Could Magic 'Rush' Rebuild Process, Make 'Premature' Trades?

The Orlando Magic will be deep in trade conversations this summer, but is that a mistake?

Jeremy Brener | May 19, 2023

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Orlando Magic

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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Published May 19, 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.