There’s going to be a ton of Orlando Magic rumors over the next couple weeks as NBA free agency and trade season gets going. We’ve already heard trade rumors surrounding Aaron Gordon. We can now add shooting guard Evan Fournier to the mix.
There’s a decent chance that both Gordon and Fournier will be moving on from the Magic in trades this offseason. That’s where we start in looking at your most-recent Orlando Magic rumors.
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Orlando Magic rumors: Evan Fournier picks up option on contract
Shama Charania of The Athletic reports that Fournier has decided to pick up the $17 million option on his contract for next season. This would normally be seen as a pretty big surprise.
Fournier, 28, is coming off a career-best 2019-20 season that saw him average 18.5 points on 47% shooting from the field, including a robust 40% from distance. He might be a one dimensional player. With that said, most figured that Fournier could have cashed in on a longer-term deal for one final time in his career.
Alas, the economic downturn in the NBA due to the COVID-19 pandemic will likely make for a less-than-stellar free-agent market. Fournier obviously took that into account here.
In no way does this mean the former first-round pick will be in Orlando next season. His $17 million salary for next season could be seen as a bargain for other teams.
Primarily, the Golden State Warriors are an intriguing option. They have a $17-plus million trade exception to use stemming from the Andre Iguodala trade. Could Golden State offer up a young player to Orlando in a potential Fournier trade? This would obviously help the Magic from a financial perspective.
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Orlando Magic rumors: Could Aaron Gordon be traded?
One recent rumor has Gordon linked to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a trade. Said deal would likely net the Magic young wing Jarrett Culver and a first-round pick in return. It’s something Magic general manager John Hammond will have to consider.
Previous Orlando Magic rumors concluded that Gordon could be on the block. The athletic 25-year-old wing took a step back this past season, averaging 14.4 points and 7.7 rebounds on 44% shooting from the field.
One of the issues with trading Gordon would be selling low on the still-young forward. Gordon’s combined base salary of $34-plus million over the next two seasons adds another layer to this.
As with Fournier, the Warriors have been linked to Gordon. He’s a Bay Area native, too. However, it remains to be seen how a trade of that ilk would work.
With both Minnesota and Golden State linked to Gordon, it will be interesting to see if the forward is moved. For now, it’s all about the Magic receiving value in return.
Coming off a one-and-done in the NBA Playoffs, Orlando is going to want to shake things up this offseason. Trading Gordon and Fournier would enable the team to do just that.