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Orlando Magic: 2016 Offseason Grades

By Gerald Bourguet

Oct 30, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic guard Victor Oladipo (5) drives to the basket as Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka (9) defends during the second half at Amway Center. Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Orlando Magic 139-136 in double overtime. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 30, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic guard Victor Oladipo (5) drives to the basket as Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka (9) defends during the second half at Amway Center. Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Orlando Magic 139-136 in double overtime. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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Orlando Magic
Jan 19, 2016; Logan, UT, USA; UNLV Rebels forward Stephen Zimmerman Jr. (33) grabs a rebound in the first quarter against the Utah State Aggies at Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports /

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

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