Orlando Magic Daily
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The 5 best Orlando Magic trades of the last 10 years

By Harrison Brown

ORLANDO, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 09: Wendell Carter Jr. #34 and Franz Wagner #22 of the Orlando Magic react as time expires in the fourth quarter to defeat the Dallas Mavericks 94-87 at Amway Center on November 09, 2022 in Orlando, Florida. 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 Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 09: Wendell Carter Jr. #34 and Franz Wagner #22 of the Orlando Magic react as time expires in the fourth quarter to defeat the Dallas Mavericks 94-87 at Amway Center on November 09, 2022 in Orlando, Florida. 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 Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) /
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The Orlando Magic have had significant roster turnover in the last 10 years. This is a result of two roster rebuilds.

After the Dwight Howard mega deal, former Magic general manager Rob Hennigan built a young core of high draft picks looking to make their mark on the Eastern Conference.

Unfortunately, we know how the story goes with him. Several of those lottery picks did not work out in Orlando. Hennigan made some questionable trades and free agency signings to move the core toward playoff contention which came back to really hurt the Magic’s future.

To say the least, the Magic never reached their full potential and got lost in the wilderness.

Trades can define a front office executive’s tenure and determine whether a team takes the leap up to the postseason or gets stuck mired in a perpetual rebuild. We look back at some of the best Orlando Magic trades of the past decade.

When president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman was hired in 2017, he did a lot of evaluation of the current roster. He squeezed as much value out of the former regime’s roster as he could as the team made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons in 2019 and 2020. He has made some brilliant deals in his tenure.

Weltman knew the Orlando team centered around two-time All-Star Nikola Vucevic had a low ceiling, so the roster has been transformed in three seasons.

The current team is young and full of promise. And credit is due to the front office.

Here we look at the best five trades in the last 10 seasons for the Magic. There have been several trades focused on dealing veteran players for young players that end up blossoming in Orlando as they are given more playing time.