At the trade deadline last season, the Orlando Magic decided to enter yet another rebuild process and they let the rest of the teams around the NBA know this by trading away All-Star Nikola Vucevic, Evan Fournier and Aaron Gordon.
The Magic entered the 2021-22 season as one of the younger teams in the league and while their youth has shown given their 20-54 record, the future is definitely bright for this young group.
Cole Anthony, Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs, Chuma Okeke, Mo Bamba and R.J. Hampton are all young talents that have emerged as part of the Magic’s young core, as has fourth-year big man Wendell Carter Jr.
Orlando acquired Wendell Carter Jr. from the Chicago Bulls in the Nikola Vucevic trade last season and in his first season with the Magic, Carter has averaged 15.0 points (career-high), 10.4 rebounds (career-high) and has shot 52.5% from the floor on about 11.0 attempts per game.
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Proving to be a force from either the power-forward or center position, Wendell Carter Jr. has suddenly become one of the better frontcourt players in the league 24-years-old or younger and being just 22-years-old, he still has plenty of room for growth.
The Orlando Magic and Carter agreed to four-year, $50 million extension ahead of the start of this season, as the young big man was in the final year of his rookie deal, but just because he is under contract long-term in Orlando does not mean he will be with the Magic long-term.
Since they are rebuilding, the Magic are going to be weighing all of their options in the offseason in terms of how to move forward as a franchise and with the season he has had, Wendell Carter Jr. has definitely raised some eyebrows around the league.
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There are no indications that the Magic are going to look to move on from Carter and they are not actively looking to move him, but other teams around the league could look to inquire about his availability in the offseason.
While unlikely, these three teams could reach out to the Orlando Magic about a potential Wendell Carter Jr. trade this summer.
