3 Magic players who earned untouchable status, 2 who should be cut loose 

The Orlando Magic proved they were well ahead of schedule when they made the playoffs and battled the Cleveland Cavaliers in a tough seven-game series. Most of the games were not pretty, but the Magic gave it their best shot as the second-youngest team in the playoffs. 

This is far from a complete roster, as the playoffs showed, but it is a good foundation for years of future success. The Magic’s upcoming summer will decide much of how next season will go. 

So, let’s look at three players who earned untouchable status and two who should be cut loose. 

Paolo Banchero earned untouchable status

This one should be no surprise. Paolo Banchero is the Magic’s most recent number-one draft pick and the face of the franchise. He is not going anywhere for quite some time. Banchero is the centerpiece around which all of the Magic’s future decisions will be built. 

Despite his youth, Banchero has already shown his superstar potential and should be right there as one of the next big names in the game. After making his first All-Star team this season, he should be a regular at that event as well as on voter’s All-NBA ballots. 

Now, the Magic’s front office just has to surround him with the right pieces to build a winning team. Obviously, the Magic already won quite a lot this season, but it wasn’t always easy. Especially offensively, Banchero carried a huge burden, considering that he had to do the majority of the scoring while also taking over playmaking duties. 

Due to the team’s lack of a true starting point guard, Banchero led the team in assists. The fact that he had to be both the main scorer and facilitator makes his production even more impressive, but in the long term, he should have someone to share that responsibility with.