Orlando Magic Daily Mailbag Volume 33: It’s delicate

From Michael Martin, via Comments

"Do you think given Orlando cap situation they would actually re-sign Nikola after drafting Mo and having 3 to 4 years to develop AG, JI, and Mo together? He’s 28yrs old and is the Magic’s best player to date, he will want a long term deal and be paid at least as much as Aaron’s making per year don’t you think?"

What the Orlando Magic should try to do with Nikola Vucevic is a central question to this trade deadline and, at least, the immediate future for the Magic. The decision on whether to re-sign him or trade him at the deadline will have major ripple effects.

Jeff Weltman’s decisions to this point have been relatively tame — even figuring out whether and how to re-sign Aaron Gordon. This decision with Nikola Vucevic could very well set the franchise’s next two or three years — with both all of its potential and limitations.

Vucevic has had a career year this year — averaging 20.2 points and 11.9 rebounds per game while showing improved awareness and impact on defense. That has made what felt like an easy decision before the season to move on from Vucevic at the trade deadline turn into a much more complicated dilemma.

Vucevic has turned into the most important player on the Magic. The team will not win without him. Not unless they get an All-Star in return. And it seems extremely unlikely that is going to happen.

And so that leaves the more difficult question of trying to figure out how much Vucevic is worth on the market and how much he is worth to the team — especially with Mohamed Bamba developing behind him.

But Nikola Vucevic’s play and perhaps Mohamed Bamba being a little further behind with his development, probably has the team rethinking some things. There is a very real chance the Magic will look to re-sign Vucevic this summer. Figuring out the right amount and years will be the details that will be tricky.

This is likely to be Vucevic’s last big contract of his career. But Orlando is probably going to hope to sign him to a three-year deal. Vucevic is probably going to look for a four-year deal. He may not quite get Aaron Gordon’s money, but he will get a hefty paycheck of more than $20 million.

The Magic have to go into this offseason understanding their limits and where they will stop negotiations and move on. That is if the goal is to develop Bamba and bide time for him to be ready to start.

I think the Magic will try to settle in with a deal similar to what Gordon got. He got a four-year, $76 million contract. Vucevic is probably looking for at least four years at $80-85 million. I would probably like to get him in at three years, $70-72 million. Give him one less year, but a little more money. And if I can frontload that deal as they did with Gordon, even better.

The Magic have to be careful with this deal. They probably cannot commit too long term with him because they still have to plan for a future. It is a win-now move. And there are fair questions about how much you can really win.

But for now, Vucevic is vital to the team’s winning. And Orlando should do what it can to retain him.