Are the Orlando Magic Contenders in the East?

Are the Orlando Magic Contenders in the East?

Some of the biggest stars in the NBA from Jason Tatum, Damen Lillard, and Tyrese Hallebertton are all out next season with season ending injuries and the Eastern Conference is projected to be wide open. And the Orlando Magic are now expected to be one of those teams after an incredible offseason that is going to catapult to the top of the Eastern Conference. And it brings up the question, are the Orlando Magic contenders? That’s what I want to talk about with you guys here today. Before I go ahead and I talk about where the Magic ranks, some of the offseason moves that they’ve made, and really give my honest and open analysis at the end of this video, let me go ahead and say two things. First of all, I want to commend Jeff Welman, Anthony Parker, and the entire Orlando Magic front office by grabbing the Bulls by the horn and going out there and making moves to improve this roster because I think it says a lot about the direction of this team and the faith and the trust that they have in not only Jamal Mosley, but that they have in their young core from Jaylen Suggs, France Vagner, and Palo Beno. Second of all, and probably the most important thing I want you to take away from this video is I’m not coming at this video with my open and honest analysis and opinions from the perspective of a Magic fan. Yes, I am a lifelong and diehard Magic fan. I’m coming at this video from the perspective of somebody who is trying to give an honest analysis about the game of basketball, where I think the Magic are at, my honest opinions about how I think this team can perform, and what I expect from the team and the Eastern Conference next season. So, I’m going to stop drinking the Kool-Aid. I’m going to take the metaphorical blue glasses off and I’m going to try to have an honest and receptive conversation with you guys. So, I ask that you hear me out. But having said all of that, let’s talk about this Orlando Magic team. Now, the Magic were the first team to make a blockbuster deal this off season. They traded for guard Desmond Bane from the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Contavius Caldwell Pope, Cole Anthony, four unprotected first round picks and a pick swap in 2029. The Magic did not stop there as they went ahead and they drafted Michigan State guard Jace Richardson with a 25th overall pick in this year’s draft. They traded up with the Boston Celtics to number 32 to draft French Ford Noah Penda. The Magic declined the options on Gary Harris, Mo Vagner, Cory Joseph, and Caleb Houston. As of the recording of this video, Gary Harris is the only one that is not an unrestricted free agent. He signed a 2-year deal with the Milwaukee Bucks. And the Magic also have an eligible extension with Paulo Benero this off seasonason who will be eligible for a five-year 247 million contract rookie extension and Banko deserves every single penny of that contract. He is one of the best young superstars in the game of basketball who still does not get talked about enough not just here in Orlando but I’m talking about from the national media perspective. Ben Carro’s name does not get brought up enough when you talk about the Anthony Edwards, the Victor Wenyamas of the world, so on and so forth. We need to do a better job of pushing the Benero PR this off season, and I will make sure that I’m one of them. And how could I possibly forget the Magic Bringing in veteran point guard Taius Jones on a one-year $7 million deal. This was a match made in heaven. He’s somebody that I think is going to bring that veteran leadership to the bench. He also is going to help accelerate the development and the growth of Anthony Black in that second unit. And of course, more importantly, Taius Jones since 2019 has been top two in the league in the assist to turnover ratio. He’s a guy who can stretch the floor and shoot the three ball, something that Orlando desperately needs. And that was a very good signing for a low-risk, highreward opportunity, landing Tus Jones. So now, the Magic have done a very good job this offseason of not only solidifying their starting five, but really adding guys on the bench with their depth that should be able to contribute day in and day out. Now you’ve got one of the best starting fives in the Eastern Conference, which is projected to be because we haven’t seen these guys all play together from Jaylen Suggs, Desmond Bane, Fron Vagner, Palo Ben Carroll, and Wendell Carter Jr. Obviously Bane being the only guy that hasn’t played with this group. And then off the bench, you’re going to have guys like Jace Richardson potentially getting minutes in year 1. Tristan Dilva, Taius Jones, Anthony Black, Jonathan Isaac, Goa Bataz, and Jet Howard. I’m not going to include Mo Vagner and Caleb Houston into this list until they are signed. Now, when it comes to where this Magic roster really shakes up in the Eastern Conference, I do think that this is a top three to four team in the Eastern Conference. And of course, we’re going to assume health for the sake of this argument, but I’m going to say that Cleveland should be the favorites to come out of the East right now. They have a better and proven track record comparatively to Orlando and these other teams in the Eastern Conference as of right now. I will give them their respect, but who’s to say that Orlando can’t be a two or a three seed in the East this year? They should be in the mix with New York, with Atlanta, with the Sixers being healthy, with the Hawks. There’s a bunch of teams out there in the Eastern Conference, and Orlando is one of them that could really continue to go out there, surprise a lot of people, and make some noise. Now, kind of getting into the back half of this video, this is really where I want to talk about my open and honest thoughts and opinions with this Magic team, the offseason moves that they’ve made, where this team kind of shakes up, and just like I said, my open and honest thoughts. Now, I think the first thing that I really want to talk about is the Desmond Bane move because as of right now, I think that the Magic absolutely overpaid for this trade. I thought Orlando got squeezed in that trade the day that they traded for Desmond Bane, giving up four unprotected picks. It was good that they got