The Orlando Magic have the chance to assess their depth chart and their needs moving forward. In doing so, their need this offseason becomes clear.
With the NBA on hiatus, everything is in an odd holding pattern for teams like the Orlando Magic.
There is still hope to finish the rest of this season — in some form or fashion. It is hard to look past this.
But typically at this time of year, everyone is focused on the playoffs. It is a singular focus and concerns about the offseason take a backseat with transactions off the table for the time being.
The end of the season is supposed to be about one thing — pulling the entire team together for one last run at the postseason and then the pressure cooker of a playoff series. Winning is all that is supposed to matter. The games are all that is supposed to matter.
Whenever the season begins again, there will be an abbreviated regular season to help teams get warmed up again followed by a likely play-in tournament. When the ball is tipped in the NBA, the games are going to be all that matters to the end of the season.
This Magic team has a lot of work to do in the offseason. But their return to the court will drop them right back into the middle of an important playoff race and eventually (barring some upset in a play-in tournament) into the playoffs. Orlando’s goals from the beginning of the season are still there for the team to achieve.
But the pause in the season has forced us to reckon with and ponder the team’s future.
Even that seems as uncertain as the restart of the regular season. Nobody really knows how much the salary cap will decrease, further pinching a tight free-agent market.
The draft process is going fully virtual with teams not allowed to have physical contact with players to stick with social distancing guidelines. Teams will not be allowed to conduct workouts even virtually.
The offseason is going to come pretty quickly it seems.
How the Magic likely want to map their future and the direction they want to go is not really dependent on their playoff outcome. At this point, they know they are a playoff team that is likely to lose in the first round.
Even if it were not a likely strange postseason, the Magic probably already understand the changes they need to make and how they need to reform the team.
President of basketball operations Jeff Weltman has always had a ton of patience. He is not likely to rush into anything. And begin in the playoffs is still a pretty good place to grow from with such a young team.
The first place to start then is to evaluate the roster as it stands now. From there, the team can figure out its holes.
Point Guard
Markelle Fultz – D.J. Augustin – Michael Carter-Williams
At the beginning of the season, point guard felt about as uncertain as any position on the Orlando Magic. Really this spot has been unsettled ever since Darrell Armstrong left in free agency in 2003 with so many fans constantly seeking a replacement for the always-solid Jameer Nelson.
The Magic do not have a great track record at point guard. And entering the year nobody knew what they might get out of Markelle Fultz and both D.J. Augustin and Michael Carter-Williams were entering contract years.
Somehow, the Magic came out of this whole season feeling like they have a long-term option at point guard in Markelle Fultz.
His numbers have been pretty pedestrian. But for a player essentially playing his rookie year, his 12.1 points per game and 5.2 assists per game are still fairly impressive. Especially considering he was not able to play basketball until August.
The Magic have managed everything about Fultz perfectly to this point. If anything, fans are eager to see more of him and the team has had to hold the line and stick to their development and trust plan.
To be sure, the Magic expect Fultz to be a part of the Magic’s future for some time.
The guards behind him are the mystery.
Coach Steve Clifford has always liked playing two point guards for certain stretches of the game. So it will be important the Magic have three rotation-caliber point guards available. Not to mention because Fultz’s thoracic outlet syndrome never really goes away. He could have a flare-up and need to rest to get his body right in the future.
D.J. Augustin has been a steady hand for the Magic throughout his four years in Orlando, but especially the last two. But he will be a free agent this offseason. Orlando has to consider freeing up some salary somewhere and Augustin does not quite fit the Magic’s preferred style of using length and athleticism.
It would be hard to let Augustin go because of how much consistency he provides the team.
Michael Carter-Williams will also be a free agent this offseason. He has gotten nothing but glowing reviews from Clifford for his work ethic and defensive energy. Clifford often calls him one of the elite defensive players in the league.
While Carter-Williams may not be the same offensive maestro as Augustin, he is capable of running the point and getting into the lane.
It seems hard to believe the Magic will be able to retain both players (the Magic only have early Bird Rights on Carter-Williams). So they probably will need to find a third point guard on the market or draft one to give the team the depth it desires.
While the Magic might be settled with a long-term starter, the Magic have to boost the bench this offseason if they choose to let one or both of these players walk.
Shooting Guard
Evan Fournier – Terrence Ross – Wesley Iwundu – Melvin Frazier
No position may be more volatile for the Orlando Magic this offseason and riper for change than the shooting guard position.
This is where the Magic have the biggest free agent and depth questions — which I should note as we get into the rest of the positions on this depth chart, positional nomenclature gets much more fluid because of the team’s penchant for versatility.
Evan Fournier has had a stellar season for the Magic this year, averaging a career-best 18.8 points per game. He has been the lone player to shoot consistently the entire year. It is fair to say he saved the team’s season during the 11-game stretch Nikola Vucevic was out by increasing his scoring output.
