The Orlando Magic are clearly still in the very early stages of another rebuild.
But for all the negatives that have contributed to the team’s 5-23 record, and there have been plenty, it does not tell the whole story.
Once again, injuries have ravaged the roster. Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac are yet to return and Jalen Suggs will be out for some time yet with a fractured thumb. Despite his difficult start, he had contributed a lot on the defensive end.
It might not look like it on the surface, but there has been plenty to be quietly pleased about.
Cole Anthony’s emergence as a 20-points-per-game scorer and the improvements in his jump shot since last season provide enormous hope for the future. And Franz Wagner has already established himself as someone that can be a key focus of this rebuild.
The return of, arguably, the team’s two best players in Fultz and Isaac will hopefully further add to that optimism.
Yes, this team has been very bad. But a deeper dive shows there is a clear pathway toward fighting for the playoffs again. But there are some pretty obvious weaknesses on the roster that must be addressed before the team can start to do that.
The Orlando Magic are off to a slow start but there are plenty of positive signs that things are on the right track. The team could target a few players to speed up their rebuild.
The Magic’s offense has simply run cold too often for the team to be any good, take the 23-0 Lakers run in the last game as an example. This team continues to lack scoring and shot creation, especially when the going gets tough.
This year was never about being good. The focus was always going to be on player development and getting better.
But nobody wants this team to be bad for a long time, and there must be steps implemented to improve the team’s weak spots and get back fighting for a postseason spot in the near future.
While a sensible strategy would be to bottom out this year, take the high pick and then really ramp up the rebuild next year, there are several trade possibilities out there right now that could accelerate the rebuild and increase the chances of future success.
It is also unlikely that any trade out there would seriously improve this team enough to threaten the high lottery odds this year that is so important for the big picture.
Orlando likely will not be looking to buy at this year’s deadline. The team will perhaps take a slower tack and grow methodically.
But no one in the league stands still.
The Magic should not completely rule out strengthening right now for fear of losing top lottery odds. With that in mind, here are four players Orlando could target to accelerate the rebuild.