5 young players Orlando Magic should develop, 4 to give up on
By Tyler Watts
5 Players the Orlando Magic should develop, 4 they shouldn’t
Don’t Develop: Chuma Okeke
Chuma Okeke has produced flashes but his minutes and production have decreased in each of his first three NBA seasons. He battled knee issues last year, which limited him to just 27 games. The 6-foot-6 forward still has potential, but there are plenty of reasons to move on.
Okeke was the 16th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, but he missed the entire first season recovering from a torn ACL. Since he has been on the court, he has shot 38.6 percent from the field and 32.3 percent on his threes.
Okeke averages 7.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.2 steals in 23.9 minutes per game for his career. His rebounding and steals numbers are strong, but his defense is lacking, and there is not much for Orlando to get excited about.
The 24-year-old is entering the final season of his rookie contract, and he becomes a restricted free agent next summer.
Okeke is unlikely to crack the Magic’s rotation this year, and the team should let him walk on the open market. Perhaps, he can reach his potential on another team. But Okeke is not going to do it playing behind Orlando’s two best players.
It is time to cut bait on Chuma Okeke, so the Magic can focus on developing their two budding star forwards.