Could Magic 'Rush' Rebuild Process, Make 'Premature' Trades?
ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic is about to approach a fork in the road in its rebuilding journey.
With two picks in the top-11 of the NBA Draft and several tradeable assets to acquire bigger fish, the Magic is one of the league's top teams to keep an eye on this offseason.
However, Bleacher Report cautions the Magic from making the wrong move this offseason.
"After stumbling out to a 5-20 start, they went on to post a winning record over the final four months (29-28)," Bleacher Report writes. "It's possible this could fool the front office into thinking this roster is more ready than it actually is."
There's belief in the building that the Magic can make the playoffs in 2024, but in order to do that, Orlando must improve either internally with the players that couldn't make the playoffs this past season or find a couple of external options to help out. Luckily for the Magic, the team has tremendous upside in the current pieces on the roster.
"Time is absolutely on Orlando's side," Bleacher Report writes. "At some point, this club will need more shot-makers on the perimeter, but breaking open the piggy bank to fill that void now wouldn't brighten the present enough to offset the long-term cost of a blockbuster trade."
It's a tricky balance the Magic must find. Drafting two rookies in the lottery may be a mistake given the lack of playing time they may receive. This means the team needs to consolidate its assets somehow. That being said, parting ways with an asset that could be the team's ticket out of the lottery and into contention conversations in the Eastern Conference might be the fatal blow in what the Magic is trying to build.
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