Orlando Magic

The Orlando Magic exercised the 2020-21 contract options for Markelle Fultz, Mo Bamba and Jonathan Isaac, the team announced Monday. 

"Mo, Markelle and Jonathan have each demonstrated a strong work ethic, while exhibiting a commitment to team values," president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said. "We look forward to exciting futures with them as part of the Magic family."

Fultz appeared to provide his reaction to the news on Twitter:

🙏🏽

— Markelle Fultz (@MarkelleF) September 16, 2019

Orlando's decision to pick up Fultz's fourth-year option is by far the biggest surprise of the three.

Bamba is heading into only his second season, while Isaac showed improvement in his second year with the team in 2018-19. There was little reason to think the Magic would consider cutting bait on either player.

However, Fultz has played in only 33 regular-season games since the Philadelphia 76ers selected him first overall in 2017. He has yet to play for Orlando since the Sixers traded him in February.

The Magic are now committed to paying Fultz just under $12.3 million in 2020-21. But as ESPN's Bobby Marks noted, that figure doesn't drastically alter their salary-cap situation:

Orlando was over the cap in 20-21, with or without Markelle Fultz. Without playing a game in Orlando, I don't see the downside in exercising the $12.3M team option. Still worth the risk based on age (only 21)/upside/tease (can he revert back to 16-17 at UW?).

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) September 16, 2019

Orlando reached the playoffs last year for the first time since 2012, losing to the eventual champion Toronto Raptors in the first round. The team followed up by giving a four-year, $100 million extension to Nikola Vucevic and a four-year, $54 million extension to Terrence Ross, as well as signing Al-Farouq Aminu for $29 million over three years.

The Magic are clearly looking to take a step forward this coming season, making it easy to lose sight of how young the franchise's core pieces are.

Some see the Magic as committing to a core that only made the playoffs for the first time this year. But the ages of that core should give hope:

Bamba - 21
Fultz - 21
Gordon - 24 (today HBD AG!)
Isaac - 21

The vets are even youngish with Ross and Vucevic the oldest at 28.

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) September 16, 2019

Fultz might never figure out his shoulder issues, providing little return on his 2020-21 salary before hitting free agency. But the Magic are smart to take the plunge and bank on him being their point guard of the future because they have no other long-term options at the position. D.J. Augustin, 31, will be a free agent in 2020.

Fultz now has two years to prove that he can be a part of the Magic's foundation.

After snapping a six-year playoff drought last season, the Orlando Magic are looking to build on that success and take the next step forward in 2019-20.  

Last season, Orlando went 42-40 en route to winning the Southeast Division title. That was enough to help the team reach the postseason for the first time since 2012, though it bowed out in a gentlemen's sweep to the eventual champion Toronto Raptors in the first round.

With All-Star center Nikola Vucevic returning, the Magic will now aim to win their first playoff series since 2010. And that quest will begin on October 23 against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

     

2019-20 Details

Season Opener: Oct. 23 vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

Championship Odds: 125-1 (via Caesars)

Full Schedule: Magic Twitter

     

Top Matchups 

Miami Heat (First Game: Jan. 3)

If Orlando is going to return to the postseason for the second consecutive year and potentially make noise, it will need to prove itself against top competition.

And the Miami Heat appear to be the favorites to win the Southeast Division after acquiring four-time All-Star Jimmy Butler during the offseason.

The 29-year-old has reached the postseason in seven of his eight NBA seasons, taking three different franchises to the playoffs over the course of the last three years. He was a member of a Philadelphia 76ers squad that reached the Eastern Conference Semifinals last season before being eliminated by the Raptors in seven games.

Butler joins a talented Heat roster that features the likes of Dion Waiters, Justise Winslow, Goran Dragic and rookie Tyler Herro. Although Miami lost a paint presence by dealing Hassan Whiteside, veteran big man Meyers Leonard proved to be a quality playmaker during his time with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Orlando went 3-1 against Miami last season while ultimately finishing three games clear of the Heat in the division. If the Magic are going to build on last year's success, taking care of business against a new-look Heat squad will be key. 