off the KCP contract. It was great that they got an upgrade in a guy who’s a 41% career shooter. He’s 26 years of age, and Desmond Bane is going to do wonders for this Magic team. But is Desmond Bane worth four unprotected first round picks? No, he is not. If the Magics somehow win a championship in the next 2 to 3 years and they’re capable of doing it, then you know what? All is fine cuz the Magic made that move. They were bold. They asserted themselves and they were willing to take that risk and it paid off. But as of right now, I still think it’s an overpay. You can make the argument that those picks will be in the later 20s and that’s fine, but let’s not act like there’s not great players that get drafted into the 20s all the time. Tyrese Maxi is probably the first guy that comes to mind when it comes to that. Now, having said all of that, not only was that an overpay, the Magic financially handicapped themselves this off seasonason with that Desmond Bane trade. And here’s what I mean by that. The Magic have their core four and Desmond Bane, Jaylen Suggs, Fron Vagner, Paliban Carroll, all under contract, which is great. I love the fact that these guys are under contract for the foreseeable future. I know Desmond Bane’s under contract into the 2028-29 season. He has an appreciating contract going from 36 million to $44 million on that cap hit every single year as it’s slowly appreciating. But my criticism with it is the Magic have put themselves in a financial bind to where if they feel like they need to make another move in order to add to this roster, they’re not going to be able to do it or they’re going to have to go through hell and back in order to make that happen. And that’s just the honest truth. They’re not going to have the cap space to sign another player with Desmond Bane and those other three guys under contract right now. That’s just the reality of it. And I’m not talking about your mid-level exceptions. I’m not talking about your bench player. I’m talking about a legitimate bonafide bucket getter or star player in the NBA. It’s not going to happen. Jeff Welman, Anthony Parker, for right or wrong, believe that Desmond Bane is the missing piece, at least financially wise, to what was going to help propel this team and get this team over the top. And time will tell, but as to use the words of former Orlando Sentinel beat rider Josh Robbins, he said it best. Josh Robbins said, “It wasn’t quite an all-in move, but it sure is close to one.” And I couldn’t agree more. Not only is Desmond Bane a very good player, but he’s not an all-in move. But the move that you made to get him, giving up four unprotected picks and financially handicapping yourself, you’re telling the world and you’re telling the Magic community and your fans and your organization, this is the all-in move that we needed. You look at all of the other moves this off season and just what we’ve seen over the last couple of years. Yes, the market has skyrocketed, especially since that Rudy Goar and Donovan Mitchell trade. Inflation for trades is crazy. But let’s not sit here and act like Desmond Bane is the end all beall. I think time will tell. I think he’s going to be a terrific fit with Orlando, but they really put themselves in a bind because if they want to give up other assets to bring on more players, they’re limited with as much draft capital and equity that they once had before they gave it all up for Desmond Bane. Same thing financially. That’s where my criticism comes in. Not with the fit of Desmond Bane and how he’s going to play in Orlando. I think he’s going to be terrific. Now, just to add to what Josh Robbins continued to say, let me go ahead and quote him again. He said, “So, where’s the risk, you ask? The risk is sending out so many draft picks and adding Bane significant annual salaries to a magic cap sheet that in the age of punitive first and second aprons is getting dangerously topheavy. Simply put, by sending out four first round picks now, plus a pick swap in 2029, the Magic have made it more difficult for themselves to swing their next blockbuster trade when they identify an additional major roster need down the road. When Orlando inevitably finds itself with a cap crunch or with a roster deficiency, the front office will have to find a creative ways to work itself out of a salary hell. Absolutely, Josh Robbins. Thank you. Love you, man. Can’t say it any better than that. That’s exactly how I feel about the Desmond Bait move. This is not about Desmond Bane’s fit and how he’s going to help tremendously with the three-point shooting and the culture fit in Orlando. This is not about that. It’s about the fact that you financially handicapped yourself and you’re going to have very limited assets in terms of draft capital that you would have initially been able to have if you didn’t give up four unprotected first round picks. But Orlando is the only one to blame for themselves having to give that up. Because let me say this, and I think this is a very important point to make, and this is something I’ve been harping on for months, whether you guys want to hear it or not. When it comes to the Magic getting squeezed, which they did in that trade until proven otherwise, this was something that I had already anticipated. When the Magic were one of four teams not to make a move at the deadline, they were only putting themselves in more of a bind that they knew going into the summer, no matter who they were going to trade for. And obviously, Desmond Bane ended up being the guy. They were inevitably going to get squeezed because 29 other GMs around the league know that Orlando is more desperate to put the correct players around Paliban Carroll, Jaylen Suggs, and Fron Vagner, and that Orlando desperately needs shooters around them. So, they’re going to try to get everything that they can out of Orlando’s front office, and Memphis is one of those teams that did that. They got that incredibly valuable Phoenix and Washington pick swap next year, and of course, they got those other unprotected picks from Orlando. So, back on April 24th, this is what I had said. If Orlando thought that they were going to get squeezed to add a score/playmaker at the deadline, they’re in for a rude awakening this summer. All 29 other GMs know the Magic will be even more desperate to add talent