'Real Special Situation' Happening with Orlando Magic, Says Contract Analyst

A sign of good things to come.

Jeremy Brener | Jul 6, 2022

'Real Special Situation' Happening with Orlando Magic, Says Contract Analyst /

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic have had a pretty mundane free agency period.

There aren't any new faces on the roster other than Paolo Banchero and Caleb Houstan, the team's two draft picks. In terms of free agents, the team simply retained three of their own ... Mo Bamba, Gary Harris and Bol Bol.

Despite the team's lack of activity on the free agent market, there's a lot of hope for this team moving forward. With Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac expected to return to full health and developmental projects beginning to mature, there are many reasons to be optimistic about the Magic moving forward.

“There’s a lot of what-ifs on this roster, if they crown and surface, there’s a real special situation coming forward here,” Spotrac founder Michael Ginnitti told 96.9 The Game's Brandon Kravitz.

There are several 'what-ifs' that work in the Magic's favor if the answer to any of these questions is yes ...

What if Markelle Fultz returns to form?

What if Jonathan Isaac can return to becoming a top-tier NBA defender?

What if Paolo Banchero becomes the best player in his draft class?

What if Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs continue to develop?

What if Wendell Carter Jr. continues to improve?

Now, the chance of every single one of those answers being 'yes,' is going to be difficult given the Magic's current luck and track record. However, if a few of those turn out to be true, the Magic's vision for the future could slowly become a reality sometime within the next couple of seasons.

Published Jul 6, 2022

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.