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4 offseason moves to make Orlando Magic a legitimate NBA Finals contender
By Andrew Buller-Russ,
13 days ago
The Orlando Magic’s season may have ended a bit sooner than anyone would have liked, but there’s no denying they enjoyed a successful year. Jamahl Mosley has led a sharp improvement in Orlando, and the Magic boast an extremely talented young core that will only continue to improve as they mature and develop their advanced skillsets.
However, that doesn’t mean the Magic can’t make significant improvements to the roster in hopes of going from a fringe contender to a legitimate team capable of competing in the NBA Finals. Here are four moves that could take the Magic to the next contender tier.
Add a shooter with the 18th pick in 2024 NBA Draft
If their Game 7 loss to Cleveland wasn’t enough evidence, Orlando needs to surround Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner with more shooters. We don’t expect Wagner to go 1-for-15 ever again, but even if he or Banchero does have an off night, more players need to be ready to step up. While we may not know who will be on the board with the 18th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft right now, it’s clear that this team needs more shooters, anywhere on the floor.
Consider adding more size, like Nic Claxton at center
Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
One of the top NBA free agents available , Nicolas Claxton will be highly sought-after this summer, but why wouldn’t he want to play for a rising contender like the Magic? He’d inject some much-needed rim protection to Orlando’s frontcourt, and Claxton has nearly averaged a double-double for the past two seasons. While Wendell Carter is a respectable starting center, Claxton is an inch taller and one of the best shot-blockers in the NBA.
As a young team that has yet to commit max contracts, the Magic will have plenty of cap space to spend if they wish. But they already have their biggest pieces on the team, so focusing that money on role players like Malik Monk could make a lot of sense. He’d provide a spark off the bench, where had he not been hurt, Monk might have taken home Sixth Man of the Year honors instead of Naz Reid. An elite scorer who averaged 15.4 points on just 26 minutes per game, Monk would be an ideal fit for Orlando.
If the Magic really wanted to shake things up and inject another playmaking scorer to their team, trading for Trae Young could provide an easy solution. The undersized guard with unlimited range could be on the trade block this offseason after an underwhelming season in Atlanta. This could be the perfect time to buy low on one of the best scorers in the NBA.
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