Orlando Magic Are Having Questionable Offseason

By Kareem Gantt

It was supposed to be an offseason full of promise for the Orlando Magic, but the front office is making some head-scratching decisions that have many Magic fans wondering what the heck is going on?

If you look at the offseason moves the Magic have made, then you would be asking yourself that same question as well. The Magic needed a rim protector to play alongside Nikola Vucevic and Serge Ibaka can be that guy. But did it have to take parting ways with Victor Oladipo and the 11th pick in this year’s NBA Draft to get him?

No, it didn’t, especially since Ibaka is in the last year of his contract and could bolt Orlando next summer, which, if that happens, will make this trade look disastrous.

Then there is the issue of the salary cap cash the Magic were flushed with this offseason, and this is where Magic fans are really wondering about the mental capacity of Rob Hennigan.

First, they wasted $15 million on a one-year rental for Jeff Green, and then, the Magic reached out and signed D.J. Augustine, who is a glorified shooter at best, to a four-year, $29 million deal. Yes, the Magic desperately needed shooting this offseason to spread the floor, but at $29 million? Really?

Possibly the one smart thing the Magic did this offseason was re-signing Evan Fournier for five-years, $85 million, which was a bargain compared to the offers he was seeing from other teams. So that’s one thing the Magic did right.

But the others, I’m not so sure. Green is a combo forward in the same vein as Aaron Gordon, and his addition could stand in the way of Mario Hezonja finally showing off his offensive chops unless he adjusts to life as a shooting guard, which is even more problematic now that they have retained Fournier’s services.

The Magic were supposed to have the offseason that would finally get them back on track and bring answers to some of their biggest questions. Now, it seems that the Magic have only added even more questions to their roster without actually improving it.

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