The Orlando Magic took another step toward clinching a playoff berth on Friday night, thumping the Atlanta Hawks to improve to 40-40 and actually move into sixth place in the Eastern Conference.
Of course, that may not be where the Magic end up, because the bottom of the East is very jumbled.
The Detroit Pistons and Brooklyn Nets already own tiebreakers over Orlando, so if the Magic finish with the same record as either of those teams, they will finish beneath them. The good news for Orlando is that the Miami Heat lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, dropping the Heat to one loss behind the Magic in the standings. Not only that, but Orlando owns the tiebreaker over Miami.
Really, all the Magic need to do is win one of their final two games, and they're in.
Now, that's easier said than done, as they will be facing a Boston Celtics team on the road that can clinch home-court advantage with a win on Sunday. They will then battle the Hornets in Charlotte on Wednesday evening.
But here's the thing: even if the Magic lose both games and finish the season at 40-42, the Heat would then have to win all three of their remaining games against the Toronto Raptors, Philadelphia 76ers and the Nets in order to jump Orlando, which does not seem very likely.
So, basically the Magic are probably going to make the playoffs, which would end a seven-year drought that dates all the way back to 2012, when Dwight Howard missed the postseason with a back injury during his final season in Orlando.
Of course, no one is expecting the Magic to actually make any noise if and when they do get into the playoffs, but that's not the point.
The story here is that Orlando is even on the verge of making the postseason to begin with, as the Magic have been floundering as one of the most directionless teams in the NBA over the better part of the last decade.
But here we are, in April 2019, and Orlando actually looks like it has a legitimate future.
The question is, just how bright of a future do the Magic really have?
Well, let's start with the fact that Orlando has a whole lot of young talent in its frontcourt. Aaron Gordon is turning into a very solid two-way player, Jonathan Isaac has made significant strides in his second season and Mohamed Bamba was looking impressive until a leg injury ended his year back in February.
That logjam also leads to a big quandary: just what will the Magic do with Nikola Vucevic this summer?
Vucevic has quietly developed into one of the best bigs in the league and is criminally underrated, as he is a double-double machine with the ability to spread the floor and has even turned into a passable defender.
The problem is, he will be a free agent this July, meaning Orlando will be faced with a major decision. Do the Magic re-up with Vucevic, or do they decide to roll with Gordon, Isaac and Bamba?
If Orlando does keep Vucevic, it would almost certainly signal that one of Isaac or Bamba won't be sticking around, as there would not be enough minutes to go around.
I guess it's a cushy kind of problem to have, but at the same time, Vucevic is the primary reason why the Magic are even in the playoff race. If they lose him this summer, what kind of shape will they be in going forward?
Let's keep in mind that while Isaac and Bamba have shown flashes, they are hardly sure things, and if you take Vooch out of the picture, you have to wonder how the two youngsters would manage.
We don't really know if either player can lead a frontline, so the Magic are going to have to decide whether or not they want pay Vucevic big money long term and break up the young bigs or let Vooch walk, save some money and bank on the potential of Isaac and Bamba.
Vucevic is only 28 years old, which makes this decision even more difficult. If he were 30, Orlando would probably have an easier time just letting him go elsewhere, but at 28? Vucevic is in the prime of his career and is likely three or four year away from showing any sort of real decline, especially given that his style of play is very conducive to aging.
Of course, the Magic have other needs, as well. They desperately need a point guard, as you would imagine that they are not going to pin their hopes on D.J. Augustin—who has been very good this year—long term. They also need some more shooters on the wings and some more talent at shooting guard and small forward in general.
Here is an idea for Orlando: re-sign Vucevic, and then trade one of Isaac or Bamba for some wing help. There are plenty of teams around the league with a surplus of wings, and I'm sure one of them would be happy to exchange one of them for one of the Magic's young bigs.
If you really think about, Orlando is still kind of a mess, because the roster has a lot of holes and most of its talent is clogged up into one or two positions. But sometimes, just having a lot of talent will end up working out in the long haul, because more talent equals more flexibility.
The potential is there for the Magic. They just need to make the right moves this summer to realize it.
It will fly under the radar because Orlando isn't Los Angeles or New York, but this offseason could—and probably will—determine the future of the Magic.
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