         

Atlanta Hawks (First Game: Oct. 26)

As the Atlanta Hawks are continuing to go through a rebuild, they have pieced together an interesting roster that could be on the rise.

Last year, 2018 fifth overall pick Trae Young (19.1 PPG and 8.1 APG) and second-year forward John Collins (19.5 PPG and 9.8 RPG) emerged as quite the dynamic duo. Meanwhile, the Hawks added rookies De'Andre Hunter, Cam Reddish and Bruno Fernando as well as veterans Evan Turner, Jabari Parker and Chandler Parsons.

Atlanta isn't likely to compete for a championship in 2019-20, but that doesn't mean it can't win some games. This isn't the same team Orlando swept last season while recording four double-digit victories by an average of 20.3 PPG.

In other words, don't expect a cakewalk when playing the Hawks this season.

            

Record Prediction: 43-39

Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon called teammate Markelle Fultz a "sleeper" in a SiriusXM Satellite Radio interview on Tuesday (h/t Ballislife.com):

“Markelle is a sleeper. If he wakes up...he’s a monster”

Aaron Gordon talking about @MarkelleF on @SiriusXMNBA pic.twitter.com/sV5n4QLs3c

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) July 30, 2019

"Markelle is a sleeper. If he wakes up ... he's a monster," Gordon said.

"... He'd be huge for our team just with that point guard presence along with [D.J. Augustin and Michael Carter-Williams]," Gordon added.

Fultz has endured a tough start to his NBA career after the Philadelphia 76ers drafted him first overall in 2017. Injuries kept him sidelined for all but 33 regular-season games over his two NBA seasons, and the 76ers sent him to the Magic prior to the 2019 trade deadline.

Fultz sat out the remainder of 2018-19 with Orlando as he continued to recover from thoracic outlet syndrome.

Fultz was a highly touted prospect out of the University of Washington entering the 2017 draft after posting 23.2 points, 5.9 assists and 5.7 rebounds during his lone season in Seattle. He was also efficient, knocking down 47.6 percent of his field-goal attempts and 41.3 percent of his three-point attempts.

However, Fultz endured significant shooting woes in the pros as he worked his way through shoulder injuries. In addition to thoracic outlet syndrome, the guard had a scapular muscle imbalance during his rookie year.

Unfortunately, Fultz's ailments aren't behind him yet, although Magic head coach Steve Clifford offered an encouraging update on SiriusXM Radio on July 15:

"We don't have a timetable for when he'll be back, but he's really doing a good job." @OrlandoMagic HC Steve Clifford gives @TermineRadio and @Jumpshot8 the latest on Markelle Fultz pic.twitter.com/N8gTv7rh3j

— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) July 15, 2019

If nothing else, Fultz seems to be looking forward to his fresh start in Orlando.

"I think the biggest thing we talked about what doing thing the right way," Fultz said at his introductory press conference in February, per Jason Owens of Yahoo Sports.

"Just building me up both as a man and on the court. I think that's music to my ears, really just. Two things I really want to do is be the best player I can be and be the best young man I can be."

If Fultz's rehabilitation process continues to trend upward, he has a chance to develop into the sleeper that Gordon referenced.

Orlando Magic head coach Steve Clifford said Monday that there is still no timetable for guard Markelle Fultz's return from injury.

Appearing on SiriusXM NBA Radio, Clifford discussed Fultz's potential importance to the team and his status following the conclusion of summer-league play:

"We don't have a timetable for when he'll be back, but he's really doing a good job." @OrlandoMagic HC Steve Clifford gives @TermineRadio and @Jumpshot8 the latest on Markelle Fultz pic.twitter.com/N8gTv7rh3j

— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) July 15, 2019

Fultz did not appear in a game for the Magic last season after they acquired him from the Philadelphia 76ers in February due to a shoulder ailment.

