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2019 Orlando Magic Offseason Outlook: All about Nikola Vucevic

By Philip Rossman-Reich

SACRAMENTO, CA - JANUARY 7: Nikola Vucevic #9 of the Orlando Magic looks on during the game against the Sacramento Kings on January 7, 2019 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. 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 Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
SACRAMENTO, CA - JANUARY 7: Nikola Vucevic #9 of the Orlando Magic looks on during the game against the Sacramento Kings on January 7, 2019 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. 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 Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Terrence Ross, Orlando Magic
ORLANDO, FL – DECEMBER 28: Terrence Ross #31 of the Orlando Magic plays defense against the Toronto Raptors during the game on December 28, 2018 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. 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 2018 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) /

The Books

Before getting to any of the key decisions the Orlando Magic have to make this season, it is important to lay out the books for the team.

Orlando currently has $83.8 million in guaranteed salary for next season. Aaron Gordon ($19.9 million), Evan Fournier ($17 million) and Timofey Mozgov ($16.7 million) account for $53.6 million of that. That is 64 percent of their committed salary!

The salary cap for the 2020 season is expected to fall at $109 million. So the Magic are already at 76.9 percent of the salary cap in guaranteed salary before the summer even really begins.

Orlando has $25.2 million in cap room taking into account their guaranteed salary. But that will get eaten up quickly.

Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic /

Orlando Magic

The Magic’s 16th overall pick is guaranteed at least $2.2 million (that will increase this year by a little bit). So that is another bit knocked off the account.

Then there are the free agents the Magic want to retain.

They have cap holds so the Magic can retain their rights and go over the cap to re-sign them if they choose. Those cap holds eat into the remaining cap room to reserve their spot on the roster and prevent teams from waiting to sign their own guys at the end of free agency.

Nikola Vucevic and Terrence Ross are coming off relatively team-friendly deals and both expect a bit of a pay raise. Nikola Vucevic’s cap hold is $19.1 million and Terrence Ross’ cap hold is $15.8 million. Add in Khem Birch‘s cap hold at $1.6 million and the team loses an additional $36.5 million in cap room.

If you are doing the math correctly, the Magic lose all their cap room if they want to re-sign both Vucevic and Ross. The team can go over the cap to re-sign both because they hold their Bird Rights.

The team will operate over the cap if they want to re-sign these players. And both Vucevic and Ross are likely to command more than their respective cap holds (maybe Ross falls a hair below it).

But that will leave the team with few avenues to get better around them.

If the Magic are not able to re-sign both or either, then they do open up some cap room. And Orlando can free up some cap room with some other moves too — especially if they stretch Timofey Mozgov’s contract (more on that a bit).