Magic's Nikola Vucevic: Still believes he'll start at center in 2016-17

Vucevic recently told Sirius XM NBA Radio that he expects to start at center for the Magic during the upcoming season. "I don't expect [my starting role] to change. I think I have proven I am definitely a starter in this league and I believe one of the best centers in this league," Vucevic said. "I don't believe there is any reason for me to come off the bench. I have spoken to the Magic about it. They know that. That's no disrespect to Bismack [Biyombo] and he proved a lot last season and had a great playoffs. But I believe I will still be a starter and one of the main guys on the team going forward as well."

Analysis:

The offseason signing of Biyombo to a four-year, $72 million contract would seem to pose a legitimate threat to Vucevic's starting role, but the 25-year-old continues to maintain a positive outlook, despite trade rumors circulating around him. Biyombo brings more to the table than Vucevic as a rim protector and defensive presence, attributes that the Magic were sorely lacking at the back end a season ago, so even if he continues to serve in a bench role with his new team, there's still a good chance Biyombo will be used heavily. If that's the case, Vucevic's minutes from last season (31.3 per game) would almost certainly go down, and his scoring (18.2 points per game) and rebound outputs (8.9 rebounds per game) could head in a similar direction. The Magic should officially name their starting center in training camp, but no matter how that situation shakes out, Vucevic's fantasy value will take a hit so long as Biyombo remains healthy and available.