4 Teams Orlando Magic fans should keep an eye on this summer

1. The Cleveland Cavaliers 

The Cleveland Cavaliers have some things to figure out this summer, and the Magic are at least a little responsible for that. Cleveland should have been able to easily take care of a young team with no playoff experience in the first round. Instead, the Magic gave them all they could handle and took the series to seven games. 

It was not surprising that the Cavaliers were no match for the Celtics, but their first-round series was rather concerning. Saying this takes nothing away from the Magic. Cleveland was simply the more experienced team, featuring three players who already made at least one All-Star team. 

Cleveland had been dealing with injuries all season long but this year still exposed some bad fits. While several key players were injured, it became obvious that the team looked better with only one of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen on the court, and the backcourt pairing of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland also started to look less ideal than imagined. 

It seems it’s not impossible that some Cavaliers players will be on the move this summer. Who that might be largely depends on whether Mitchell signs an extension. If the front office is sure the team is ready to take the next step, Darius Garland could be a great fit on the Magic. Apart from his defense, he checks all the boxes from three-point shooting to playmaking. 

If any of the tree players rumored to potentially be on their way out—Garland, Mitchell, or Allen—actually became available, they would receive plenty of interest across the league. This could again open up an opportunity for the Magic to be involved in a trade, even if it is not for one of the bigger names. 

Plus, what happens with the Cavaliers will largely affect the Eastern Conference landscape, especially if Mitchell were to end up in Miami, for example. The possibilities for the Cavaliers’ offseason range from a very busy summer to an incredible disappointment for anyone believing they should make significant moves. That range makes them a team worth keeping an eye on.