Orlando Magic: What should they do with Nikola Vucevic?

3. Play his as a power forward

Basketball today is a more position-less sport than at any point in the past. Nevertheless, Vucevic has rarely shared the floor with a traditional big man. This was because he was seen as that rim-running guy for the Magic, and so it wasn’t necessary to have him play this way.

But now that he has expanded his range, and given his drawbacks defensively, why not play him as a power forward next to Biyombo or Birch?

This actually works for a number of reasons. On a small scale, it would allow Birch to continue growing and getting minutes, even with Vucevic back in the rotation.

There would be question marks over how he could play next to Biyombo, however, as limited tests doing so last season yielded poor results.

On a team level, it would allow the Magic to continue building a defensive identity with the key guys they’ll be returning next year, while Vucevic just spreads the floor. It also works as Aaron Gordon is out at the moment due to injury and the team needs cover here anyway.

From the organization’s point of view, showcasing Vucevic as a stretch-4 could also increase his trade value to get more in return from him.

A much longer shot would see the Magic realize he is their long-term answer at that position, and offer him a new deal. Even if it blows up in their face and Vucevic is horrible at that position, isn’t losing games the idea right now anyway?