The Magic Insider

Magic Forward Wendell Carter Jr. Expects Team to Be 'Lit' Next Season

The forward from Duke has breakout potential in his second full season with the team.

Jeremy Brener

Magic Forward Wendell Carter Jr. Expects Team to Be 'Lit' Next Season
Magic Forward Wendell Carter Jr. Expects Team to Be 'Lit' Next Season /

Excitement is brewing all around Central Florida after it was announced that the Orlando Magic would have the first pick in the NBA Draft this summer, the first time the franchise has owned the top selection since 2004.

Jamahl Mosley

Jamahl Mosley

Jamahl Mosley

Jamahl Mosley

Jamahl Mosley

Jamahl Mosley

And that excitement has permeated all over the team, including power forward Wendell Carter Jr.

Carter Jr., 23, completed his first full season with the Magic this past season after being traded from the Chicago Bulls during the 2020-21 season for former All-Star Nikola Vucevic.

Carter Jr. went on to have the best season of his career last year, scoring 15 points per game and grabbing 10.5 rebounds, both career-highs for the four-year veteran.

Now, with the Magic in line to take either Duke's Paolo Banchero, Gonzaga's Chet Holmgren or Auburn's Jabari Smith Jr. with the top overall pick, Carter Jr. is about to be paired up with his frontcourt partner of the future.

He seems pretty excited about it.

"We're going to be lit next year," Carter Jr. told the team, as shown in a picture posted to the team's Twitter account.

Wendell Carter Jr.
Jason Miller/NBAE via Getty Images

Wendell Carter Jr.

Chet Holmgren Jalen Suggs
Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

Chet Holmgren, Jalen Suggs

Jonathan Isaac

Jonathan Isaac

Carter Jr. is a key part of the team's plans moving forward. The 2022-23 season will be his first year under the new 4-year, $50 million contract he signed back in October. He'll make just over $14 million next season and won't become a free agent until 2026.

If Carter Jr. can continue to make the progress shown during his first full season in Orlando, then the Magic may very well be lit after all.

Published
Jeremy Brener
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.

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