The Orlando Magic are in a bit of a predicament. The team holds four power forwards and centers who deserve starting spots on the team.
Orlando added Serge Ibaka via trade and Bismack Biyombo via free agency this summer. Those players were added to a roster already including Nikola Vucevic and Aaron Gordon.
The logjam has already forced the Magic to make a tough decision by primarily playing Gordon as a small forward. The third-year pro’s skills become much less valuable at that position.
This problem for Orlando has many wondering out loud if any trades are coming. The first candidate would appear to be Vucevic. But according to ESPN’s Zach Lowe, the Magic are in no rush to trade their incumbent center for one specific reason:
The potential playmaking void is one reason the Magic are in no rush to trade Vucevic despite the logjam, league sources say. They might need his post game, and especially his passing. Last season, Vucevic quietly morphed into one of the league’s best passing centers. He assisted on 16 percent of Orlando’s hoops while on the floor, a tidy number for a big man; only five centers racked up more potential assists, per SportVU tracking data.
With the Magic having no proven playmakers, Vucevic’s skills out of the low post are much more valuable. In order for Orlando to create a productive offense, they may need his scoring and passing down low.
Meanwhile, Vucevic is confident about his abilities, despite Orlando bringing in two starting-caliber players at his position:
Vucevic is not ready to cede the starting spot, or his role as the team’s alpha dog.
“I believe I will be the starter — the best player on the team, and the guy who has been here the longest,” Vucevic said. “I’m not taking anything away from Bismack. I just believe I should start.”
The Magic have not promised him the starting job but Nikola Vucevic certainly believes he deserves it. It appears he will have plenty of time to prove it.