While it remains unclear when Fultz will return to action, Clifford was complimentary of the young guard: "He's been great, he's working hard, he's made good progress."

Prior to getting traded to Orlando last season, Fultz appeared in 19 games for the Sixers. He averaged 8.2 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists in those games, shooting 41.9 percent from the field and 28.6 percent from beyond the arc.

Fultz entered the NBA to plenty of fanfare as the No. 1 overall pick out of Washington in 2017, but shoulder issues have limited him to just 33 regular-season games over two years, and they have impacted his shooting as well.

Orlando took a risk by trading for Fultz given his injury history, but it is a move that could pay huge dividends if he ever manages to reach his full potential.

The Magic reached the playoffs last season despite lacking a top-end point guard, and a healthy Fultz could make them true players in a top-heavy Eastern Conference.

Fultz will ideally heal up and seize the starting point guard job eventually, but Orlando has contingencies if that doesn't happen. Veteran D.J. Augustin was the starter last season, and he is back in the fold, while 2013-14 NBA Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams is also on the roster.

The Magic have a supremely talented team led by Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier, but it is difficult to envision them taking a big step forward unless another player on the roster develops into a star, and Fultz stands out as the top candidate.

Orlando Magic center Mo Bamba's time at the 2019 NBA Summer League has come to an end after just one appearance. 

According to Josh Robbins of The Athletic, Orlando has ruled Bamba out for the remainder of the summer showcase as the second-year big man has experienced "some general soreness." Robbins noted the issue is not in the same area as the stress fracture in his left tibia that limited him to just 47 games last season.

Bamba played 24 minutes in the Magic's Summer League opener against the San Antonio on Friday, marking his first game action since Jan. 31. He dropped 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting, going 2-of-2 from three-point range.

While saying the team is taking the cautious approach with last year's sixth overall pick, Robbins made it clear Bamba had not been expected to play in all of the Summer League contests. In fact, Magic coach Steve Clifford let it be known on July 5 that Bamba would be on a minutes restriction this summer as he continued to work his way back from his leg injury.

Bamba is coming off a season in which he averaged 6.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game as a rookie.

Clifford may have wanted to get the 21-year-old center some game action this summer to get him back in the flow of things and continue his development. However, given he missed serious time last season with a leg injury and it's only the Summer League, protecting his long-term health is top priority.

The Orlando Magic and center Nikola Vucevic reached an agreement Sunday on a four-year, $100 million contract.

Josh Robbins of The Athletic broke down the specifics: "Vucevic's four-year deal is worth a total of $100 million in base salary and features descending annual salaries, a league source said. Vucevic will be paid $28 million during the 2019-20 season, $26 million during the 2020-21 season, $24 million during the 2021-22 season and $22 million during the 2022-23 season."

That contract structure should be "easier to trade, or keep, during the final seasons" of Vucevic's deal, as Robbins added.

Vucevic spent the previous seven years with the Magic, who acquired him from the Philadelphia 76ers in an August 2012 blockbuster trade that also featured Dwight Howard, Andre Iguodala and Andrew Bynum, among others. The Sixers selected him with the 16th overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft.

The 28-year-old USC product averaged 20.8 points, 12.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.1 threes and 1.1 blocks while shooting 51.8 percent from the field across 80 appearances for Orlando last season, where he made the All-Star team for the first time.

He was one of the league's most efficient players throughout the 2018-19 campaign, ranking eighth in ESPN's real plus-minus and ninth in player efficiency rating.

Vucevic was noncommittal about his future after Orlando's season ended with a first-round loss to the Toronto Raptors.

"Obviously I've had a great seven years here, but at the same time, we'll see what happens," he told reporters in April. "It's a mutual decision, and it's not just me. They have to decide what they want to do. Based on that, we'll go from there. I wish I knew what would happen. I wish I had a contract in hand."

