Orlando Magic Trade Value Column 2020: Big decisions on the horizon

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Nikola Vucevic, Orlando Magic, Brooklyn Nets

Nikola Vucevic has struggled to match the efficiency that made him the Orlando Magic’s All-Star last year. (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) /

5. Nikola Vucevic (4 years, $100 million)

If you want a sure way to start a fight online, mention anything to do with Nikola Vucevic.

Vucevic has become the most polarizing player probably in Orlando Magic history. Someone who is a connection to a past everyone wants to forget but a player vital to the team’s survival in the present.

Vucevic is in the same spot he has always been. He is a walking double-double who can put up solid numbers and provide stability to the team. The Magic are better with him on the floor — -3.6 net rating with him off the floor, trailing only D.J. Augustin among regular rotation players.

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But he is also a limiting player. He can lose his timing defensively and become a sieve at the rim. And this year, Vucevic has gone through a bizarre shooting slump. The team has struggled to make up for the loss of his reliable shooting.

This is not Vucevic’s All-Star year. Like so many players, he has had some major regression this year. And the Magic have to find a way to get Vucevic going if they want to find any success.

But like all the previous years, the Magic seem to be biding their time. They are waiting for the time when they can move on from Vucevic and bring in the athletic, defensive center that is at the corer of their identity. Yes, the Magic are waiting on Mohamed Bamba to take over the role.

He is not quite there yet. And so Vucevic is still necessary. At least for the time being.

Then again, Vucevic takes up a fair amount of offensive oxygen. He is a big man without a ton of athleticism so he tends to slow the half-court offense down, especially when the team goes out of its way to set him up in the post.

There is a feeling — and a correct one — the Magic need to find a way to move their offense away from centering around him. But who steps up to that plate? Is there anyone else who can contribute all the things he does?

That answer is hard to find. So while Vucevic may not be important for the team’s future (his front-loaded contract will help the team move him down the road), he remains vital to the team’s present.