which the team lacked tremendously prior to Ross joining the team. There are some solid wing prospects that are expected to be picked early in the draft, such as Josh Jackson and Jayson Tatum that could be of interest to the Magic.
The Magic will also be well positioned heading into free agency this offseason. With veterans Jeff Green, C.J. Watson (on a non-guaranteed deal next year) and Jodie Meeks set to hit free agency, the Magic should have plenty of money to spend to attempt to acquire a solid scorer or at least a couple quality role players to add depth to this team.
Shooting was an area of concern for the Magic this season and it should be an area that is addressed during the offseason. There are some interesting names the Magic could go after in free agency, such as George Hill, J.J. Redick, Kyle Korver, Nikola Mirotic, Bojan Bogdanovic and Kelly Olynyk, among others.
The Magic could bring back Jodie Meeks on a cheaper contract since he played fairly well for the team when he was healthy. Meeks was a difference maker for the team when he was a part of the rotation and he is a player that can provide a spark off the bench any given night thanks to his shooting ability.
Additionally, the Magic could also try to make a blockbuster trade at the 2017 Draft or during the offseason. The Magic have the young players, draft picks, team-friendly contracts and cap space to pull off a trade that could bring a star player to Orlando. The Magic could put together a solid trade offer and pursue players like Jimmy Buttler, Paul George or Andre Drummond as they try to bring some excitement and a star quality player to a Magic team that desperately needs it.
Despite having two first round draft picks in the upcoming draft, money to spend in free agency and trade assets, the most important thing for the Magic will be the development of their own young players.
This offseason the Magic will need Aaron Gordon, Terrence Ross, Evan Fournier, Elfrid Payton and, most importantly, Mario Hezonja to spend time in the gym and continue to fine tune their skills and continue to develop.
Gordon is without a doubt the player the Magic are building around. He is the player the Magic need to come into next season ready to take over as a star player in this league. Gordon should be playing at the power forward position all of next season, so he will have the entire offseason to prepare and to take his game to another level.
It should be another busy offseason for the Magic and an exciting offseason for Magic fans.
The Magic simply need to move on from a disappointing 2017 season. They need to get ready to regroup and attempt to add the missing pieces during the offseason to a team that is very close to being a quality team in the Eastern Conference.
The key will be for the Magic to not make any panic moves, like the Ibaka trade, which could harm the future of the franchise.
Next: Mario Hezonja key to Orlando Magic's prospects
There is plenty of opportunity for the magic to grow. But also plenty of doubt and uncertainty remain.