For much of the 2010s, the Orlando Magic found themselves stuck in mediocrity, always ending up with late lottery picks or unimpactful first-rounders in the middle of the draft as a result of their stubbornness in remaining in the NBA's dreaded middle ground.
But the NBA has a system in place that rewards losing and bottoming out, flattened lottery odds notwithstanding, and the Magic are beginning to reap the rewards of their decision to sell off their veteran pieces that trapped them in no man's land.
Sure, the Magic may have a 34-44 record at the moment. But they have put up a record above .500 since the calendar flipped to 2023, going 21-20 even with Paolo Banchero suffering a bit of a rough shooting spell in February. The Magic squad, simply put, is loaded with incredibly versatile pieces, such as Banchero, Franz Wagner, Wendell Carter Jr., and Markelle Fultz. Fultz, in particular, has been a godsend for the Magic as of late.
Only 24 years old, Fultz could very well turn out to be the Magic's point guard of the future, an incredible return on investment for a player they acquired for a semi-late first round-pick and salary fodder. (The pick the Magic traded ended up being Tyrese Maxey, so it became a win-win deal in the end.)
Even then, given how much parity there is in the NBA these days, the Magic can't afford to rest on their laurels and just hope for some internal improvement. As promising as their young core may be, there is always room for improvement in today's star-driven NBA.
This is the biggest need the Magic must address during the 2023 NBA offseason.
Magic's biggest need: A do-it all two-way shooting guard
Four positions in the Magic starting lineup appear to be on lock for the foreseeable future, with Markelle Fultz, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, and Wendell Carter Jr. locking up positions one, three, four, and five. Of course, things can change in a hurry; if the Magic manage to overcome the odds and nab a top-two pick, Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson will have ample opportunity to prove themselves in the starting unit.
Nevertheless, that remains a highly unlikely outcome. At the moment, the Magic should have the seventh-best odds to land the first overall pick, which makes it likelier for them to land a pick in the middle of the top 10 than the top. Sure, the Magic had success with a pick in that range when they chose Wagner in 2021, but it's far from a guarantee that a selection around that range pans out perfectly.
There is also a point where teams must consolidate young talents, since there's only a limited number of minutes to go around anyway, making prospect-hoarding a futile endeavor. So while the Magic could choose to draft yet another young prospect, adding yet another guard to their Fultz, Cole Anthony, and Jalen Suggs collection, they could very well decide that it's time to increase the talent capital of the team and add a star two-guard to their ranks.
Teams have certainly been burnt before when trying to jump the gun when it comes to their contending timeline. The Minnesota Timberwolves, in particular, look like a prime example of a team that would regret giving away a plethora of draft picks for Rudy Gobert given how tight the Western Conference playoff picture is.
Even the Oklahoma City Thunder in the early 2010s decided to play it safe, developing their star trio of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden en route to a Finals appearance in 2012. So there is certainly merit to remaining patient. (The Thunder arguably weren't even patient enough, as they traded away Harden before he blossomed into the unstoppable scoring weapon he became.)
But the team's foundational pieces seem to be very much in place. Paolo Banchero projects as a bonafide number one-scoring option at his peak, and at his size, his skillset makes him such a walking mismatch, a confounding puzzle for teams to solve defensively. But why not make Banchero's life easier by easing the burden on him as he develops into the future star many believe he will be?
It will definitely be a matter of cost for the Magic. Trading away Banchero and Wagner definitely seems to be off-limits. But acquiring star-caliber talent entails a steep cost, and the Magic could certainly pay that price since they own all their future first-round picks, in addition to another lottery pick from the Chicago Bulls from the Nikola Vucevic trade.
The Magic are definitely in a good place. But they are also at a crossroads. But the Magic may be better off taking a leap of faith with their current core and believe that they're ready to make some noise by adding an elite two-way guard to help them continue their ascent.
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