The Orlando Magic’s offseason is only just getting started. But already there is a sense this is an extremely important one in their quest to be a playoff level team as soon as next season.
The front office made the correct call in selecting Paolo Banchero first overall last summer, and preceded that with the inspired selection of Franz Wagner the year before with the eighth pick.
We already know they won the Nikola Vucevic trade (although potentially taking him back this summer as he is an unrestricted free agent is another matter) with the Chicago Bulls, which means this front office has made several big and correct calls in recent years.
Which has led the organization to where they are now, with budding stars and a whole host of valuable trade assets for them to use at the negotiating table.
It is those assets that have quietly amassed as the Magic have sought to become a better team on the court, and which will be crucial in helping them take the next step through trades in the future.
In trying to decipher the Magic’s five best trade assets ahead of next season, we have made the exercise harder by not including Banchero and Wagner. Both because they are obviously the top two assets, and because neither of them should be on the table in any proposed deal right now.