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The Orlando Magic opened up the month of July with plenty of activity as they both gained and lost players. Below, I will detail the outline of three of their transactions with corresponding grades.
Partially, the reason for this grade is that the Magic addressed a need while reuniting with a familiar face in Nikola Vucevic on a one-year, $3.9 million deal. Vucevic, 35, spent nine seasons in Orlando after beginning his career with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2011, and he earned both of his career All-Star selections with the Magic in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons after posting very productive double-double campaigns.
During the 2020-21 season with Orlando, Vucevic averaged 24.5 points per game, which is still the highest average of his career. However, after 44 games, he was traded to the Chicago Bulls alongside Al-Farouq Aminu in exchange for Wendell Carter Jr., Otto Porter Jr. and two first-round draft picks.
Now, Vucevic makes his return to the Magic, and though he is older and not as productive, he can still be a valuable big man that can stretch the floor in a possible one-two punch scenario with Carter. Last season with the Bulls and the Boston Celtics, Vucevic averaged 15.1 points and 8.4 rebounds while shooting 36.9% from 3-point range.
In addition to the move for Vucevic, the Magic chose to re-sign Jevon Carter to a one-year, $3.5 million deal, according to ESPN senior NBA insider Shams Charania.
Carter was an addition to the franchise in last season’s buyout market following the trade deadline in early February. Given his veteran experience, Carter proved to be a good locker room presence for a young Orlando team, but his 41% 3-point shooting percentage in 23 games with the Bulls plummeted to 33.6% during his 30 regular season games with the Magic, and he only appeared in three playoff games.
The hope is that the Magic will not have to rely on Carter to do too much more than be a good veteran presence yet again, but the team’s injury history demonstrates a concerning trend that key players could miss time in the upcoming season. Therefore, Carter may need to provide more than just intangibles.
At 6 feet tall and lacking as a facilitator, Carter’s shot needs to start falling. Re-signing him at this number is not bad, but the team needs him to try and replicate the perimeter shooting numbers he achieved during his time with the Bulls last season.
Whether this was a move done out of safety, familiarity, or both, it was not one that the Magic should have made. The organization chose to waive Isaac on June 27, and instead of waiving and stretching the remaining money owed to him, Isaac was waived outright, which set up the possibility of a reunion.
Orlando’s front office acted on that by re-signing the big man to a one-year deal, and the rapid reunion comes after Isaac appeared in just 52 games last season and notched career lows in points per game (2.6) and 3-point percentage (18.4%). The Magic are not getting any production from Isaac on the floor, so maybe they are banking on his intangibles and leadership in the locker room. Either way, it feels like both sides should have moved on.
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Nikola Vucevic- A
Partially, the reason for this grade is that the Magic addressed a need while reuniting with a familiar face in Nikola Vucevic on a one-year, $3.9 million deal. Vucevic, 35, spent nine seasons in Orlando after beginning his career with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2011, and he earned both of his career All-Star selections with the Magic in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons after posting very productive double-double campaigns.
During the 2020-21 season with Orlando, Vucevic averaged 24.5 points per game, which is still the highest average of his career. However, after 44 games, he was traded to the Chicago Bulls alongside Al-Farouq Aminu in exchange for Wendell Carter Jr., Otto Porter Jr. and two first-round draft picks.
Now, Vucevic makes his return to the Magic, and though he is older and not as productive, he can still be a valuable big man that can stretch the floor in a possible one-two punch scenario with Carter. Last season with the Bulls and the Boston Celtics, Vucevic averaged 15.1 points and 8.4 rebounds while shooting 36.9% from 3-point range.
Jevon Carter- C
In addition to the move for Vucevic, the Magic chose to re-sign Jevon Carter to a one-year, $3.5 million deal, according to ESPN senior NBA insider Shams Charania.
Carter was an addition to the franchise in last season’s buyout market following the trade deadline in early February. Given his veteran experience, Carter proved to be a good locker room presence for a young Orlando team, but his 41% 3-point shooting percentage in 23 games with the Bulls plummeted to 33.6% during his 30 regular season games with the Magic, and he only appeared in three playoff games.
The hope is that the Magic will not have to rely on Carter to do too much more than be a good veteran presence yet again, but the team’s injury history demonstrates a concerning trend that key players could miss time in the upcoming season. Therefore, Carter may need to provide more than just intangibles.
At 6 feet tall and lacking as a facilitator, Carter’s shot needs to start falling. Re-signing him at this number is not bad, but the team needs him to try and replicate the perimeter shooting numbers he achieved during his time with the Bulls last season.
Jonathan Isaac- D-minus
Whether this was a move done out of safety, familiarity, or both, it was not one that the Magic should have made. The organization chose to waive Isaac on June 27, and instead of waiving and stretching the remaining money owed to him, Isaac was waived outright, which set up the possibility of a reunion.
Orlando’s front office acted on that by re-signing the big man to a one-year deal, and the rapid reunion comes after Isaac appeared in just 52 games last season and notched career lows in points per game (2.6) and 3-point percentage (18.4%). The Magic are not getting any production from Isaac on the floor, so maybe they are banking on his intangibles and leadership in the locker room. Either way, it feels like both sides should have moved on.
Join the Community! Don't miss out on our ROUNDTABLE community and the latest news! It's completely free to join, simply by clicking the yellow button at the top of the homepage. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members. Download the free Roundtable APP and stay even more connected!
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