Why the Orlando Magic Lost the 2021 Trade Deadline

Yesterday was the trade deadline for the NBA and the Orlando Magic were quite easily the most active team on the trade market. They made multiple deals and it seems like they are preparing to hit the reset button and begin the rebuilding process. This is a perfectly fine idea and I actually like this decision considering the state of their roster and where the franchise is headed.

However, I do not like the trades they made and I think they put themselves in a difficult position moving forward. Here are the moves they made and why I believe they made some poor decisions in pursuit of a rebuild.

Trade #1: Magic trade Nikola Vucevic to the Chicago Bulls

Orlando Magic Receive: Wendell Carter Jr., Otto Porter Jr., a 2021 first-round pick, and a 2023 first-round pick

Chicago Bulls Receive: Nikola Vucevic and Al-Farouq Aminu

I get what the Magic were trying to do by trading Nikola Vucevic. They understand that they aren’t going anywhere with the roster they currently have, so they wanted to trade him for picks and a young player.

In return for the thirty-year-old all-star, they received a solid young talent in Wendell Carter Jr. and two first-round picks. Yes, I know they got Otto Porter Jr. as well, but he has only played 871 minutes over the last two seasons and his inclusion in this deal is solely for salary matching purposes.

Wendell Carter Jr. has had an interesting career so far. His talent was never maximized in Chicago, but he still averaged 15 points, 2 assists, and 11 rebounds per 75 possessions over the last two seasons. He is a pretty good interior defender and projects to be a plus defender for years to come according to BBall Index. I like what he could bring to the Magic.

Now let’s discuss the picks they received. The 2021 first-round pick is a top-five pick right now, but that will likely change since Chicago is making a push for the playoffs. Nevertheless, the Magic may end up with the worst record in the league since they no longer have their best player. If that happens, they may end up with the number one overall pick a.k.a Cade Cunningham.

No matter what happens the rest of the season, they have a chance to add two lottery-level talents in the 2021 Draft which features a plethora of potential stars and quality role players. We’ll see what happens with the 2023 first-round pick as I assume it’s protected, but all things considered, this is a very solid haul for a center who is aging and may end up being worse than Carter in three years.

Trade #2: Magic trade Evan Fournier to the Celtics

Orlando Magic Receive: Jeff Teague and two second-round picks

Boston Celtics: Evan Fournier

I simply cannot explain how much I dislike this trade for the Magic. They basically gave away Fournier for two second-round picks that likely won’t turn into anything of value.

Fournier is 28 years old and over the last two years, he has averaged 22 points, 4 assists, and 3 rebounds per 75 possessions. He’s a very good three-point shooter, shooting 38.5% this season, and he provides value as a secondary playmaker. According to BBall Index, his passing efficiency (+.69) and passing versatility (1.36) are both within the 80th percentile of the entire league. I understand that he is on an expiring contract, but you’re telling me this is all they could get for an efficient shooter who can pass the ball at a high level and isn’t even thirty?

NBA GMs, please listen to me. Stop being so dumb. You don’t have to commit highway robbery every single trade to be considered a great GM. Just stop making terrible decisions and think before you agree to a trade like this.

Trade #3: Orlando Magic trade Aaron Gordon to the Denver Nuggets

Orlando Magic Receive: Gary Harris, R.J. Hampton, and a 2025 first-round pick (top-five protected in 2025, 2026, and 2027)

Denver Nuggets Receive: Aaron Gordon

Someone should have stopped John Hammond before this trade because this deal might be even worse than the Fournier trade. Aaron Gordon requested a trade a few weeks ago so it was expected that he would be moved, but this is an underwhelming return.

Gordon is just 25 years old and has become a very good floor spacer, an extremely solid defender, and a great finisher. His contract is very affordable, with just one more year and $16 million left, and he has enough functional skills to make up for his underwhelming efficiency.

A player like this should bring in a very solid return but the Magic didn’t receive that. Instead, they got screwed.

Gary Harris had some good seasons early on in his career, but over the last three years, he has missed a lot of games, and for whatever reason, he has become a below-average shooter. His playmaking ability is pretty disappointing as well and it’s hard to really see his value as a player.

R.J. Hampton has some upside due to his athleticism, but I didn’t love him as a prospect in last year’s draft and he hasn’t gotten the opportunity to show off his talents yet. Hopefully, he will thrive in Orlando, but I wouldn’t bet on it.

The 2025 first-round pick has some value, but it’s top five protected for three years and it’s so far away that it makes this trade hard to judge at this moment. For now, I’m just gonna say this trade sucks.

I really like the direction the Magic are trying to go. It’s rare for a team to look at themselves in the mirror and decide they need to rebuild, but they did this. Unfortunately, I don’t like their plan and how they’re executing their transition into a rebuild.

They’re betting the future of their franchise on the picks they received and I fear they may struggle to recover from this if they don’t get a top five pick this season. If they get a guy like Cade Cunningham or Evan Mobley this offseason, this trade deadline performance will look incredible. If they don’t, these trades may not age very well. I just wish their general manager would have gotten either more draft capital or more young talent since they tore down their entire roster.