Orlando Magic: Grading their signings in NBA free agency

The Orlando Magic had a reasonably quiet offseason. They drafted for their future and only made a couple of moves in free agency. This is probably a good thing due to the massive changes they made to the roster just prior to the trade deadline last season.

The front office clearly had no confidence in the stars of the team leading them anywhere further than a first-round playoff exit if they were lucky. As such, they sent Nikola Vucevic to the Chicago Bulls, Aaron Gordon to the Denver Nuggets, and Evan Fournier to the Boston Celtics.

In return, the Magic received Wendell Carter jr, Gary Harris, R.J. Hampton, and first-round picks in 2021, 2023, and 2025. The 2021 first rounder ended up being the eighth selection and the Magic selected Franz Wagner. They also selected Jalen Suggs with the fifth pick in the 2021 draft, both of these players should help speed up their rebuild.

Orlando Magic NBA free-agency signing No. 1: Moritz Wagner

In his first three seasons in the league, Moritz Wagner has played on four different teams. Wagner was taken with the 25th pick in the 2018 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. He would play 43 games for the Lakers before being traded to the Washington Wizards after the season was over.

Wagner would play 70 games for the Wizards over a season and a half before being traded to the Boston Celtics where he played a total of nine games before being waived. The Magic then signed Wagner less than two weeks later for the rest of the season.

While Wagner only played in 11 games, starting ten of them, he seemed to find a home with the rebuilding Magic. He averaged 11.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 0.8 blocks in 26.0 minutes per game. Wagner will be given minutes to see how he performs as the Magic looks to evaluate talent next season.

Grade: B-

Orlando Magic NBA free-agency signing No. 2: Robin Lopez

Robin Lopez is an interesting proposition for the Orlando Magic. He is a 13-year veteran who has loads of knowledge to impart. He has started for more than half of his career but has a second or third-string center in each of his last three homes.

He will have bought into the franchise as a mentor to Wagner, Mo Bamba, and Carter, all of which have only completed three seasons. He will also work with the other big man on the roster Jonathan Issac as he rehabilitates from injury.

While the Lopez signing makes sense on some levels, it also is a little confusing on other levels. The Magic’s roster appears to be out of balance with four centers as well as Isaac who can play the position. There is a possibility that they may make another trade, either prior to the season or before the deadline but as a team, they are bare in other positions such as small forward.

It is going to be a difficult season for the Magic, with a lot of younger guys learning on the court. Hopefully, the veteran presence of Lopez will help them grow.

Grade: C