The Orlando Magic season ended early but there is plenty of work for the front office to do before the 2021 season begins sometime next October.
After drastically changing the franchise with the departure of Aaron Gordon, Nikola Vucevic, and Evan Fournier, the Magic will have to consider seriously what direction they want to take their rebuild.
The front office may feel a sense of relief. That original core had some productive years but overall the team hit its ceiling. To be able to transition away from that group with legitimate assets is not a situation many teams find themselves in.
The Oklahoma City Thunder had 3 MVPs on their team at one point and they have nothing to show for it at the moment outside of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Many of their assets are still to be decided through draft picks but the Boston Celtics have proven that strategy can only get you so far.
The Orlando Magic exit the season with a lot of questions and hope for their offseason. The team will still have to tackle a lot of things as they plan their future.
The Orlando Magic will have two top-10 picks in this year’s draft in addition to legitimate talent that can produce on a nightly basis. Wendell Carter and Gary Harris may never cement themselves as starters for the team, but they could be solid contributors during the playoffs for many years to come.
This offseason will prove to be one of the most important for the franchise in recent memory. With the possibility to do anything, all eyes will be on coach Steve Clifford and president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman. They have the ability to start something special.
Beyond everything, the team needs to improve next year. Whether that translates to a lot more wins is less important since they won’t be competing for a title.
Here are 5 questions the Orlando Magic need to answer going into the offseason: