Perhaps the latest Orlando Magic rebuilding act is oversold. You tell me. Their record this year stands at a dismal 11 wins against 40 losses. No one is talking about them. I’m not sure if anyone is entertained.
Ok, I confess. This article was originally intended to offer up the Orlando Magic as a potential NBA team to pack up and move to the Pacific Northwest as the new Seattle Supersonics. Yes, I looked at all of the particulars.
Welcome to the Magic Show
Arena lease: Halfway through a twenty-five-year deal with Amway Center that began in 2010. I’m sure they could arrange a buyout.
Team history: A couple of NBA Finals appearances with no championships. Not much more to speak of. The Magic have yet to be competitive since Amway Arena was built in 2010.
Ownership: The Devos family has owned the Magic franchise since 1991 and I’m certain that they have grown fond of the Orlando community even though their other businesses are based in their home state of Michigan. With that being said, maybe as chairman Dan Devos approaches his mid-70s, he would be looking to sell. It’s not absurd. Leslie Alexander purchased the Houston Rockets in 1993 and went on the sell to casino and restaurant mogul Tilman Fertitta in 2017. This was, of course after back-to-back championship success in the mid-90s by the Houston Rockets. The Magic appeared as the losing opponent in one of those title runs, but Orlando doesn’t have the same winning history as other franchises. That could make them vulnerable in a sale and potential relocation.
For Our Next Trick
What is the overall game plan for this team? The Orlando Magic began as an expansion franchise in the late 80’s along with three other teams, the Charlotte Hornets, Miami Heat, and the Minnesota Timberwolves. Since then, the Miami Heat have three championships in six appearances, the Charlotte Hornets relocated in 2002 and returned as the Bobcats in 2004 (later changed back to Hornets in 2014), and the Minnesota Timberwolves are poised to sell to a new ownership group that may or may not move the franchise to Seattle.
Given the relative lack of success on the court for the Timberwolves and Hornets, you would think that there would be chatter about possible relocation for the Magic as well. Maybe I’m starting the rumors, I don’t know.
This is rebuild number 4 by my count since franchise stalwart Dwight Howard was traded from the team in 2012. The first rebuild was around Maurice Harkless, Nikolas Vucevic, Victor Oladipo. Rebuild number 2 centered around Mario Herzonja, Evan Fournier, and Aaron Gordon. The third rebuild placed the future in the hands of Jonathan Isaac, Mohamed (Mo) Bamba, and Markelle Fultz. The Devos patriarch, Richard Devos, passed away in 2018 at age 92. Rebuild number 4 (in progress) features Cole Anthony, Chuma Okeke, Franz Wagner, and Jalen Suggs.
Pick a Coach, Any Coach
The Magic have been through 5 head coaches in the last 10 years. That is an average of two years per coach. At the halfway point of this season, they have the worst record in the league (winning three out of the last four shines the pig a little bit). I can’t make any promises to current coach Jamahl Mosley but history says by this time next year, he will be gone and this iteration of the rebuild will be second-guessed.
I can give Orlando credit for one thing. Franz Wagner, the 8th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, has shown tremendous promise. He is high on my rookie of the year list this year along with Rookie of the Year favorite, Evan Mobley of the Cleveland Cavaliers. So Mosley is developing the talent to some degree. But is ownership happy with where things stand right now?
Abracadabra! The Disappearing Act
Attendance is 25th in the league out of 30 teams. The average has trended down every year for the past ten years. They get a 0.81 average viewership rating in their market. By contrast, another small market, the Oklahoma City Thunder, registers a 3.16 rating. Many of the players they were building around in the past went on to greater success with other teams. Tracy McGrady went to the Finals with the San Antonio Spurs in 2013 and Dwight Howard won a championship in Orlando, but with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Magic’s history is filled with second places in NBA Finals, Dunk Contests, even second in terms of NBA franchises in Florida. Nothing magical about that.
Furthermore, the Devos family reportedly lost $100 million in the Theranos scandal. Not a small sum considering the NBA is still recovering from COVID pandemic losses. Maybe the Devos family moves on. Forbes ranks the Magic 24th in NBA team valuations at $1.64 billion. A tidy profit from the 1991 sale price of $85 million. It would likely go for more on the open market. Maybe they sell to a group that promises to keep the team in the city. That’s how it starts of course. But what it could end up being is just what Magic fans dread. The Magic’s disappearing act from the city of Orlando could be their final curtain call.
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