Magic Should Take Note on Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert Trade

The Rudy Gobert trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves has given the franchise a cloudy future. The Orlando Magic should try avoiding to make the same mistake.

Jeremy Brener | Apr 21, 2023

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Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic is sitting on the couch this postseason, but the team has high hopes that it won't be this time next year.

Orlando has potential to make some upgrades this offseason, but as some teams in the postseason are proving, the hunt for a superstar doesn't always make the grass greener. The Minnesota Timberwolves might be the best example of this.

After becoming the No. 7 seed in 2022, its best mark since 2004, Minnesota made a splash in the trade market, acquiring Rudy Gobert from the Utah Jazz in exchange for Patrick Beverley, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Leandro Bolmaro, and the draft rights to center Walker Kessler in addition to four first-round picks and a 2026 first-round pick swap.

The Wolves were expected to be one of the top teams in the West, but instead, the team regressed. Minnesota finished with the No. 8 seed and finds itself two games away from elimination against the top-seeded Denver Nuggets.

The Magic has a pair of lottery picks this summer, a host of young, promising prospects and cap space galore.

The Gobert trade shouldn't completely deter the Magic away from trying to acquire another major piece, but Orlando should keep in mind that the margin between teams in the NBA is pretty thin and mortgaging the future by sacrificing some of the squad's promising players may not be worth the short-term satisfaction.

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Published Apr 21, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.