Orlando Magic Trade Targets and Candidates

The Orlando Magic had a very active off-season, signing veteran sharpshooterKentavious Caldwell-Pope away from the Denver Nuggets , as well as inking all of their important free agents to extensions to bring back the squad who had the most successful season for the franchise in over a decade.

Orlando has been improving for several years now, going from 22 wins in 2021-22 to 47 last season, and pushing the talented Cleveland Cavaliers to the brink of Game 7 in the first-round. However, the Magic know that their work is just beginning, as the next steps to true title contention are always the hardest.

As I said, rather than making any impulsive splash moves to secure headlines, the Magic stood pat and brought back mostly the same roster, with one key addition. This leaves them with tons of flexibility to make several trades in the near future and vault into the NBA’s elite tier of teams.

Magic Top 3 Trade Targets

Magic have one huge need: offensive skill around their blossoming stars

Orlando has an obvious hole in their formula as currently constructed if they want to compete in the suddenly fierce Eastern Conference: shooting and offensive talent. Their defensive personnel is incredible, which led them to the third-best defense in basketball last season, but their glaring needs on the other end of the floor surfaced in an ugly fashion in their first-round loss.

As great as Orlando’s defense is under Jamahl Mosley and the culture of toughness, grit, and aggression he has instilled in this group, the Magic have no path to contention if they don’t acquire a wealth of offensive skill in the near future. They got a jump on this by signing Caldwell-Pope to a slightly expensive, but excellent three-year deal this summer, but Orlando is still miles behind its Eastern counterparts.

The top three teams in the East are the Boston Celtics , Philadelphia 76ers , and New York Knicks , and all three of those teams have one thing in common: they have terrific defensive players as well as scoring, shot-creation, shooting, and playmaking up and down their rosters. For Orlando to join them, they need two or three more valuable offensive guys.

There are many players across the league for Orlando to consider, but these three would fit seamlessly with the Magic and fill their needs offensively. All three are also likely trade candidates for their own teams.

Anfernee Simons, SG, Portland Trail Blazers

Anfernee Simons has been an underrated player for some time now, either constantly stuck in Damian Lillard ‘s shadow or spending last season on the hapless Portland Trail Blazers . As crazy as it seems, Simons is entering his seventh NBA season this year at age 25, bursting onto the scene in his fourth campaign back in 2021-22. Since then, he has quietly been one of the NBA’s best scorers, averaging 20.2 points with great efficiency.

The knock on Simons, outside the losing, has been his tendency to be a defensive liability, both because of effort but especially his lack of size. Being on the smaller side, any team considering his talents must be concerned that NBA coaches will target him mercilessly in pick-and-roll to get him switched onto their best scorers, where he has little hope of holding up.

Steady improvements in footwork, strength, and focus can change a player’s defensive abilities in the long run (just look at Stephen Curry ), but the best way to maximize their talents is to surround them with a roster containing tons of lockdown defenders and length who can cover for their shortcomings.

Orlando is the ideal roster to take on a weaker defender, with all-NBA defenders like Jalen Suggs and Jonathan Isaac on the wings to hide Simons as effectively as possible. His electric offensive skillset would transform the Magic on that end of the floor and ensure that last year’s first-round debacle never happens again.

Simons is an excellent off-ball shooter, can score off the dribble at all three levels, runs pick-and-roll effectively, and can create his own shot at an elite level. He would be the perfect addition to help out Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner as they attempt to lead Orlando to a title.

Norman Powell, SF, Los Angeles Clippers

If Orlando wants to upgrade their scoring talent without making a huge move such as acquiring Simons, they should look into L.A. Clippers forward Norman Powell . The former UCLA Bruin has long been one of the league’s most effective bucket-getters, no matter what team he is suiting up for. Since 2019-20, Powell has averaged 16.7 points in just 28.8 minutes per game on elite efficiency, coming off the bench in many of those seasons.

Powell has the entire bag offensively: he is a sniper from every spot on the floor, attacks closeouts better than most, and can create his own shot if called upon. He would immediately improve the spacing on the court for Banchero and Wagner to work and would provide secondary scoring as a starter or as a sixth-man type.