Vucevic has averaged 15.7 points, 10.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists during his eight NBA seasons, and he's tallied 285 double-doubles in 536 regular-season games.

Vucevic told Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype: "It felt right for me to stay there [Orlando] and continue this. Being one of the best players on the team, I wanted to come back and keep this thing going."

The Magic earned their first postseason appearance since 2012 last season, and Vucevic, Aaron Gordon, Jonathan Isaac and Co. will look to build off that in 2019-20.

The Orlando Magic and power forward Al-Farouq Aminu reached an agreement Sunday on a three-year, $29 million deal with a player option for the third season, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Aminu spent the past four campaigns with the Portland Trail Blazers. He averaged 9.4 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists while shooting 43.3 percent from the field across 81 appearances during 2018-19.

The 28-year-old Atlanta native's all-around value was best encompassed by ESPN's real plus-minus, which ranked him 14th among power forwards (plus-1.68) in his ninth NBA campaign.

Aminu, the No. 8 overall pick out of Wake Forest in the 2010 NBA draft, has also made stops with the Los Angeles Clippers, New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks.

In March, he told Spencer Davies of Basketball Insiders a conversation with former Mavs teammate Richard Jefferson helped shaped his career as one of the league's most reliable role players.

"He was like, 'Man, I'd rather be a guy who the coach knows exactly every night what they're gonna get than to be a guy that's up and down, that might get 20 one night and two the next night,'" Aminu said. "I knew I took that to heart when he told me that. And I remember that stuck out to me."

Aminu has also benefited from the rise of the stretch 4 role in recent years. He's shot 33.7 percent from beyond the arc throughout his career, but he peaked during the 2017-18 season when he made 1.8 threes per game on 36.9 percent shooting from long distance.

His offensive versatility paired with his defensive impact made him one of the Blazers' unsung heroes.

Aminu had carved out a pretty much perfect niche for himself in Portland as a secondary contributor behind the star backcourt tandem of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. Now he'll be forced to begin trying to find a similar fit in Orlando.

A move to the Magic is somewhat surprising, though, given their crowded frontcourt.

The New York Times' Marc Stein reported they agreed to a four-year, $100 million deal to re-sign Nikola Vucevic, and Wojnarowski reported they agreed to a four-year, $54 million extension with Terrence Ross, who can move between small forward and shooting guard. Orlando also used its 2019 first-round draft pick on Auburn power forward Chuma Okeke.

Although Aminu is a solid role player, the Magic's void at point guard is impossible to ignore.

The Orlando Magic maintained a piece of their wing rotation Sunday when they agreed to terms to re-sign Terrence Ross to a four-year, $54 million deal, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Ross is coming off a career season for the Magic. He helped lead them to the playoffs with a career-best 15.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 0.9 steals per game while shooting 38.3 percent from three-point range.

It was an important bounce-back showing before he was scheduled to hit free agency because he dealt with injuries the season before and played a mere 24 games.

The Washington product entered the league in 2012 when the Toronto Raptors selected him with the No. 8 overall pick. They eventually traded him to the Magic during the 2016-17 season in exchange for Serge Ibaka, but he helped lead them to the playoffs three times before he was shipped away.

While Ross hasn't consistently lived up to the elevated expectations that come with being a top-10 pick, he is still a solid wing scorer who provides depth and a formidable outside shooting stroke.

He averaged 9.5 points and 2.6 rebounds a night during his four-plus seasons with the Raptors while shooting 37.6 percent from three-point range.

He took the aforementioned leap as an offensive threat during the 2018-19 campaign for the Magic, but he showed flashes in 24 games following the trade in 2016-17 with 12.5 points a night in an Orlando uniform.

Ideally for Orlando, that resurgence will continue with additional continuity as he continues to bring veteran leadership for a team looking to make back-to-back postseasons for the first time since 2011 and 2012. He played 31 playoff games during his tenure in Toronto and another five last season, so he should be accustomed to playing on a big stage entering the next chapter of his career.