There is a way to play with Evan Fournier in the Magic’s current set up. But it has undoubtedly been a struggle. He seems to prefer playing at a slower pace and holding the ball to set himself up rather than playing in a free-flowing offense.
Fournier being one of the primary attacking options for the team is among the things that seem to put a ceiling on the team’s potential. Fournier is probably not a go-to guy in the playoffs although he remains a very nice player.
It is still really uncertain what Fournier will do with his player option this summer. It is hard to see him getting more than the $17.1 million he would be owed next year if he stays with the team. But he could also be the top free-agent wing on the market.
More than likely, Fournier has a lot more value to the Magic than anyone else. There are not any clear options to replace Fournier on the market that the Magic can afford — even if the Magic do not retain Fournier.
What the Magic do at shooting guard is likely the big question for the entire offseason.
Terrence Ross is certainly capable of starting when the time calls for it. But it feels like the Magic would prefer to run him with second units where they can unleash a bit more of his chaotic shot-making on second units. It helps balance the lineups — something Steve Clifford is always seeking.
Wesley Iwundu has proven he can play as a back-end rotation player when he is given the time and the string of games to get into some rhythm. He will be a restricted free agent this offseason. The Magic could well look to keep him on a cheaper contract and keep him in something of the same role.
Orlando has not really given Melvin Frazier much of a chance. It is hard to see the team bringing him back next year unless his slow development has been part of the team’s plan and they keep him on a relatively minor contract.
Undoubtedly there is a hole at this spot in one way or another. It seems likely the Magic could look to draft a shooting guard-capable player to help bolster this part of the lineup or acquire one in a trade to help replace Fournier if he leaves in free agency.
The Magic have some decent players at this spot but there is a lot of uncertainty. And fewer players who could fill it from the small forward spot moving down.
Small Forward
Jonathan Isaac – Chuma Okeke – James Ennis
The Orlando Magic value versatility at the forward positions. They have looked to the landscape of the NBA and have targeted players who can play both forward positions and really used them interchangeably. The nomenclature is pretty moot at this point especially with the player they have.
Orlando believes they have three players capable of playing either forward position at a starter-caliber level in Jonathan Isaac, Aaron Gordon and Al-Farouq Aminu. Next year, they will add in rookie Chuma Okeke to the fold too. If he is as good as the Magic seem to believe, they have four rotation-caliber forwards who can switch seamlessly.
That is, of course, not something they can always bank on.
Chuma Okeke is coming off a torn ACL and has been out the entire year. He may not get a Summer League to get acclimated to playing again before training camp. Jonathan Isaac is coming off a severe knee sprain that kept him out for more than half the season.
General manager John Hammond has taken to saying the Magic have played most of this season without a position available to them because of all the injuries. They have been able to platoon at small forward with Evan Fournier and Terrence Ross able to play together — along with Wesley Iwundu able to play the spot depending on the matchup. But they still needed depth.
Acquiring James Ennis was a big boost to the team. James Ennis had the size to defend opposing 3s and space the floor for the team. He was a great mid-season acquisition, even if his numbers were a bit pedestrian. That was never his role.
As currently constructed, Isaac is at least nominally the small forward. His season this year was truly exciting as he stepped up and became a potential all-defensive team player. Teammates marveled at what he could do defensively. He led the league in “stocks” with 4.0 per game before his injury, showing skill both blocking shots and getting in for steals.
The Magic are very much relying on Isaac to develop into a future star player for the team. He is at the center of a lot of this team’s potential.
Okeke will certainly play a role too. And it almost feels certain the Magic will expect him to play a major role next season and fill in a spot in the rotation. What they do in the offseason to fill their wing need might be a signal of where they think Okeke is.
So too might be what they decide to do with Ennis. Ennis has a player option this offseason and is expected to opt out since the Magic do not seem to have much readily available playing time for him. One reason he waived his no-trade clause with the Philadelphia 76ers at the trade deadline was so he could go somewhere he could play.
Power Forward
Aaron Gordon – Al-Farouq Aminu – Gary Clark
Whether Aaron Gordon and Jonathan Isaac can play together successfully is still an open-ended question. The Orlando Magic are probably getting close to a point where they have to decide whether this is a workable duo.
Isaac will become a free agent in 2021 and will get a big contract that confirms just how highly the team thinks of him. Gordon will have one more year left on his deal as he becomes a free agent in 2022. It seems that next year might very well be the point where the Magic decide this duo’s future.
But they almost certainly have one more year to figure things out. And it is not completely out of the question that things will work out. That might still depend on the 3-point shooting from both of them.