surrounding Paulo/FRS and it’ll likely raise the cost. And that’s what happened. And I’m not sitting here trying to toot my own horn, but this is exactly what I projected to happen. Jeff Wellman didn’t want to get squeezed at the deadline for right or wrong. Fine. The Magic were bounced in the first round. They weren’t expected to really, you know, compete with the Boston Celtics in a sevengame series. Having said all of that, fine. They were going to go into this off seasonason and all 29 other GMs were going to know that Orlando was more desperate. And that’s exactly what happened. Orlando had to pay a very hefty price to get Desmond Bane. And do I think that Desmond Bane is going to be the guy that is going to be the end all beall for the Orlando Magic? No, I don’t. Do I think he’s going to improve the roster? Yes, I do. But do I think that this was the all-in move that Jeff Welman, the front office, and the organization is trying to sell to us, that this is going to be the piece that’s going to get us over the top, that’s going to help us propel us to not just the conference finals, but to win the East? No, I do not. And just a couple other things that I want to address, this is now outside of the Desmond Bane point, is the fact that I think that we need to have an honest conversation as fans of the game and then also people in the Magic community about Ji and Wendell Carter. I don’t think that they have the same value that we are accredited to them because Wendell Carter is on the first year now of a three-year contract. He has that club option in 2028-29. Three years 59 million. Jonathan Isaac, four years 59 million. And correct me if I’m wrong with those numbers. That’s just off the top of my head. I think that Orlando, if they are really serious about contending, I don’t think Wendell Carter is your starting five. I’ve seen too much inconsistency, too much injuries from him. It is a roller coaster with both Wendell Carter and Jonathan Isaac since their tenures have been in Orlando. And that’s not to discredit them because there are times when Wendell is extremely impactful, plays with so much, you know, tenacious effort. Same thing for Jonathan Isaac on the defensive side of the ball. But it is a roller coaster. I really feel like if the Magic are actually serious about contending in the Eastern Conference, not just this year, but for the foreseeable future, Wendell Carter, I don’t think is your starting five. I don’t think that Jonathan Isaac is on this team either. And like I said, it’s not to say that in spurts they aren’t good. But Wendell is not a true traditional five. He’s just not. He did play well in the playoffs. He did play well at the very tail end of the season. Jonathan Isaac, despite having a fully healthy off season last year, came into the season with more weight for better or for worse, played less minutes, did not have a very productive year, and yeah, he’s going to trim down on the weight. We obviously know his switchability is obviously one of the best in the game of basketball. These guys bring good qualities and traits. They’re good characters. They’re great for the locker room. This isn’t me trying to just ridicule them. This is me trying to have an honest conversation about the state of the Magic and where I think that they’re at. I think that they’re one of those teams that’s going to be vying in the Eastern Conference that is very close to competing for a championship. They’re not quite there yet. And I don’t think that Wendell Carter and Jonathan Isaac right now are two guys that are going to be on a championship roster in Orlando. I think those guys are inevitably going to have to get moved. And the deadline is going to say a lot this year. It doesn’t mean it’s going to happen right now. It doesn’t mean it’s going to happen this off seasonason. But even with Wendell’s switchability on the perimeter, for whatever it’s worth, is just too inconsistent. Jonathan Isaac is too inconsistent. And their health is a major issue and a problem. It needs to be factored into the equation. And I think the Magic need to try to package those two guys at some point down the road and make upgrades to not only the starting five at the center position, but really with another bench score or hope and pray that Anthony Black, Tristan Dilva, or Jace Richardson, one of those guys can really turn into a bonafide sixman of the year type of candidate in a couple of years down the road because the Magic are banking on their depth right now to really step up outside of that starting five because as I’ve mentioned to beat a dead horse, they are financially handicapped with Desmond Bane. When Bane Carol’s supermax contract kicks in in 26-27 with Fron Vagner and Jaylen Suggs, they’ve got a very good court. This is going to be one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference next year. I’m super excited to see how this team performs. But let me say, you guys should just temper the expectations. Let’s see how this team continues to play out and then we can really fully evaluate this team. But as of right now, let’s just hope and pray for the best. And I am sure that you guys understand where I’m coming from about my concerns with Wendell and Jonathan Isaac. I’m sure you guys understand my concerns with how much the Magic were willing to give up, not just in terms of draft capital and players, but what they were willing to give up financially in order to handicap themselves with Desmond Bane. I know you guys understand, but that’s where I’m trying to come at it with it in this video for you guys. But if you guys appreciate all of the work and content that I do, make sure you guys go ahead and drop me a thumbs up, hit the subscribe bell, and make sure you guys stay tuned for more exclusive content here on YouTube and on my social medias. The links will be in the description down below, so you guys can go ahead and check that out. But thank you guys again for watching, and as always, I’ll catch you on the next one. [Music]

The Orlando Magic have had one of the best offseasons of any team in the NBA, and I discuss all of the moves they made.

Magic fans and NBA fans, let me know your thoughts in the comments down below if my criticism and analysis were fair or too harsh. #nba #orlandomagic

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