Ross could once again find himself on that playoff stage if he continues to improve on the offensive end.

Orlando Magic free-agent center Nikola Vucevic is reportedly staying put.

According to Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic, Vucevic "plans to commit to a four-year, $100 million deal to return to the Magic."

Vucevic, who turns 29 in October, posted 20.8 points and 12.0 rebounds per game for the 42-40 Magic.

Orlando made the playoffs for the first time since 2012 thanks largely to Vucevic and even won a game versus the eventual NBA champion Toronto Raptors before losing in the first round.

The seven-foot big man earned his first All-Star appearance and also finished ninth among qualified NBA players in player efficiency rating, per Basketball Reference.

Re-signing Vucevic is a positive step toward making back-to-back playoff appearances. He fared so well last year that Andy Bailey of the Hardwood Knocks podcast and Bleacher Report even compared him to ex-Minnesota Timberwolves power forward Kevin Garnett during his 2003-04 MVP season:

If you read the article, you'll see how I settled on 76.6 possessions, which seems ridiculous without the explanation.

Anyway, Nikola Vucevic's numbers were wild this season. 2004 KG's the only player in NBA history who matched his per-possession avg's.https://t.co/oYqpAgSrFX pic.twitter.com/z78IkFV6Wp

— Andy Bailey (@AndrewDBailey) June 30, 2019

However, the team still needs to answer a few questions.

First, Orlando finished 21st in offensive efficiency, per ESPN. The Magic made just 45.4 percent of its field goals, which was only good enough for 19th in the league.

Namely, the Magic need more scoring production from their guards, who ranked fourth-last in points per game among their position group, per NBA.com.

Related, can Markelle Fultz return anywhere close to the collegiate form that made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers?

Fultz, who averaged 23.2 points per game during his one season at Washington, has seen his NBA career get off to a slow start because of injuries. The 76ers traded him to the Magic in February.

As Josh Robbins of The Athletic noted, he has been rehabbing from thoracic outlet syndrome. A productive and healthy season can go a long way toward improved offense from the guards.

Furthermore, star sixth man Terrence Ross is a free agent. Ross helped catapult Orlando into the playoffs by pitching in 15.1 points on 42.8 percent shooting off the bench and even finished tied for third on the team in scoring.

Ultimately, with Vucevic planning to sign, Orlando should stay competitive next year.

The Orlando Magic are preparing to offer All-Star center Nikola Vucevic a four-year deal worth over $90 million, according to the New York Times' Marc Stein, with free agency set to get underway at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday.

The 28-year-old just completed a four-year, $53 million contract.

Vucevic is coming off his finest season to date. The 7'0", 260-pound big man established career-high averages in scoring (20.8), rebounding (12.0) and assists (3.8) while tying a personal best of 1.1 blocks per game. That performance resulted in the eight-year veteran's first All-Star selection.

It also helped Orlando snap a six-year playoff drought.

The Montenegrin said in April that he'd be open to returning to Orlando, where he has spent the last seven seasons, according to Roy Parry of the Orlando Sentinel: "Obviously I've had a great seven years here, but at the same time, we'll see what happens. It's a mutual decision, and it's not just me. They have to decide what they want to do. Based on that, we'll go from there. I wish I knew what would happen. I wish I had a contract in hand. It would be all over right now."

Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman made it known that the team wanted to re-sign Vucevic, per Parry:

"Bringing Vooch back is a priority. That being said, Vooch is going to have a lot of teams who will make him a priority for them, too. We will meet with his representatives at the appropriate time. Hopefully we can get something done. It's the NBA, and I always say there's a lot of real estate between the intentions and what gets done."

If Orlando doesn't get a deal done, there figures to be plenty of interest in the 7-footer on the open market. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski (h/t Lakers Nation's Corey Hansford) reported both the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics are potential landing spots. Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported this month that Vucevic would be a top priority for the C's as they look to replace five-time All-Star Al Horford.