Orlando, FL – Magic fans have been hearing the rumors for years as the core of Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier seemed to always come up in trade talks, however, it seemed like the right deal never came along. As a result, the Magic were forced to continue to “run it back” despite the fact that the Magic had not really shown promise to elevate themselves to becoming a contending team in the Eastern Conference with Vucevic, Gordon and Fournier leading the way.
After back to back Playoffs appearances in 2019 and 2020, the Magic dealt with one of the most difficult seasons in franchise history in 2021. It all started with Markelle Fultz going down and tearing his ACL in early January, which forced him to miss the rest of the season. It meant the Magic were going to have to get through the rest of the season without the team’s two most talented young players, Fultz and Isaac, which immediately led Magic fans to wonder… why do we even bother at this point? There were still some fans hoping the Magic would sign a veteran like Isaiah Thomas to balance things out and keep the Magic in contention, but the Magic front office had other plans.
A shocking amount of missed games due to injuries and many losses later, the rumors started to surface once again as the trade deadline approached linking the Magic to other NBA teams as they were trying to acquire primarily Gordon and Fournier from the Magic. It made sense, the Magic were no longer trying to compete this season and it was clear that the team’s goals had shifted due to the circumstances. What ended up happening, however, no one expected.
Early in the morning of March 25th most Magic fans woke up expecting a busy trade deadline. Many expected to see Gordon, Fournier and maybe even other veterans like James Ennis III or Terrence Ross to be traded, but no one expected the first Magic related Woj bomb of the day to be Nikola Vucevic getting traded to the Chicago Bulls. Vucevic has just made his second all-star game appearance and was playing the best basketball of his career. To make matters worse, Vucevic has been known to love the city of Orlando and had shown indication that he wanted to stay with the team. This is when reality sunk in and Magic fans knew that this was real. This was truly going to end up being the trade deadline where the front office decides to turn the page.
By the time the trade deadline had passed, the Magic had traded Nikola Vucevic and Al-Farouq Aminu to the Chicago Bulls for Wendell Carter Jr, Otto Porter, two first round picks (2021 & 2023 – top 4 protected). They also traded Aaron Gordon and Gary Clark to the Denver Nuggets for R.J. Hampton, Garry Harris and a first round pick (2025 – top 5 protected). Finally, they shopped out Evan Fournier to the Celtics for Jeff Teague, who was waived immediately, two second round picks and a large trade exception. What a day! As a Magic fan this is a day that I will always remember. I had never experienced such a wild and thrilling NBA trade deadline.
It was hard to see Vucevic go after how well he had been playing and his desire to remain in Orlando long-term, but the Magic front office got a really, really solid offer for him and they simply could not pass it up. The Magic got a solid young center in Wendell Carter Jr, a huge expiring contract in Otto Porter, and two first round picks. Do not judge the trade by the names the Magic received in the trade, you have to judge it based on the whole package. Take into consideration the salary cap relief, the draft picks and very quickly you will realize that is was a really solid trade.
The Aaron Gordon trade has the potential to be considered a steal in a few years. I am really high on R.J. Hampton and he showed great promise as the season went along. He’s a hard worker and he will figure things out and become a really solid player in this league. Garry Harris is a solid veteran who can defend and shoot the ball fairly well. If things do not work out with him, his contract expires after this upcoming season, which can provide the Magic with some additional salary cap relief. Then there’s the 2025 first round pick as well. Finally, the Fournier trade simply had to happen. The Magic did not get much for him, but the trade exception could be an interesting tool to have available. You never know if there’s a player out there the Magic can target and try to acquire using it before it expires on March 25, 2022.
To make matters even more interesting, the Magic decided to part ways with head coach Steve Clifford after the season. It was described as a “mutual decision” but it is clear now that it was Clifford’s decision to walk away and try to find a job that better aligns with his individual goals. Clifford was a solid head coach and he brought to the Magic exactly what the team needed: accountability and a taste of success. He led the Magic to two playoffs appearances and had the team remained healthy this season, one could argue that the team would have been back in the playoffs this season. There’s no debating that. However, things did not work out that way. There is a lot of love for Clifford in Orlando because of what he was able to accomplish during his time here, but there’s no denying that it was time for a new voice in the locker room after what took place at the trade deadline and what is to come in the years ahead.
Unfortunately for the Magic, the NBA Draft Lottery did not provide the results the organization and the fan base wanted. The Magic ended up dropping and will end up drafting 5th and 8th in the 2021 NBA Draft. The good news is that the Bulls pick conveyed, but dropping to 5th was not what the Magic had hoped for. The Magic will still be able to draft two solid prospects or create some attractive trade packages if they decide to acquire a player from another team or try to move up in the draft. In my opinion, it was still worth it to go all in despite the lottery not working out for the Magic. The team will now have the chance to add one or two solid prospects with tons of potential in the 2021 NBA Draft and it is important to remember that the Magic team still has all of their own draft picks plus the 2023 Bulls 1st round pick and the 2025 Nuggets 1st round pick. The team also has financial flexibility and a trade exception at its disposal as they continue to rebuild the team.
These are all things that could not have been said prior to the NBA Trade Deadline. Add all of those factors plus the chance to add a new voice on the sidelines that can properly develop the young players and one thing is for sure… all of the suffering in the 2020-21 season may have been worth it. The Magic would not have been in this situation if it wasn’t for the way things played out this past season. The team went from being a team with a pretty low-ceiling to being a team filled with young talent, a new head coach and two lottery picks coming in to join an already solid core of young players. Then there’s also the return of Jonathan Isaac and Markelle Fultz who will certainly be difference makers the moment they step on the court.
As Jeff Weltman has said in multiple occasions, “It’s an exciting time to be an Orlando Magic fan.” There is a level of excitement for this team that I have not witnessed in the city of Orlando since the Dwight Howard days. The same excitement carries over to social media where there is a buzz that I have not witnessed in many, many years. Now, let’s make one thing clear though, there will be growing pains and there will be difficult stretches along the way, but I firmly believe that the Orlando Magic will be a much better team long-term after what has taken place over the past 90 days. There’s no doubt in my mind of that. We’re in the early stages of what should be an exciting offseason and the beginning of an exciting new era of Magic basketball.
by Al Grullon
June 28, 2021