Orlando Magic rumors: Magic to offer Nikola Vučević four years, $48 million?

Center Nikola Vučević has been a bright start for an Orlando Magic franchise that has won just 43 games in two seasons since trading Dwight Howard away. Vučević has become a double-double machine. He is entering his fourth season, meaning he will be due an extension soon and is already reportedly looking for one.

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Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors expects the Magic to offer Vučević a contract similar to the deal the Utah Jazz gave big man Derrick Favors – about four years and $48 million.

"I suspect that Orlando will pass on an extension for Tobias Harris this year, as I explained earlier. Conversely, I predicted that the Magic would go for a four-year, $48MM extension with Vucevic, similar to what the Jazz and Derrick Favors settled on last fall. There were more unknowns with Favors, who had yet to assume a full-time starting role when he signed that extension, but Utah was in a similar position, with plenty of young players poised to come up for new deals in the years ahead. If either side were to balk at such an arrangement, it would be Vucevic, who might be unwilling to tether himself to a contract that would have the potential to become a bargain even before it took effect if his game takes a leap this year. It’s tough to argue that a player who’s not a prolific scorer or a stout defender is worth more than $12MM a year, but it seems reasonable to think that Vucevic’s decision will come down to whether he’s willing to gamble that he can add at least one of those distinctions to his résumé in the near future."

Myron is right that the Magic will likely prioritize Vučević over Harris. The Magic have young forwards like Maurice Harkless and the fourth-overall pick in this year’s draft, Aaron Gordon, so Vučević is probably more valuable to them.

Vučević averaged 14.2 points, 11.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.8 blocks per game while shooting 50.7% from the field and 76.6% from the free throw line last season. In his three-year career, he’s put up 11.4 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.9 blocks and 0.8 steals per game while shooting 50.4% from the floor, 27.3% from downtown and 70.4% from the charity stripe.

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