Orlando Magic: 3 takeaways from Game 5 finale vs. Raptors

1. Big decisions are coming this offseason

The postseason struggles of Orlando’s young core and established talent alike are important, mostly because the Magic are at something of a crossroads.

First, Nikola Vucevic (their All-Star and leading scorer) and Terrence Ross (their vital sixth man and fourth-leading scorer) are both unrestricted free agents this summer. Second, Khem Birch, who’s played his way into a nicer contract as a defensive-minded backup center, is a restricted free agent.

And that’s before considering Fournier may have already peaked and could be unplayable in a playoff series, but is still owed $17 million next year with a $17 million player option for 2020-21.

On the one hand, the Magic had an encouraging overall season. Vucevic’s career year was a great story, as was T-Ross’ Sixth Man of the Year candidacy. Jonathan Isaac was healthy and improved. Mohamed Bamba was…there, for a while. They made the playoffs, and won 42 games — an 17-win increase from last year.

However, there are a few undeniable facts that the front office has to think long and hard about this summer, without letting sentimentality weigh in too much.

For starters, the Magic aren’t a contender, nor will they evolve into one next year by re-signing Vucevic and Ross to the kind of lucrative, multi-year contracts they earned this season. Isaac and Bamba have bright futures in this league, but they won’t be there by Year 3 and 2, respectively, and this team desperately needs more offensive firepower.

Fultz is still on the mend and has to prove he can even play basketball again, which is why D.J. Augustin’s one year remaining on his contract represents the perfect timeline. Letting assets walk for nothing is never a good idea, but this group may have already reached its ceiling — or won’t be able to expand it high enough to justify multi-year extensions for Vucevic and Ross, at least.

Will Vucevic, who will turn 29 before the start of next season, be able to build on a career, contract year to actually lead a team in the playoffs? Unlikely. Will Ross fail to find suitors on the open market? Probably not. Is it possible to keep Vooch and Birch in the same frontcourt that needs to figure out what it’s doing with Isaac, Bamba and Gordon? Definitely not.

At some point, the Magic have to make some tough decisions. Not to disparage a winning season or a return to the playoffs, but this group barely finished two games above .500 in the “Leastern Conference,” and then get torched in the first round by a Raptors team notorious for losing Game 1. Ceding to the youth movement might be the best course of action from here.

All of this depends on what Vucevic and Ross want to do this summer and what kinds of contracts they’re offered in free agency from other suitors, but overpaying to keep them around and run it back with largely the same core might not be the most enlightened approach for the long-term.