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Nikola Vucevic is about to become the Orlando Magic’s $100 million man.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Vucevic and the Magic are on the verge of agreeing to a four-year deal for $100 million.
Orlando free agent All-Star Nikola Vucevic plans to commit to a four-year, $100 million deal to return to the Magic, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2019
If the figures are correct, Vucevic will become the second player in franchise history to receive a nine-figure commitment from the Magic, joining Rashard Lewis, who signed a six-year deal for $118 million in 2007.
Vooch deserves this payday. During his first All-Star season last year, he made just $12.25 million while guiding the Magic to their first playoff spot in seven years.
As we discussed, the concern was never about how much money Vucevic would get from the Magic, but how many years the deal would be for. I’m happy to have Vooch back but the four-year commitment concerns me, though we still need to see how the deal is structured (frontloaded please!). I worry about the sustainability of Vucevic’s career year, during which he averaged 20.8 points and 12 rebounds while shooting 51.8 percent from the field in the regular season (numbers that took a nosedive in the playoff). In addition to potential regression, Vucevic at an average of $25 mil per for the next four years is a hefty commitment for a team that just one year ago used the sixth pick to draft their center of the future in Mo Bamba. The signing could greatly impact the Magic’s financial flexibility three and four years from now when they are looking to lock up their young pieces or target other free agents.
While fewer years would have been beneficial, the Magic had to bring Vucevic back for the sake of continuity as they look to build upon their playoff season. Vucevic is the centerpiece of the Magic offense, he has expanded his skill set, and he served as a model teammate through the challenges of the Magic rebuild.
When you’re about to sign a contract for $100 million... pic.twitter.com/7EMCROcgrq
— Orlando Pinstriped Post (@OPPMagicBlog) June 30, 2019
Still, there will be plenty of mixed opinion on the deal from Magic Twitter. Much more on this story coming soon. Focus for the Magic now shifts to Terrence Ross.