2022 Orlando Magic Player Outlook: Wendell Carter’s versatility is valuable

For both the Orlando Magic and Wendell Carter, the 2021 season took a drastic shift on March 25.

In a big trade with the Chicago Bulls, the Orlando Magic exchanged Nikola Vucevic and Al-Farouq Aminu to the Bulls in return for a package centered on Wendell Carter and draft capital.

At the time, Carter was still struggling to find his footing with the Bulls, a franchise that was looking to get a piece to push them into playoff contention. For the Magic, this move marked the end of their real playoff contention and the beginning of another rebuild.

Now, the team finds itself looking at the results of that move. The Bulls still finished outside of the playoffs and lost their lottery pick to the Magic, which eventually turned into Franz Wagner.

And Wendell Carter, once an afterthought in the Bulls’ rebuild as he struggled to find himself through injuries and constant coaching changes, found himself with ample opportunity in Orlando.

Based on draft picks alone, it looks like the Magic won the deal. And at only 22-years-old, Carter’s potential could make things even more lopsided.

The Orlando Magic added Wendell Carter to the team at last year’s trade deadline. The versatile center has the potential to be a long-term starter for them.

In his 22 games with the Magic last season, Carter averaged 11.7 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. He shot 51-percent from the floor, which included many perimeter attempts. Playing 26.5 minutes per game, Carter saw most of his time come at the center position, but he was able to enjoy some success at the four playing with stretch centers.

The center spot seemed to be the most effective for Carter as he showed great versatility on the defensive end and unlocked switching potential across the board.

Carter’s overall audition last season was successful, but this year the consequences have been turned up a bit.

Carter will hit restricted free agency after this season. So now he has to prove himself as a key part of the team’s long-term rebuild and prove he can stay healthy through a season. Carter has never played more than 55 games in any season — 54 last year was the most he has reached in his three-year career.

Carter said focusing on his body was one of the things he worked on this offseason. He knows staying healthy is a key to carving his future in the NBA.

That question, especially, has not yet been answered.

For some lottery picks, enough questions have been answered to garner a big contract extension after their rookie contract. For others, it has become clear that the player does not deserve big money in the NBA and may just be a rotation player.

Currently, Carter finds himself somewhere in between and it is the Magic’s job to fill in the equation.

Some believe the Magic have already decided to offer Carter an extension. Rival executives have been quoted stating his value is somewhere in the $70-million range and some reporters also believe Carter will reach a deal before the Oct. 18 deadline.

The biggest issue here is if the Magic do not offer him an extension during the season, Carter will hit restricted free agency where the team would be forced to match large contract offers if they hope to retain him.

At media day, Carter said he would let his representatives handle any contract negotiations so he could focus on playing and getting ready for the season.

Strictly based on past performance, Carter is not worth the type of contract extensions that have been rumored. But this is what makes the NBA fun. Contracts are paid out by potential, not past performance.

And Carter certainly has that potential.

The Magic were a stronger defensive team with Carter on the floor last year and that defensive versatility is something the team values. The Magic had a 112.8 defensive rating with Carter on the floor last year with a 116.8 defensive rating overall after the trade deadline.

While the Magic’s defense still struggled overall, it was significantly better with Carter on the floor. The Magic clearly hope to use that versatility defensively with his ability to get out and defend on the perimeter in addition to his ability to protect the paint.

The question will be how much can his offensive game expand — Carter said he worked to improve his 3-point shooting after flirting with the shot the last two years — and how much of a bigger impact he can make defensively with a full camp to get ready for the season.

It will all turn back to the question of how the Magic move forward with Carter beyond this season. Because this season is not about this season.

If the Magic believe Carter’s potential garners such an extension, the move would be to make the offer in hopes that it eventually is a bargain if Carter blossoms. Most believe Carter has high potential, it just needs to be fleshed out.

The Magic’s whole season needs to be focused on evaluating potential. Not just with Carter, but with numerous of their young players.

The job of any rebuilding team is to put young players in positions to succeed. The Magic will eventually have many contract decisions to be made with young prospects. We know that they cannot bat 1.000, but the hope is many of these players stick for the future.

For these types of evaluations, lineups are key. Carter can succeed at the center position as the team’s interior anchor. His versatility on both offense and defense provides interesting opportunities for the other four players on the court.

As both a rim-runner and as a pick-and-roll big, Carter can have a positive impact on the offense without needing too many plays called for him. This is a great benefit as the team will try to audition many pieces in their young backcourt.

Eventually, he will need to be consistent enough to be a starting center on a playoff team. But for this season alone, Carter is solid enough to give the Orlando Magic opportunity to evaluate just about anyone on their roster.

For Carter specifically, this season is another opportunity to prove value.

In a league always looking for versatility, Carter is the type of big any franchise looks for as an anchor.