Since arriving on the Orlando Magic in 2021, Wendell Carter Jr. has been a key part of the organization's rebuild, and they might have to move on from him if the franchise wants to achieve its ultimate goal of winning a championship.
Wendell Carter Jr, by no stretch, has been a bad player since coming into the league as a lottery pick in 2018. But oftentimes, you're left desiring more and would like to see more consistency from a guy who's a seven-year vet.
Bringing back Wendell Carter Jr.
In the 2024 offseason, Wendell Carter Jr was rewarded with a three-year, $59 million contract extension, and he will now be under contract until the 2028-29 season. The front office and coaching staff clearly believe in him, and Jamahl Mosley reiterated that to the media back in October of 2024.
"He is so incredible and important to this team," Mosley said of Carter Jr. "His physical presence down there. His ability to run the floor, get to the right position, and he does it without a complaint."
Before receiving his extension, Carter Jr. performed exceptionally well in his first two full seasons in Orlando. He averaged 15.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 2.5 assists while shooting 52.5 percent from the floor and a respectable 34.2 percent from distance.
Injuries are holding back Wendell
Wendell looked as if he was coming into his own, but ultimately injuries have continued to hamper him and this Magic team.
In the last four seasons, Wendell Carter Jr has appeared in 174 games (163 starts), which means he's missed 154 qualified regular-season games over that span. These injuries have not only affected the number of games he's appeared in, but also his play.
In both the 2024 and 2025 seasons, Carter Jr. dealt with a litany of injuries, including right knee tendinitis, left foot plantar fasciitis, right hip contusion, and more. The Magic saw a significant drop in his play the last two seasons as he's looked like a shell of his former self more often than not.
The last two seasons, Carter Jr has averaged an underwhelming 9.9 points, 7.1 boards, and 1.9 assists, while shooting 49.0 percent from the field and just 30.7 percent from behind the arc.
Although Wendell Carter Jr. has not been 100 percent healthy, top players like Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner, and Paolo Banchero all sustained major injuries last season. It should not be surprising at all that WCJ's production has not been up to par.
To his credit, Carter Jr did look solid in the final 20 games of last season, including the five games against the Celtics in a first-round playoff series. Carter Jr. has also stood out in the preseason and is aiming to have a huge bounce-back season.
What to do about Wendell?
This season will be a huge evaluation season for the Magic to see what they have in Wendell Carter Jr. If he plays like we saw in the back half of last season and even in the preseason, the Magic could absolutely win a championship with him in the near future.
But if Wendell doesn't play with that high level of physicality and intensity, it'll be hard to justify keeping him long-term. Wendell, when he's locked in, has shown that he can be a productive screen-and-roller, physical presence down low, and even a versatile defender.
If history has shown us anything, it's that Carter Jr has been hampered with injuries and that he's inevitably going to get hurt at some point.
Not to mention that some of the latest NBA champions have had an elite center or multiple very high-end centers. In 2023, the Nuggets won the championship behind a multi-time MVP in Nikola Jokic, Boston had Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford in 2024, and most recently, the Thunder won the championship with two highly productive centers in Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren.
The Orlando Magic have plenty of movable contracts and assets, such as Wendell Carter Jr, Jonathan Isaac, Anthony Black, and Jett Howard, to free up more cap space. They could make more upgrades to the roster in the future, and the biggest need will depend on how Wendell Carter Jr. plays this season.