It is clear where the priority lies for the Orlando Magic next season and beyond.
The team hit the reset button in a huge way at the trade deadline last season, and with it placed its focus entirely on the future.
Summer League has offered a big glimpse of the coming season, given a lot of the players involved will play a significant part of the team. And if the early signs are anything to go by, Jalen Suggs could be the man to take this team forward.
The roster is stacked with young talent. Player development will be the key focus as the team rebuilds in the hope of becoming a contender for the first time since the Dwight Howard years.
A playoff push next season looks extremely unlikely. The team is probably still lacking in too many areas to win the required number of games to make it to the postseason or the play-in tournament — by some early betting projections, the Magic are projected to have the fewest wins in the Eastern Conference this year. But establishing winning habits and creating the right culture is incredibly important.
The Orlando Magic are a very different team from last year with some very different goals. The team will be facing some critical decisions as they begin their rebuild and continue reshaping the roster.
Given the huge amount of change that occured in such a short space of time, the remnants of Steve Clifford’s Magic roster which was geared toward challening for the playoffs remains. It means there are still plenty of decisions left for the front office and new head coach Jamahl Mosely to consider as the team begins its new era.
And there are also some big contract decisions coming which will be pivotal in dictating which direction the team moves in.
Here are the four biggest roster questions that are approaching the Magic in the near future…
What does the future hold for Terrence Ross?
Terrence Ross has been a vital player for the Orlando Magic during his time with the team.
Despite making the postseason in back-to-back years, the team still struggled offensively with very little shot creation and shot makers on the team.
Do not underestimate the role Ross played as a sixth man coming off the bench, taking on enormous offensive responsibility and knocking down tough shots to keep a largely defensive-minded team moving on the other end of the court.
But Ross’ game is geared toward a team looking to break into the playoffs or contend for a title. And he still would have a lot of value for teams in contention.
Given how much weaker the Magic have gotten, with the intention of eventually being better in the long-term, it seems a stretch that Ross’ offense will be enough to drag a young team to the postseason.
He also needs a lot of shots to be effective, meaning he will be taking the ball out of the hands of the young players, many of whom will probably get their chance to shine off the bench. While Ross could undoubtedly help the Magic’s youth with his experience, his game does not exactly fit with where the team is currently at. Neither does his age — 30 years old.
Of course Orlando cannot just have a team full of young players, and veterans are needed to lead the way and help the younger players. But the front office will have to consider whether it is worth Ross dragging a developing team to a few more wins, or instead trading him for either more youngsters, other veteran help, future picks or probably some combination of the three.
Ross, with two years left on his contract, has decent value and could offer plenty to a team further ahead of the Magic, like the New York Knicks for example – a team The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor reported has held discussions for the 30-year-old.