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7 players the Orlando Magic gave up on too soon

By Luke Duffy

NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 13: U.S. Team's Elfrid Payton #4 of the Orlando Magic reacts with U.S. Team's Victor Oladipo #5 of the Orlando Magic during the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge as part of the 2015 NBA Allstar Weekend at the Barclays Center on February 13, 2015 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 13: U.S. Team's Elfrid Payton #4 of the Orlando Magic reacts with U.S. Team's Victor Oladipo #5 of the Orlando Magic during the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge as part of the 2015 NBA Allstar Weekend at the Barclays Center on February 13, 2015 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – MARCH 20: Domantas Sabonis of the Sacramento Kings . (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – MARCH 20: Domantas Sabonis of the Sacramento Kings . (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images) /

7 players the Orlando Magic gave up on too soon

1. Domantas Sabonis

The second player to appear on this list who never even suited up for the organization is a worrying trend, and this was an even worse slip-up than letting Chauncey Billups go.

Domantas Sabonis was drafted by the Orlando Magic, and swiftly moved alongside Victor Oladipo and Ersan Ilyasova to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Serge Ibaka trade.

If we are giving the front office of that time any leeway at all here, it is that players get selected and traded all of the time without ever playing for the team who picks them.

Sabonis, despite having a famous father who played in the league, was not seen as a surefire thing at all.

Unfortunately for the Magic, however, when these players you pass on hit big, it makes it all the worse.

Domantas Sabonis was already a two-time All-Star (the same amount as franchise legend Nikola Vucevic for those keeping count) while with the Indiana Pacers, and added a third this year with the Sacramento Kings.

It is with the Kings where Sabonis has transformed the fortunes of a franchise alongside De’Aaron Fox, and at only 26 he has the potential to get even better as time goes on.

What hurts the most here is that Sabonis could have been the natural successor to Vucevic, raised their ceiling in the process, and even done a passable impression of Nikola Jokic from time to time.

Next. The 5 worst Orlando Magic trades of the last 10 years. dark

The greatest compliment you can give him is that he was traded for Tyrese Haliburton and it does not feel like the Kings lost that trade.

Sabonis would have been an exceptional long-term player, both in the last version of this roster and the current one. It is a shame fans never got a chance to see that for even one game.