Orlando Magic: 2016 Offseason Grades

In one of the league’s strangest offseasons, the Orlando Magic let the world know they’re trying to get back to the playoffs, but how did they actually do? Here are their complete 2016 offseason grades.

It’s funny how quickly things can change in a year. Heading into the 2015-16 season, the Orlando Magic were a promising young team that, despite a bit of positional overlap and wonky fits, had a bright future under a franchise legend returning to instill a defensive mindset as head coach.

One year later, the Magic have squandered significant pieces of that young core, moving on to another, more successful defensive coach who will have to sort through yet another crowded rotation.

It’s been no secret that the Magic want to get back to the playoffs after four straight lottery appearances, and that’s been the case for two years now. But after a summer filled with mind-boggling decisions and tons of cap space, it’s safe to say Orlando had one of the league’s most bizarre offseasons.

With Frank Vogel in, Victor Oladipo gone and a collection of talented but misfit pieces incoming, where do the Magic stand? To try and make sense of it all, here are Orlando’s complete 2016 offseason grades.

Next: The Ibaka Trade

The Ibaka Trade

With the 11th pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, the Magic had a chance to add another lottery talent to a young nucleus that already featured three consecutive lotto picks in Oladipo, Aaron Gordon and Mario Hezonja (and four if you include the draft-day trade for Elfrid Payton).

But instead of adding to that collection, Orlando’s summer strategy — one that’s on the same page with management’s desperate focus of getting back to the playoffs — was revealed.

In a package that included one former lottery pick (Oladipo), one current lottery pick (Domantas Sabonis) and one veteran stretch-4 (Ersan Ilyasova), the Magic were able to trade for Serge Ibaka of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The younger, high-upside assets are clearly on OKC’s side of the deal. Oladipo still feels like a moldable ball of clay even after a disappointing 2015-16 campaign, especially since Scott Skiles yanking him in and out of the starting rotation didn’t help matters. Sabonis is a versatile big like his father and could become a nice player in this league.

To be fair to the Magic, they moved closer to their endgame of making the playoffs with this trade. Ibaka is one of the game’s best floor-spacers at the power forward spot, he can play the 5 in small-ball lineups and his defensive instincts and shot-blocking prowess are well-documented.

However, given what Orlando had to surrender in this trade, this feels like an overpay on the Magic’s part. Ibaka is in his prime and will only turn 27 in September, but how much better will he get, realistically? After all, his numbers have steadily declined over the last three seasons:

• 2013-14:  15.1 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 2.7 BPG, 53.6 FG%, 38.3 3P%
• 2014-15:  14.3 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 2.4 BPG, 47.6 FG%, 37.6 3P%
• 2015-16:  12.6 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 1.9 BPG, 47.9 FG%, 32.6 3P%

Part of that has to do with how much depth OKC added to its frontcourt, but can Ibaka snap back into one of the roster’s most important two-way players on such a young team?

Though Oladipo struggled to find his footing last season while vacillating between a starting job and sixth man duty, his “underwhelming” numbers — 16.0 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 3.9 APG, 1.6 SPG, 43.8 FG%, 34.8 3P% — may have just been a case of right player, wrong coach.

Oladipo will also make $5.8 million less than Ibaka next season, he’s younger and as a restricted free agent, he would’ve been easier to re-sign than an unrestricted agent like Ibaka. In fact, Ibaka may just wind up being a one-year rental if the 2016-17 campaign isn’t a stunning success.

Furthermore, as much as Ibaka might have a resurgent year and provide Orlando with some needed perimeter shooting and interior D, there’s also the small issue of bringing on a starting-caliber 4 when Aaron Gordon — perhaps the most promising piece left of Orlando’s young core — is best suited for that spot.

Ibaka makes the Magic better for 2016-17 and in theory, will fit well in Frank Vogel’s highly vaunted defense alongside Nikola Vucevic (or, ideally, alongside Gordon as a small-ball 5). The Magic also own his Bird Rights, which means they can offer him the most money next summer in free agency.

But Orlando won’t improve by leaps and bounds because of this trade, and even with management’s impatient agenda of returning to the playoffs, the question needs to be asked: At what cost?

Grade: C-

Next: Adding Augustin

Adding Augustin

As if it wasn’t already obvious in the wake of the midseason Tobias Harris trade, the Ibaka trade made it clear the Magic were retooling for a playoff run in 2017. Their second move of the offseason, bringing on D.J. Augustin to be the team’s backup point guard, was yet another misstep in getting them there.

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By handing out a four-year, $29 million contract to Augustin, general manager Rob Hennigan established what would become a pattern of irresponsible spending that only made his team marginally better over the summer.

An eight-year NBA veteran, there’s no question the 28-year-old Augustin is a useful backup floor general. He may have fallen out of favor with head coach Billy Donovan in OKC, but upon being traded to Denver, he was terrific for a young Nuggets team, averaging 11.6 points and 4.7 assists per game in his 28-game stint there.

