Orlando Magic Draft: Who stands to lose the most?

Nikola Vucevic and Bismack Biyombo

While Orlando will likely take a guard or wing at No. 6, there are a plethora of options at center lower in the draft.

The Magic may seek to trade up and take players like Bam Adebayo or Anzejs Pasecniks, as they seek to remedy the many issues the team has continued to face at the center spot since Dwight Howard‘s departure all the way back in 2012.

For all his faults, Nikola Vucevic has been the best player on the Magic since the Rob Hennigan rebuild began. He has cultivated a dynamic offensive game that allows him to play both close and further out from the basket, while he remains a decent rebounder on both ends.

But, despite his defensive improvements this past year, he ultimately puts a ceiling on Orlando’s success due to his poor rim protection and his inability to guard the pick-and-roll. His screens are also poor, hampering Orlando’s offense.

Orlando Magic

Bismack Biyombo presents greater problems. Brought in on a hefty four-year, $72-million contract, he was expected to bring exceptional interior defense and rebounding to a team that often lacked both. But Biyombo’s first season in Orlando cannot be defined as anything other than a disappointment.

He was mediocre defensively and lacked the defensive presence he had previously shown with the Charlotte Hornets and Toronto Raptors. Further, despite being a far superior screener to Vucevic, he is a non-entity on the offensive end due to his inability to play outside the paint, or even simply catch the ball.

Bringing in another center who can solve the defensive issues, and yet also be a feature on offense, would be a welcome development. In all likelihood, this would see either Vucevic or Biyombo moved. But the potential return for either is questionable,. And, due to his contract, Biyombo, in particular, would be difficult to move.

Regardless, the Magic should expect some change to their center rotation following the 2017 draft.