Orlando Magic: 5 New Year’s resolutions for this team

2. Make a trade

Given that this season is not going the way the Magic would have wanted it to, a trade seems likely before the February deadline.

However there are many ways the team can go with this. Vucevic has been mentioned in trade scenarios for what feels like forever now.

Simmons, one of a number of great veteran presences on this team and who the team should keep, will likely attract the interest of a contender looking to add for a deep postseason run.

In much the same way Channing Frye went to the Cleveland Cavaliers a couple of years back, the Magic could expect a first round pick in return for Simmons.

Combine that with the lottery pick they’ve likely got coming their way and a front office taking charge of their first draft after a season in charge, and that’s a recipe for a more successful rebuild.

Vucevic likely wouldn’t net the team a first-rounder, but could entice teams who see him as a perfect sixth man type into giving up young talent in return.

Even Terrence Ross, out at the moment with a knee injury, is the kind of scorer off the bench a playoff team would love to have.

The team may stay as it is past the deadline, but conventional wisdom would say that will not be the case. This version of the Magic hasn’t quietly excelled like the front office had hoped.

1. Give youth a chance

With the Magic going nowhere fast, now is the time to turn it over to the young players again so that they can lose games, make mistakes and grow together.

The only issue there is that it is entirely possible much of their young core may not even be around next year.

Payton and Aaron Gordon both were not given early extensions before the season began, and while the Magic will pay whatever it takes to lock Gordon up, the same cannot be said for Payton.

Mario Hezonja, whose career looked dead and buried even before the season began, has taken his unexpected run in the first team because of injuries really well. The only issue there is that he is an unrestricted free agent next summer. The Magic might try and bring him back, but you couldn’t blame the guy for wanting a change of scenery.

This really only leaves Jonathan Isaac and Wes Iwundu (who looks more like a G League player at times) as guys who may benefit the team long-term from playing and losing now.

Isaac has been reduced to playing only 15 games so far this season, starting just two of them. But when he is back and healthy, he needs to go into the starting lineup.

Even Hezonja, who can now walk for nothing, should be played more on the off-chance a contender fancies giving up a second-rounder for a short-term rental for the playoffs.

Next: 2018 NBA Mock Draft: End of 2017 edition

This should be a top priority for the Orlando Magic as they look to change direction once more in 2018.