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The Orlando Magic are at a make or break point of the season, a crucial span of two weeks in which they'll have to decide if they are buyers or sellers ahead of the Feb. 7 trade deadline. Mired in 11th place in the East after losing seven of their last 10 games, the Magic could consider selling center Nikola Vucevic to a contender willing to pay the price, yet the eighth-year big man won't sweat the flooding rumors, despite their high frequency.
“I don’t really pay attention to it,” Vucevic told Josh Robbins of The Athletic on Wednesday night. “Those things are out of my control. The things I can control (are) my play, preparation for each game, practice, helping the team win. That’s really what I’m focused on. I’m not just saying that to say that. That’s really the way it is because what good is it going to do me to think about the deadline and what’s going to happen?”
Vucevic is in the midst of his best all-around season, posting a strong double-double average of 20.5 points and 12 rebounds per game — both career highs.
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After three sleepy seasons dealing with the development of Aaron Gordon, the Magic have let their big man dominate, which has resulted in him leading the team in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage.
The Lakers are among the teams that could use a dominant center of his caliber, but making the trade happen will be tough unless they're willing to part ways with some of their assets.
Vucevic has expressed his desire to remain in Orlando, and most-recently spoke to his teammates about the pressure they'll be under in the next few weeks, as it's up to them to show management the current core has a chance to sneak into the playoffs.
