3 young players the Orlando Magic could sneakily target
By Luke Duffy
3 young players the Orlando Magic should target
1. Alperen Sengun
This is ambitious, but it is not impossible. If you have watched Alperen Sengun of the Houston Rockets this season, you will know he is already a gifted offensive player with the ball in hand.
His passing can look like that of Nikola Jokic’s some nights, his footwork is up there with Domantas Sabonis’ ability, and he has been a gem of a pickup if you play fantasy basketball.
Wendell Carter is the current center for the Magic. But Sengun is so good and also a different kind of big, that they could even share the court.
Why then would the Rockets give up on a player in his second season and who we can already say could go on to have a similar career to former Magic great Nikola Vucevic?
Timing can dictate everything in the league, and Sengun is currently part of a Rockets organization that is not in a good place.
These are the teams you target when you are trying to find value. Ones that are down, and prone to making an error in hopes of providing the right kind of shakeup to turn their fortunes around.
Sengun is also on the same roster as last year’s third overall pick, Jabari Smith Jr. A player the Rockets are more likely to give a longer runway to, because of where they selected him.
Jalen Green is also here, and alongside Kevin Porter Jr. the chemistry has been off all year.
The Rockets are going to have another crack at a top pick this summer. What if they manage to get Victor Wembanyama? Even Scoot Henderson?
They can only build around so many young players, and Sengun may find himself as the odd man out. In that scenario, the Magic have the necessary picks and players to steal him.