With Elfrid Payton manning the starting spot, Augustin is a steady veteran hand who can teach him a thing or two while also serving as an upgrade from C.J. Watson. In the event of injury, Augustin can step in as the starter, and as a career 37.4 percent shooter from downtown, he can also spread the floor for a Magic team that needs perimeter shooting.

That being said, paying $7.3 million a season for Augustin, even under the new cap, feels like an excessive amount, especially over the course of a four-year contract. This wasn’t a terrible acquisition, but it was a slightly overpriced one — and, more importantly, a troubling sign of the direction Orlando’s offseason splurge would soon take.

Grade: C-

Next: Five For Fournier

Five For Fournier

With Oladipo gone, re-signing restricted free agent Evan Fournier became a higher priority for the Magic. Though Dipo’s ceiling was (and still is) undoubtedly higher because of his defense and athleticism, Fournier is currently the better scorer and perimeter shooter.

Bearing all that in mind, re-signing an up-and-coming 23-year-old like Fournier to a five-year, $85 million extension is actually pretty great value, especially under the new cap.

Last season, Fournier posted a career-high 15.4 points per game on efficient .462/.400/.836 shooting splits. He didn’t really contribute anywhere else, but he was easily one of Orlando’s best perimeter shooters and is still expanding his offensive repertoire.

With an average annual salary of $17 million, the Magic are — in the first year of his deal — essentially paying Fournier the equivalent of a $12.7 million contract under last year’s salary cap.

That number will continue to drop as the salary cap increases, and considering how extravagant some of this summer’s contracts were, this is a relative bargain. More desperate suitors might have offered a max with a higher annual salary, and Fournier’s discounted extension left the Magic with extra cap room.

Unfortunately, just like with the Tobias Harris trade, they weren’t able to put it to very good use. Keeping Fournier around was a no-brainer after dealing Oladipo, and he fits better with what the Magic want to accomplish next season. Bringing him back on something of a bargain deal doesn’t hurt either, even if his ceiling isn’t as high as Oladipo’s.

Grade: B

Next: Going Green

Going Green

Inking Fournier to a five-year extension was a great move to ensure there’s still room for internal improvement between him, Gordon, Payton and Nikola Vucevic. But why — after trading for Serge Ibaka, no less —  did the Magic feel it’d be prudent to bring Jeff Green aboard and clog up the team’s frontcourt rotation?

To be fair, this contract hardly hurts Orlando for the long-term. It’s only a one-year deal, and even though the $15 million they’re paying him is WAY too much for such an inconsistent player, that money will be off the books next summer.

But with Green playing more of a small-ball 4 role over the last few years, why put yet another hurdle in front of Aaron Gordon race for minutes and growth?

Sure, the Magic could roll with Gordon at the 4 and Ibaka at the 5. But will they? The most likely solution seems like either bringing him off the bench or, even worse, putting Gordon at the 3 to attempt to guard wings with a backline of Ibaka and Vucevic.

Ideally, Green is just intended to be a backup 3 or something. But given all the added depth to Orlando’s frontcourt, Gordon will more than likely have to play some of his minutes at the 3 — and that was before the Bismack Biyombo signing clogged things up even more.

Green averaged 11.7 points and 4.2 rebounds per game on .430/.315/.745 shooting splits with the Clippers and Grizzlies last season, ultimately trading one peachy game for a string of disappearing acts over the next 10 — basically, the story of his career.

For a team that wants to make the playoffs, Orlando is simply following in the footsteps of other Green teams, hoping he’d be the missing piece only to realize it was an act of misguided desperation.

Grade: D

Next: Bringing Aboard Biyombo

Bringing Aboard Biyombo

If you were starting to feel confused about what the hell the Magic were trying to build in their frontcourt, it’s time to roll out a classic, cheesy infomercial line: But wait, there’s more!

With a whopping four-year, $68 million contract for Bismack Biyombo, Orlando managed to gum up the works AND overpay a boom-or-bust free agent in the process.

Look, it’s understandable why Biyombo got paid this summer: the NBA’s skyrocketing salary cap, Orlando having plenty of cap space, Biyombo stepping in for an injured Jonas Valanciunas in the playoffs to average 6.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game as the Raptors made their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance in franchise history, yada yada yada.

But for a guy who averaged a humdrum 5.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game last season, Biyombo making as much money per year as Evan Fournier just feels wrong — especially with the positional overlap in that frontcourt.

Seriously, what’s the plan here? Starting Gordon at the 3, Ibaka at the 4 and Vucci Mane at the 5 to bring Green and Biyombo off the bench would make Biyombo a VASTLY overpaid backup center, especially after the 23-year-old showed sustainable signs of potential in the playoffs and could’ve gotten a starting job elsewhere.

Could Orlando possibly start Biyombo over Vucevic? Would Vucci Mane accept a sixth man role like Enes Kanter did in OKC? Or are the Magic looking for trade Vucci Mane?

Maybe Biyombo’s contract will look like a bargain a year or two and Orlando could swing a deal for him. Maybe he’s insurance in case Ibaka leaves next summer. Maybe the long-term plan is to pair Biyombo and Ibaka with a combination of stifling defenders and rim protectors.

