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Orlando Magic Daily Mailbag Vol. 29: Back to the future

By Philip Rossman-Reich

MILWAUKEE, WI - JANUARY 10: Aaron Gordon #00 of the Orlando Magic walks backcourt during a game during a game against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Bradley Center on January 10, 2018 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WI - JANUARY 10: Aaron Gordon #00 of the Orlando Magic walks backcourt during a game during a game against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Bradley Center on January 10, 2018 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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Jonathan Isaac, Orlando Magic, Chicago Bulls
CHICAGO, IL – DECEMBER 20: Jonathan Isaac #1 of the Orlando Magic shoots the ball against the Chicago Bulls on December 20, 2017 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images) /

This is the million dollar question. This entire season has been about figuring this question out. President of basketball operations Jeff Weltman promised he would evaluate his roster. This is essentially the question he is trying to answer.

No pressure to answer it today, right?

I think we can make a few conclusions about the long-term future of this team at this moment.

The general core for this team is fairly clear — Aaron Gordon, Jonathan Isaac and whoever the team picks in the upcoming draft. That is who the Magic are likely to build around for the future. They are the future for the next four or five years. Everything else seems like an outgrowth of this.

Everything else is extremely malleable, it feels. Even Jonathon Simmons (on a three-year deal and the big free agent Weltman signed) is probably not a guarantee to stay with the team for the long term. It is hard to project this team too far into the future.

The long and short of things is not to get too used to many of the players on the roster. Most of them are not Weltman players. And slowly, but surely, he will put his imprint on the team.

That means flipping over the roster. That means churning through players and creating a new core. And then building out from there.

Just like the Isaac selection proved to be a defining one, the draft pick this year will be a defining one too. It sets the direction for the Magic roster.

Right now, things are in their beginning stages. It is too hard to predict with much certainty where things will go. There is not even the guarantee of success. It just has to look promising at this point. The team’s development culture will determine whether players grow the way they need to grow.

That is the bigger concern right now. The rest of the building will come later.