The Orlando Magic experienced both addition and subtraction in the early stages of free agency.
The Orlando Magic wasted no time doing what they felt was best to improve the team following the opening of free agency on June 30 at 6 p.m. ET.
On July 1, the Magic opened the month with a series of moves while also losing center Moe Wagner to the Brooklyn Nets. Recently, I went on the Full Court Magic podcast to provide grades on each transaction by the front office.
While I believed the signing of Nikola Vucevic was very good and the re-signing of Jevon Carter was okay at best, I lamented the decision by the organization to bring back Jonathan Isaac after waiving him on June 27. Below, you can find my comments on the matter, as well as my thoughts on the loss of Wagner.
"So, I give this a D-minus. You know, I could have given it an F, but I'm not going to go that far with it, you know, because Isaac could surprise us, you know, he could have a healthy campaign, could get his shooting numbers back up, could provide that 3-and-D presence that any team looking to make a deep postseason run values extremely. And so, you know, this is where we're at. Obviously, the loss of Moe Wagner, you know, great culture guy.
It was really fun having him and Franz on the same team in the same building. You know, they've got a strong relationship as brothers, as basketball players. And, you know, they had a special year, despite a challenging year, but a special year last season in which Wagner, the Wagner brothers were able to, you know, play in Berlin, Germany together on the Magic's, you know, European road trip in a pair of games against the Memphis Grizzlies, you know, that's their hometown.
And so, you know, I'm sure he will be missed by the fans, just a good dude, a hard worker, but he goes and he gets a lucrative deal in Brooklyn. And so, you cannot blame him for walking. And that's pretty much where we're at, guys. So far, you know, the Magic did not just stand pat. Weltman in the front office did make some moves. I'm a fan of the Vucevic signing.
I'm not a fan of the Isaac signing. Jevon Carter falls somewhere in the middle for me. And then, you know, you look at the loss of Moe Wagner. So, not bad so far. Not bad by any means. And we'll see if the Magic continue to make any moves as free agency churns onward in the early days here of July and so on and so forth."
Join the Community
Don't miss out on our ROUNDTABLE community and the latest news! It's completely free to join, simply by clicking the yellow button at the top of the homepage. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members. Download the free Roundtable APP and stay even more connected!
