NIKOLA Vucevic

Last season, Vucevic appeared in 64 games for Boston, averaging 15.1 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 28.4 minutes a night. He shot 49.3 percent from the field, 36.9 percent from three and 82.8 percent from the line, good for a 57.4 true shooting mark on a 21.3 usage rate. His plus-minus sat at minus-0.7 for the season. He also chipped in 0.6 steals and 0.6 blocks per game while turning the ball over just 1.3 times a night, numbers that show a veteran who still produces efficiently without needing a heavy shot diet.

Vucevic has already logged four tune-up games with his new club. On October 16 against Miami, he scored 13 points with 7 rebounds and 2 assists in 22.5 minutes, finishing a plus-13. He barely played on October 13 against Cleveland, logging 0 minutes. Two days earlier against the same Cavaliers, on October 11, he managed just 2 points and 3 rebounds in 10.6 minutes in a loss, a minus-15 night. On October 7 against Memphis, he scored 9 points with 3 rebounds and 1 assist in 12.1 minutes. The minutes have been uneven so far, typical for a preseason workload.

Vucevic is not on the injury report heading into the start of the season. He was briefly listed as day-to-day with a rest-related, other designation on October 16, but he was cleared that same day. There is no lingering issue tied to his name right now, which lines up with him already appearing in four preseason games for Orlando. For a 35-year-old entering his 15th season, staying off the injury list this early is a good sign for how the Magic plan to manage his workload once the games start to matter.

The 2026-27 regular season has not started yet for Vucevic and the Magic, and the opener is still coming. Last season's playoff run with Boston included a six-game stretch against Philadelphia in late April, where his minutes ranged from 14.2 to 30.5 and his scoring swung from 2 points up to 11, a reminder of how physical that series got. Now he turns the page with a new team. The preseason minutes have been inconsistent, but with no injury concerns on record, Orlando has every chance to have him ready and healthy when the regular season tips off.