Orlando Magic Trade Value Column 2021
3. Nikola Vucevic (3 years, $72 million)
Last Year: 5
It is incredible what a year can do to change the perception of a player.
Nikola Vucevic for most of his career in Orlando was a nice player. He averaged a double-double and put up gaudy stats. But his impact on winning was uncertain and it never really rose to a level that went above good stats, bad team.
He made his All-Star appearance in 2019 as the Orlando Magic broke through. But nobody was sure if that was a mere aberration or something more permanent. Vucevic’s numbers leveled off in 2020 as an injury slowed him down early in the season.
Vucevic was right though, making an All-Star team for a second time really does change how a player is perceived and what he means to a franchise.
Vucevic has gone from a player a lot of players were ready to be rid of as a way to literally turn the keys over to a new generation of Magic players to a player receiving general appreciation for what he has done. And the desire to move him to another team so he can compete and win a championship.
Some things do not change.
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But Vucevic has completely changed his narrative and importance to the roster. He has carried the team, taking his game to new heights, as the Magic dealt with injuries. Orlando would have by far the worst record in the league if not for Vucevic. The coaches recognized that when he earned a second trip to the All-Star Game.
For the Magic, Vucevic now takes on added importance. As they begin to shift the roster, he becomes a stabilizing force as young players seek their place in the league. He becomes the reliable bulwark that makes it easier or Jonathan Isaac, Markelle Fultz and the draft pick to find their place in the league.
That does not mean Vucevic is a forever part of this team’s future. The Magic may well come to the same conclusion as they did with Aaron Gordon and move him when he has a year left on his contract at next year’s deadline.
But for now, the Magic are moving Vucevic only if they get a star or a player with star potential in return.
Orlando is not looking to reset. In this scenario, Vucevic is still central to the team reloading.