When the Orlando Magic moved Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier at the March 25 trade deadline, the deals signaled a 180-degree turn for the franchise.
Over the final weeks of the season, Clifford talked a lot about purpose of play and creating the right habits, and he praised his veterans for their help in guiding the young players. He was impressed with how far Chuma Okeke and Cole Anthony, for example, had progressed in their rookie seasons, and he seemed excited about getting the chance to help a young roster make progress.
But it appears the Magic and Clifford were working on different timelines after the team reshuffled its roster with its trades.