5 of the wildest what-if scenarios in Orlando Magic franchise history 

3. What if Tracy McGrady had worked out in Orlando? 

Shaquille O’Neal is not the only superstar who did not want to stay in Orlando long-term. Tracy McGrady came to the Magic in the 2000 offseason via a sign-and-trade with the Toronto Raptors and stayed with the team for four seasons. 

Over those four seasons, McGrady played some of his best basketball, averaging 28.1 points, 7 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1 block per game. He was named an All-Star every year he spent with the Magic, made two All-NBA First Teams, and led the league in scoring twice. 

The only thing that was missing was team success. Despite McGrady’s scoring title in the 2003-04 season, the Magic put up the worst record in the Eastern Conference that season. McGrady grew frustrated with the team’s lack of success and was eventually traded to the Houston Rockets in the 2004 offseason. 

When they traded McGrady, the Magic lost out on one of the best scorers in the game at the time. That must have hurt. It also raises some tough questions. What if the Magic had built a better team around him?