Orlando Magic Fans Should be Happy After Free Agency Haul

Following the official opening of free agency on June 30 at 6 p.m. ET, the Orlando Magic did not wait long to begin making roster moves that will impact the upcoming season.

On Wednesday, Orlando signed former All-Star center Nikola Vučević to a one-year, $3.9 million deal. The front office also re-signed Jevon Carter to a one-year contract and brought back Jonathan Isaac after waiving him on June 27. On the other side of the ledger, center Moe Wagner departed for a two-year, $19 million deal with the Brooklyn Nets.

For the Magic, this was always expected to be a restrictive offseason because of their large payroll and status as a first-apron team. Even so, Orlando remained active by adding pieces it believes fit both financially and culturally.

Given the team's roster and financial situation, the Magic added a proven veteran in Vučević, who provides scoring, rebounding and leadership, while also retaining Carter after he played meaningful minutes and embraced his role throughout multiple stretches last season.

While the roster turnover wasn't as dramatic as some fans may have hoped, President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman once again stayed true to his philosophy of building the roster organically rather than chasing splashy moves.

On a recent episode of Full Court Magic, host Don Strouble broke down why he believes Vučević's return is one of the best moves the Magic could have made this offseason, citing his familiarity with the organization, veteran leadership and ability to complement Orlando's young core.

"Free agent center Nikola Vučević has returned to the Orlando Magic,” Strouble said. “Vučević has talked before about his love for Orlando. I believe he still owns a home in the area, and so there was always this kind of good relationship and a good foundation that remained between the two parties... this is one of those value finds for the Magic, and they not only reunite with an important player in franchise history but they also address depth at the center position and they get a guy who is still very capable of producing a double-double. You know, despite being 35 years old, despite having some miles on his body and in his career, this is still a very productive player... passed up more lucrative offers in order to return to Orlando... I gave this one an A, not just for the nostalgia of it, but for getting a really reliable backup center."

"The Magic also resigned Jevon Carter,” Strouble added. “Obviously, Carter was the Magic's buyout market pickup following February's trade deadline... brings that good veteran leadership without being at the tail end of his career. But the problem there is that he's only six feet tall. He's not much of a facilitator, averages less than one assist, and so when you're a small guard and you can't traditionally play a point guard role and get your teammates involved, your shots have to fall. That has not been the case for Carter in his initial tenure with the Magic... the Magic are going to need more from Jevon Carter on the court... he can resurrect that three-point shooting percentage that we saw him demonstrate with the Chicago Bulls in the beginning stages of last season. Okay. So, you know, I gave that one a grade C."

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