The Orlando Magic are one of the best-positioned teams heading into the draft. They have a star-studded young roster with a runway to build on a successful playoff run.
Orlando is one of the only teams with spending power that is also competitive. President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman has expressed continuity in their rebuild and player development as a priority. This has boded in the team's favor as the new era has escalated faster than many Magic fans could have anticipated.
Weltman hinted in his press conference that the team can look for veteran players via trade and free agency this offseason. The team knows its glaring floor-spacing weakness and will look to address this to elevate an offense that looked static at times last season.
Draft night trades are an avenue the Magic can utilize while teams look for cap flexibility during free agency or rebuilding teams search for draft capital.
This upcoming draft’s lack of talent has been well-reported, but this could initiate more trades with veteran players. It remains to be seen if the Magic will look to move draft picks or current players, but there is momentum building that the team will be active in bringing in win-now players. Orlando fans have waited for the Magic to be buyers for quite some time. This might be the year.
Here, I highlight eight players who can elevate the Magic in some capacity. Whether an incoming bench player or an All-Star, each player has a skill set that can improve Orlando's weaknesses heading into next season. The Magic depth chart has several returning players as it currently stands, and we will see what changes in the coming weeks.
8. Landry Shamet
There have been rumors that the Magic have expressed interest in the six-year vet. Landry Shamet has proven to be a capable backup guard who can knock down shots and be an above-average perimeter defender. His career average of 8.7 points while shooting 4.9 threes per game at a 38.4% clip is something the Magic could use.
Shamet's contract will be fully guaranteed for the upcoming season on June 29th, and then he has a club option for the following season. The Wizards are trying to garner any value for their veterans who are still on the roster, and Shamet could be acquired for little value in return.
Shamet would have a chance to compete for a spot in the rotation for the Magic next season. Depending on how he performs and gels with the current roster, the team could use his contract as a trade chip for the trade deadline or decline his club option the following summer. This is a low-risk and medium-reward option.