2. Orlando Magic
When you have a firesale as the Orlando Magic did, especially with the players that were dealt away, you expect them to receive a haul. It is fair to say the Magic fell well short of that mark.
Getting two second-round picks for Evan Fournier, a free agent in the summer who made it clear he was not returning to Boston, was a good deal. Receiving a high-upside backcourt player in RJ Hampton in the Aaron Gordon deal was a nice piece, but the first-round pick is protected in 2025 and Gary Harris has looked like a shell of himself.
Again, given the circumstances, it’s not a horrible deal as it was time for Gordon and the Magic to part ways. The deal involving Nikola Vucevic, however, should disappoint fans of the team.
Vucevic has made the All-Star team two consecutive years. His value will never be higher, so Orlando should have held out for more than they got. A return package of Wendell Carter Jr., Otto Porter Jr., a 2021 first-round pick and a 2023 first-round pick is a tough pill to swallow, especially since Porter Jr. is likely to get bought out.
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Adding another young big man to the roster who needs time to develop when you already have one in Mo Bamba makes little sense. Only getting two picks from a team you have now turned into a legitimate playoff contender also makes little sense.
The Magic were reportedly looking for a deal similar to what the New Orleans Pelicans received for Jrue Holiday. They were not close to that, as they were fleeced by the Bulls for their All-Star.
