Despite trade rumors centering around his name, Nikola Vucevic is still a cornerstone of the Orlando Magic franchise. Here are three goals for him in 2018-19.
It seems like almost every summer we hear Nikola Vucevic’s name swirling in the trade rumor cesspool. It makes sense that teams would want a 7’0” center who’s mobile, can knock down shots, rebound and is typically reliable health-wise. The Orlando Magic haven’t decided to give up on him like they have other young up-and-comers (ahem, Victor Oladipo and Tobias Harris) and thus, Vucevic has been the one constant in the Sunshine State.
With the exception of his rookie season, Vucevic has been with Orlando for his entire career. The 27-year-old has led the Magic in scoring twice in his six seasons and led Orlando in rebounding every year. His career averages with the Magic are 15.9 points and 10.3 rebounds per game in an average of 31.4 minutes on the floor.
In a league where traditional centers are quickly becoming a way of the past, Vucevic has adapted to this new game and last season, in only 57 games, made a career high 64 3-pointers. He also set a new career high in assists (3.4 per game), blocks (1.1 per game) and free throw percentage (81.9 percent).
After a disappointing 2016-17 campaign in which Vucevic averaged his lowest scoring average in a Magic uniform, he bounced back and showed why he’s still the best interior player on Orlando’s roster.
Still, Vucevic is at risk of becoming a casualty of the Magic’s forward thinking. After drafting center Mohamed Bamba with the sixth overall pick a few months ago, it seems as though the writing is on the wall for Vucevic. The Magic are trending toward younger, longer players and although Vucevic is still young, his build and tenure don’t mix with that equation.
Last month, Michael Scotto of The Athletic reported that the Magic are actively shopping the 27-year-old Montenegrin. It makes sense to let Vucevic go as the Magic should try to develop their younger pieces.
If we’re being frank, the Magic aren’t in any position to make playoff noise this season. Having another season of Vucevic’s 15 and 10 is nice, of course, but as evidenced by the last six seasons, it doesn’t necessarily translate to winning. Letting the new guys develop and get the minutes needed to have any sort of rawness subside is probably the smartest move.
This piece might be in vain if Vucevic ends up getting traded this offseason but for now, he’s the starting center in Orlando. Here are three goals for his upcoming 2018-19 season.