Orlando Magic have started a brand-new rebuild, embracing hope and risk
New York TimesThe dreaded hamster wheel of mediocrity — that is where the Orlando Magic positioned themselves for the last two and a half seasons. The hope stems from Thursday’s haul of assets and players: three lightly protected incoming first-round draft picks, a pair of second-round draft picks, improved salary-cap flexibility, a $17.1 million trade exception and several new players, most notably rookie guard R.J. Hampton and veteran swingman Gary Harris from Denver. Entering Thursday, it seemed unlikely that the Magic could conjure a big enough return to merit trading Vucevic, the franchise’s best player since Howard. The Magic sent Vucevic and underachieving veteran power forward Al-Farouq Aminu to Chicago for veteran swingman Otto Porter Jr., third-year center Wendell Carter Jr., a top-four-protected 2021 first-round pick and a top-four-protected 2023 first-round pick. Not only did the Magic offload Vucevic’s remaining two years, but they also divested Aminu’s $10.2 million player option for next season.
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What can the Orlando Magic do this offseason to make another leap?
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