In the midst of a painful rebuild, the Orlando Magic have decided to resign Aaron Gordon. Let’s take a look at three reasons this was a good move.
Since the departure of Dwight Howard in the summer of 2012, the Orlando Magic have been one of the worst teams in the NBA. A consistent lottery team throughout the past five years, most of the players they’ve drafted in the first round have failed to make an impact.
Other than Victor Oladipo, the best player the Magic have drafted since Howard deserted the franchise is Aaron Gordon. Selected with the fourth overall pick in 2014, Gordon has steadily improved each year in Orlando. He became a regular member of the starting lineup in 2016-17, and posted career highs last season in points, rebounds, assists, and blocks per game.
Entering the offseason with limited cap flexibility, one of the primary goals for the team was to reach an agreement with Gordon. That’s exactly what they accomplished on July 6, as they signed the 22-year-old restricted free agent to a four-year, $80 million contract.
The deal makes him the highest paid player on the team and is a signal that Orlando is committed to building around Gordon’s potential. Let’s take a good at three reasons resigning Aaron Gordon was a good move.
Next Page: No. 3
