The Orlando Magic have been stricken with the worst injury luck this season. They are currently riding an eight-game losing streak and currently have the fourth-worst record in the league at 13-26. When fully healthy, they have enough talent to make the play-in tournament. It is possible that they turn things around as they’re just four games behind the play-in, but they might make some big changes to the roster with the direction their season is headed.
Evan Fournier is probably the most likely starter to be traded since his contract is expiring. Nikola Vucevic is naturally gaining a lot of interest with his All-Star season, but there’s no urgency to move him right now with two more years left on his contract. The same goes with Terrence Ross, who certainly can be acquired but it will probably require a lot for them to move him now.
Then there’s Aaron Gordon. The seven-year veteran hasn’t made huge leaps since the 2017-18 season but that hasn’t stopped rival teams from being interested in him. He’s a good passer and a versatile defender but his lack of shooting and spacing leaves a lot on the table offensively. In fairness to Gordon, it’s arguable that he’s being asked to do too much on offense. The pressure has been on him for a while now and, it doesn’t help when former head coach Frank Vogel said that he wanted to “use him like Paul George”.
If he were to play on a great shooting team, he wouldn’t need to be relied on for shooting and could focus on what he does best. Throughout Gordon’s time in Orlando, the Magic have ranged between average to league-worst in three-point percentage. This is just one example of how a change of scenery could allow him to perform better. There could also be more potential left in Gordon and perhaps a new, really good team can unlock it if he’s allowed to focus on his strengths.
He has one more year left on his contract so the Magic must make a decision on his future soon. They can extend him this offseason to a four-year, $88.2 million contract that would start him at $19.7 million in 2022-23. Whether it’s in Orlando or with a new team, he could command as much money as his maximum allowable extension if he has a strong 2021-22 season.
Gordon might not be in Orlando’s plans for much longer, to be honest. This is mainly because of his odd fit next to Jonathan Isaac. The Magic probably need a shooter in one of their forward spots if they’re going to have a respectable offense. The question is whether the Magic should trade him now or later. If they can get a late-lottery pick along with a good veteran or young player, they should heavily consider it. Otherwise, they are probably better off holding him and gauging the market on him again this coming offseason. The only thing to consider is that his value might not be as high as it is this season since he will become an expiring contract this summer. The additional year of team-control gives him a lot more value right now.
Here are some of the teams Gordon has been linked to and what they could offer for him.