4 Teams Orlando Magic fans should keep an eye on this summer
By Elaine Blum
The NBA offseason is one of the busiest times of the year for basketball fans--especially those who also follow the WNBA. It is the time when teams make moves to improve, round out the roster, and try to build contenders or a foundation for the future.
The Magic are no exception. This offseason might be the most important summer for the franchise in years. Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Jalen Suggs have established themselves as a promising young core and just got their first playoff experience. Now, the pressure is on to build the right team around them.
Other teams will be in action as well, however, and some could even mess with some of the Magic's plans. So, let's look at four teams Magic fans should keep an eye on this summer.
4. The Oklahoma City Thunder
Orlando looks like one of the teams of the future. They have a superstar talent, a potential All-Star-level running mate for Banchero, and one of the best young defensive guards in the game. This team has tons of potential, especially if they nail this offseason.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are one step ahead of the Magic, however. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is already in the MVP conversation, and Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren are developing quickly. They have already established themselves as a force in the West and will only continue to improve.
The Thunder and the Magic will be two of the teams competing for the status of the best young team in the league for years to come. That is one reason for Magic fans to keep an eye on the Thunder.
Another reason is that the Thunder also have plenty of cap room available this summer and will be on the hunt for free agents to improve the team. Mostly, the Thunder are expected to chase a center, which is a position where the Magic could also use some depth.
At the same time, however, the Thunder might also look for someone who can stretch the floor and potentially replace Josh Giddey. They already tried to do that when they traded for Gordon Hayward at the trade deadline, but that did not work out. So, they might actually end up chasing some similar types of free agents as the Magic. Not many players would turn down a chance to join forces with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at the top of the Western Conference.