Orlando Magic: Complete 2018 offseason grades

Re-signing Aaron Gordon

Remember that part about Orlando’s lack of a marketable star? Aaron Gordon has been the closest thing to that for the Magic, but going into his fifth season as a pro he still hasn’t made the leap from promising athlete to dependable star.

Gordon came out of Arizona drawing comparisons to Blake Griffin — not just because of their similarities in look, but also because Gordon fit the Griffin mold as an uber-athletic and versatile power forward whose highlight reels could dominate social media while his all-around game could dominate for a playoff team in the future.

He did well on the first part of that promise, using a breakout performance at the 2016 Slam Dunk Contest to catapult his name into mainstream sports discussions.

As for the second part, however, Gordon hasn’t been as successful.

Last season, he averaged 17.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.8 blocks per game — all career-high numbers. But he also shot a career-low 43.4 percent from the field, and injuries limited him to just 58 games. The Magic had another poor season with Gordon as arguably their top guy, going 25-57.

Going into this summer as a restricted free agent, it was unclear whether Gordon would command a monstrous contract due to his potential — he is only 22 years old — or a more modest deal due his modest production so far.

Orlando didn’t allow another team to produce great offer sheet, quickly securing Gordon with a four-year, $84 million contract that actually pays more at the beginning ($21.5 million next season) than at the end ($16.4 million in 2021-22).

The structure of the deal means that if Gordon does realize his potential in the next four years, the Magic will have a 26-year-old All-Star in his prime making less than $20 million in salary. That affords the team more flexibility to sign quality supporting players in free agency and/or pay their existing talent. And if Gordon doesn’t live up to expectations, well, it’s easier to trade someone who makes $16 million compared to someone who makes over $20 million.

It’s too early to declare Gordon a bust (he was drafted with the fourth overall pick in 2014) or a star, and it’s also too early for the Magic to give up on him. The team is still building its foundation, and Gordon is an important part of it. Even if he doesn’t become what the franchise hopes he can become, re-signing him was the right move to make.

Grade: A