Crowded trade market may force Orlando Magic to stand pat
By Ryan Doyle
With the trade market for centers full and a bit stagnant, the Orlando Magic are going to have a hard time resolving their issues at center.
The Orlando Magic have a pair of talented centers in Nikola Vucevic and Bismack Biyombo. Although, problems have arisen with both of them on the roster. They might be good individually, but their fits with this Magic team and the direction the team wants to go is uncertain.
It is no surprise that both Nikola Vucevic and Bismack Biyombo have been the focus of trade proposals from fans and discussions of how the team can improve.
While more and more teams have begun to embrace the small-ball and 3-point dominant lineups, the Magic have been forced to go big with their rotations. And that plan obviously failed last year in their 29-win season.
Unfortunately, Orlando still has to deal with some of the aftermath of that decision. According to HoopsHype.com, the Magic will be paying the duo a combined $29 million in 2018.
This leaves the Magic in a very tough situation. With Vucevic and Biyombo taking up a large portion of the cap, Orlando is going to be forced to give them significant minutes.
With both players locked up for at least two seasons, the only way Orlando could fix this issue is to trade one of them. Vucevic is the likeliest trade candidate, but that does not mean the Magic will ship him away anytime soon.
As teams are trying to follow in the Golden State Warriors’ footsteps, the traditional NBA centers are no longer coveted. The Dwight Howard’s of the NBA are becoming less valuable.
Players like DeAndre Jordan and Andre Drummond have been shopped around, but have received little interest. Drummond is a 24-year-old center who has the potential to become one of the elite big men in the NBA. The fact teams are not willing to trade for him should raise eyebrows about the center position as a whole, especially with his rebounding production and defensive potential.
Orlando Magic
If potential stars are going to be tough to move, the task will be even tougher for Jeff Weltman.
At some point during the season, Vucevic’s name will be swirling in the rumor mill. The new identity Orlando seems to be building does not mold well with Vucevic. He is a strong offensive center. But he lacks a strong defensive game. And despite strong defensive markers last year, he still does not seem to provide the rim protection modern centers need.
Assuming Vucevic is on the market, teams will unlikely give up much for a center who does not fit the typical mold. Most playoff teams value centers who can protect the rim and rebound well. Vucevic’s game is predicated on scoring. Most contending teams do not struggle in that area.
It is hard to see anyone valuing Vucevic as a starter the way the Magic do. Teams will view Vucevic as a backup center. He would be a first option with the second team and play the same role Enes Kanter has for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Kanter may not start, but he is able to carry the the Thunder’s second unit.
Contenders will look to Vucevic to do the same for them. As a rotational piece, Vucevic will not garner much in return. Possibly a future first-round draft pick or a developing player. It would be a shock if the Magic received a starting-caliber player in return.
On the positive side, Vucevic’s unique style could set him apart from the rest of the trade market. Many of the centers on the market fit the old-school center mold. Strong defenders who lack offense. Vucevic is the opposite.
His ability to score may entice a team enough to make a trade at some point next season. Teams like the Memphis Grizzlies and Boston Celtics will be looking for scoring to boost their bench play.
If that is the case, it will be hard for the Magic to sell moving him. He has become one of the faces of this Orlando team and did just make NBA 2K’s All-Time Magic team.
Vucevic has his flaws, but he has been the best player on Orlando since the Howard era. Allowing him to walk for scraps would receive some backlash, even if it may be better for the team in the long run.
Odds are, Orlando will struggle to make the Playoffs this season. If they appear out of the race by the trade deadline, they could move Vucevic to free up cap and give younger players room to develop.
A move at the deadline may seem likley now, but the question about the big man trade market remains. Will there be interest in a “finesse center?”
Rumors have circulated around Vucevic for what feels like years. He has handled them as well as any player could. But his time in Orlando may be running short. A new front office is in town and they appear to be ready to start over.
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Vucevic’s value likely will fluctuate as team needs become clearer. But in a crowded market of big men, it may be tough for the Magic to get the value they are truly hoping for.