But right now, there are far too many questions and not enough answers about how Vogel will be able to manage such a frontcourt-heavy rotation with so many mismatched skill sets.

For another team searching for high-upside youngsters that also had a vacancy at center, this might have made sense. For Orlando, the only way this makes any sort of sense is if it’s the first domino in a larger string of moves.

Grade: C-

Next: The Meeks Shall Inherit The Contract

The Meeks Shall Inherit The Contract

In a trade with the Detroit Pistons — you know, because trades with Stan Van Gundy have gone SO WELL for Orlando over the last few months — the Magic acquired shooter Jodie Meeks. Though they only had to give up a second-rounder in the process, Meeks is unlikely to move the needle much for Orlando.

For starters (and most importantly, to be honest), Meeks just can’t seem to stay healthy. He played a grand total of three games for the Pistons last season, and the year before that, he missed another 22 games.

Meeks needs and deserves a fresh start, but it doesn’t look like that’s going to be happening anytime soon in Orlando:

Again, this isn’t a bad trade considering the small ransom they had to give Detroit. Meeks is a career 37.3 percent shooter from long range and if he can stay healthy, the Magic could definitely use his shooting touch after ranking 22nd in made three-pointers per game last year.

But counting on Meeks to stay healthy — while entering the 2016-17 season injured — is not a smart wager, and with only one year left on his contract, the odds are against him ever contributing to a Magic team trying to get back to the postseason.

Grade: C

Next: Odds And Ends

Odds And Ends

The Thunder may have traded away their first round selection, but they used their second-rounder on UNLV stretch-5 Stephen Zimmerman at No. 41. That’s pretty decent value for a guy who was a projected first round pick until inconsistent play as a freshman and a few injury concerns made him drop.

In his lone season with the Runnin’ Rebels, the seven-footer averaged 10.5 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game while shooting 47.7 percent from the floor and 29.4 percent from three-point range. At NBA Summer League, he posted 9.0 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game.

Zimmerman will bring shot-blocking and eventually spread the floor for the Magic, which is all you can hope for from a second-round seven-footer. The frontcourt is pretty crowded and he has to get a LOT stronger, but that didn’t stop Orlando from signing him to a four-year, partially guaranteed deal.

As far as trades go, Meeks wasn’t the only one the Magic made this summer, acquiring C.J. Wilcox and cash considerations from the Los Angeles Clippers for Devyn Marble and a future second round draft pick.

Wilcox is hardly an NBA player at this point, holding career averages of 2.5 points per game in 44 games over his first two years in the league. However, he’s made 38.1 percent of his three-pointers in that admittedly small sample size, and Marble was similarly non-intrinsic to the rotation.

Finally, the Magic shipped Shabazz Napier to the Portland Trail Blazers for cash considerations, giving up on the underwhelming potential of a player that LeBron James once called the best point guard of the 2014 NBA Draft.

Grade: C

Next: Overall

Overall

The Orlando Magic didn’t have a horrible offseason, and there’s even a chance they’ll be a better team in 2016-17 under Vogel’s tutelage. But no one should make the mistake of thinking the front office had a good summer either.

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Heading into the first season of Scott Skiles’ return to Orlando, the Magic had Tobias Harris, Victor Oladipo, Elfrid Payton, Aaron Gordon and Nikola Vucevic on a roster that shouldn’t have been in a hurry. Internal development was the highest priority.

Less than one hectic year under Skiles later, Harris and Oladipo are gone, traded for what essentially amounted to Serge Ibaka on a one-year expiring deal, D.J. Augustin and Jeff Green. Are the Magic really better off now than they were a year ago, especially with Skiles resigning in frustration?

Let’s set the record straight: For the second time, Skiles’ disdain for Tobias Harris caused a team to sell low on his value with a trade. That trade brought back Brandon Jennings and Ersan Ilyasova — players who are both gone now, so essentially, they traded him for cap space.

And what did they use that cap space on in free agency? D.J. Augustin and Jeff Freaking Green. From a long-term and even a short-term perspective, it doesn’t get much more boneheaded than that.

Even the one young talent Orlando added to its arsenal — Biyombo — is an unclear fit in a frontcourt rotation that already includes Ibaka, Vucevic, Gordon, Green and rookie Stephen Zimmerman.

This wasn’t the NBA’s worst offseason (sorry, OKC), but it was by far the strangest. Wanting to make the playoffs is one thing, but actually providing the roster pieces needed to get there is another entirely.

Ibaka and Biyombo could bring the right mix of shooting and interior defense under a defensive-minded coach like Vogel, especially if Vucci Mane accepts a sixth man role or is traded for another go-to scorer.

But barring some astronomic leap from Fournier, Payton or Gordon, a group of newcomers featuring Ibaka, Biyombo, Augustin, Green and half a Jodie Meeks probably isn’t enough to reach the playoffs in an improved Eastern Conference.

Even with all the frustrations and inconsistencies in Oladipo’s development, it feels like the Orlando Magic might have just been better off staying patient with a young core rather than going all in on — at best — a first round playoff exit.

Grade: D+