Nowhere is it more clear the Magic are still rebuilding and figuring out what kind of team they want to be and how to build than this decision. It will be a preoccupation and storyline throughout the entirety of the 2021 season (unless the Magic move on this offseason)
As things stand now, Gordon and Isaac are able to switch and bounce back and forth between positions. Gordon is a bit more developed as an offensive threat and on-ball defender. He had put a lot of pieces together in the final 10 games before the league went on hiatus.
Gordon has had a rough season for sure though. He was supposed to take a step up and become an All-Star-caliber player. That has not happened for a variety of reasons. He is averaging only 14.4 points per game and shooting 43.3 percent from the floor.
He is still rebounding and passing at high levels. His playmaking development after the All-Star Break to average 7.0 assists per game was a nice surprise. It will be interesting to see if he can continue that more permanently.
The Magic will still be looking for ways to mix and match their lineups around Gordon and Isaac. That is where Al-Farouq Aminu was supposed to come in.
The former Portland Trail Blazers forward never really got going this year. He struggled to shoot around the basket before a torn meniscus knocked him out for the rest of the year. The Magic never really got to see Aminu at all this year.
Between the quartet of Jonathan Isaac, Aaron Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu and Chuma Okeke, the team should be able to play two fairly big forwards at all time and keep their length and versatility on the court. They might also still look to bring back Gary Clark in case disaster strikes again.
Gary Clark has been solid for the Magic since joining the team but nothing spectacular. He can become a restricted free agent this offseason.
Center
Nikola Vucevic – Mohamed Bamba – Khem Birch
No position on the Orlando Magic is likely quite as settled as the center position at the moment.
The Magic should feel fairly comfortable with all three options they currently have. And at least for the time being, they should feel good about the development plan they have in place for one of their promising young players.
Nikola Vucevic remains a rock offensively for the team.
While his efficiency has decreased this year as he has ventured out to the 3-point line a bit more often — too often, perhaps — he is still putting up solid numbers. Vucevic is averaging 19.5 points and 11.0 rebounds per game. Both numbers increased significantly once the team passed the midpoint of the season.
Vucevic started to look more like the All-Star who carried the team into the playoffs last year.
There might still be a desire to upgrade the position as Vucevic can still shy away from contact and get targeted defensively. He still has to prove himself in the playoffs after struggling so much last year against the Toronto Raptors.
The real prize here remains Mohamed Bamba and his development. It still feels very much that Vucevic is holding his place.
Mohamed Bamba is averaging 5.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. They are solid, but not spectacular numbers. It is clear Bamba still has to add strength. But he has made progress slowly and surely throughout the year.
His ability to block shots and his timing and positioning defensively have greatly improved with experience. That is at least where he can make a clear impact immediately. And he was showing more signs of improved shooting and offensive understanding.
But Bamba is not ready to start quite yet. He does not have the physicality necessary to anchor a defense full-time — although he has probably earned more minutes than he currently plays. It is tough for Bamba playing behind the Magic’s best and most consistent player for the time being.
Orlando has good depth here too with Khem Birch. Khem Birch has proven he can spot start and defend at a good level. He is a solid third center in the league.
If the Magic feel secure anywhere, it is at center with three good options should they need them.
Finding the needs
Judging by the Orlando Magic’s depth chart, it certainly seems the focus should be on improving the team’s wing and backcourt depth.
The team is locked in at center with several solid options that do not seem to be going anywhere quite yet. The Magic should feel good about the payers they have at their forward spots with a decision coming in the near future. And their starting point guard is set too.
Depth-wise, the Magic have their share of versatile forwards who can play either forward spot. But it is the perimeter depth that seems most lacking and has the most questions.
Evan Fournier’s free agency will be the big question of the offseason. Whether he opts-in or opts-out of his contract, it seems like this is the spot where the Magic need an upgrade the most. It is here where their lack of shooting is most evident.
Orlando certainly has the option to return players like Wesley Iwundu or Melvin Frazier to boost that depth. But those players can be easily replaced through the draft or minimal signings. They are not anything more than end-of-rotation players at the moment. And their poor shooting only heightens the Magic’s biggest weakness.
At this point, it is safe to expect the Magic to use their draft pick to bolster this depth with some of the wing players who might be available in the middle of the first round. If that is not where the Magic go to fill this need, then this is where they should target their trade and free-agent efforts.
The other spot the Magic need to fill in one way or another is at point guard.
Behind Markelle Fultz, the team has two quality backup options in D.J. Augustin and Michael Carter-Williams. But it seems difficult to imagine the Magic being able to keep both this offseason with money getting a bit tighter. Orlando will have to find someone to fill that third point guard role, especially considering the lineups Clifford prefers using.
Orlando has shown that it values versatility and length. The team can absolutely find this wherever they search. But positionally, the focus for the Magic has to be on the backcourt and the wing to create better balance and more options for the Magic.