3 teams that built for future at 2021 NBA Trade Deadline

1. Orlando Magic

This was a no-brainer. The Orlando Magic finally got tired of bashing their heads on that same first-round playoff ceiling and decided to blow it up, shipping out Evan Fournier, Aaron Gordon and Nikola Vucevic in three separate deals so they could commit to a future built around the injured Jonathan Isaac, the injured Markelle Fultz, un-molded youngsters and extra draft picks.

The assets they received in return weren’t stellar, but they did get some picks … even if they were all protected. In total, the Magic are getting Gary Harris (26), Wendell Carter Jr. (21), RJ Hampton (20) and Otto Porter Jr. (27), as well as a 2021 first-rounder from the Chicago Bulls (top-4 protected), a 2023 first-rounder from the Bulls (top-4 protected) and a 2025 first-rounder from the Nuggets (top-5 protected).

Again, that’s not an overly impressive haul, especially since Fournier only netted them two second-rounders, but the Magic did brace for the future like no other team, shipping out their three best players for younger projects and future draft assets. Where they go from here will depend on the health of Fultz and Isaac (and Harris), OPJ’s impending free agency and what becomes of raw assets like Hampton and those protected draft picks.

For now, though, there’s no question Orlando is closing one chapter and beginning another. The future is murky, but the Magic made the right decision by trying to build for it all the same.