As such, it looks like Orlando is going to miss the playoffs over at least the next couple of years. This was a clear indication of the Magic's intention to overhaul their squad, as they now turn to youth development as their primary focus. It was clear pretty early on that this was not going to be the case for Orlando, so the front office made the decision to blow up the squad by trading away their best players on the deadline. All-Star big man Nikola Vucecic was supposed to lead the team to their third consecutive postseason appearance with the help of the likes of Aaron Gordon, Evan Fournier, and Markelle Fultz, to name a few. They had a trio of highly promising rookies on the roster with Cole Anthony, Chuma Okeke, and R.J. Prior to the start of the 2020-21 season, there was a strong belief that the Magic were going to retain their status as a fringe playoff team in the East. The Magic are also high on 23-year-old Jonathan Isaac, who was their sixth overall pick in 2017. Former first overall pick Markelle Fultz (acquired via trade from the Philadelphia 76ers in 2019) could also still play a significant role for Orlando moving forward. The second-year center certainly has the makings of the Magic's big man of the future. The Magic also acquired highly-promising big man Wendell Carter Jr from the Bulls as part of the Vucevic deal.
This includes two rookies drafted in 2020, Cole Anthony and Chuma Okeke. These midseason moves are a clear indication the Magic are ready to focus on youth development for the years to come.Īt this point, Orlando has a number of young guys that appear to have bright futures ahead of them. Vucevic made his way to the Chicago Bulls, Aaron Gordon was sent to the Denver Nuggets, and Evan Fournier was moved to the Boston Celtics. They traded away nearly all of their key players prior to the March trade deadline. Orlando had a rough start to the 2020-21 season, which led to their decision to embrace a complete overhaul. However, both trips ended in early first-round exits for the Magic. Thanks in large part to the outstanding play of now-former cornerstone big man Nikola Vucevic, Orlando made it to the postseason in 20. The Magic have been a bit of a fringe team over the past couple years.
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