As we begin the slate of preseason games ahead of the regular season proper, the Orlando Magic find themselves perched in a good place. At this moment in time, they have a first-year head coach in Jamahl Mosley who the players are responding to, and a ton of young talent that it is hoped will continue to improve.
A year with plenty of losses (and the online abuse that comes with it) is sure to follow, and it is going to put a dampener on the optimism around the franchise, but for now, all teams are equal and the good vibes are permeating from the group. With great veteran guys in the locker room like Robin Lopez and Terrence Ross, the roster as it is currently constructed mostly makes sense. For those who lived through the last rebuild, that was never a given and is great to see.
But no roster is immune to change, and the Magic will be no exception as they look to create a sustainable future.
The Orlando Magic are a team that is continuing to grow and improve, with these three players likely to be gone by the trade deadline.
Although some of the candidates on this list are likely obvious, don’t be surprised if tougher decisions are made sooner rather than later. The backcourt in particular, despite seeing a serious lack of quality in the years after Jameer Nelson left, now has arguably too many players who are all going to want substantial minutes as time goes on.
For now though, finding the balance between youth, experience and planning for the future is the main goal. The roster is fairly balanced as it is, but if an opportunity to turn assets into future growth that raises their ceiling exists, then the franchise has to think long and hard about cutting ties with some players sooner than they’d like. The following are three prime candidates.