The 31-year-old is a proven winner, has a championship ring under his belt, and would bring more useful veteran leadership to the table to help Orlando’s young talent progress. Trading for Powell would be relatively inexpensive, and completely worth it.

Darius Garland, PG, Cleveland Cavaliers

A blockbuster deal that Orlando could consider is trading for Cavaliers’ point guard Darius Garland . He is an interesting fit because he doesn’t quite address the Magic’s direct weakness offensively, which are off-ball shooting and play finishing. He is a good range shooter but is more of an off-the-dribble marksman than a catch-and-shoot player, which explains why he may be moved from Donovan Mitchell ‘s Cavaliers.

However, Garland could quickly transform another questionable aspect of Orlando’s attack: their playmaking. Their two best players are both wings in Banchero and Wagner, both of whom have a lot of progress to make as passers, which Garland could immediately fix. He is one of the very best playmakers in the league due to a combination of electric handles and quickness with LeBron James -esque passing talent.

The only issue with this logic is that in the long run, Banchero will almost certainly have the ball in his hands during every clutch situation, creating yet another clunky fit next to Garland. On the flipside, that day may be a few years away, and Garland’s presence could help him make the transition smoothly while also giving Orlando more years to contend while he and Wagner grow up.

Again, Orlando is so well-equipped to cover for his defensive deficiencies.

Orlando Magic Top 3 Trade Candidates

Magic should exchange defensive talent for offensive

Orlando should consider every possible deal with one intention in mind: flip several of their excellent defenders for players who can improve their brutal offense. It is their only path to a championship, as one-dimensional squads cannot compete at the highest level, especially defensive-minded teams in the modern NBA.

Cole Anthony, PG

After a rough couple of seasons to begin his career after being drafted 15th overall to a losing situation, Cole Anthony has turned it all around as an NBA player at just age 24. The UNC product has always been a gifted scorer, but due to his diminutive stature and inconsistent shooting stroke, his efficiency cratered upon entering the league. This drop in efficiency is normal for small guards as they adjust to the huge jump in defensive competition, but was a huge concern for Anthony’s future.

Luckily, he has responded well over the last two campaigns, increasing his efficiency as well as becoming an excellent on-ball defender. Anthony has embraced his role as an aggressive nuisance type of defensive player, hounding opposing ballhandlers up and down the floor, becoming just the latest to fit in with Jamahl Mosley’s gritty attitude at that end of the floor.

Despite Anthony’s resurgence and his reasonable $13M contract, he is yet another example of playstyle redundancy on a basketball team. Unfortunately, his skillset would just be much more valuable on a different team, as Orlando already has several elite on-ball defenders, such as their bulldog Jalen Suggs, who just earned All-NBA Defense honors.

Furthermore, the Magic need to move off of some of their players who contribute to their biggest weakness: inconsistent off-ball production. Although he has improved offensively, he shot just 33.8% from downtown in 2023-24, and was one of the main reasons for their meltdown in the playoffs.

Swapping him for a similar quality of player who is offensive-minded would be better for both hypothetical teams and both guys. Orlando could also use his contract as an asset to match Simons’ contract in a trade such as that.

Moritz Wagner, C

Although trading Franz’s brother would be an odd move with all the good vibes surrounding the franchise, the Magic are soon going to have to make some tough roster decisions to maximize the potential of Banchero and their championship hopes. With Wendell Carter Jr. locking down the starting center role and Orlando re-signing Goga Bitadze , as well as Isaac’s ability to be a small-ball five, the Magic don’t need Moritz Wagner as badly as other teams do.

His 2-year, $22M deal would be a great contract to add as a young, improving player to acquire a starting-level offensive stud to boost Orlando’s offensive ceiling. Wagner has proven to be a solid role player on a good Magic team because of his energy and tenacious style that fits right in with their current culture, but there is no world in which he helps them improve their scoring weakness, making him the perfect trade candidate.

Franz Wagner, SF

The Magic trading their franchise cornerstone may seem unlikely after they just signed him to a massive five-year extension through 2029-30, and rightfully so. There is no way Orlando will move on from Wagner this season, but if he isn’t able to improve on his key weakness, they are going to be presented with any franchise’s worst nightmare: knowing one of the core players just isn’t good enough to win a championship on their existing contract.

Wagner is just 22 years old and has every chance to improve and meet his crazy potential, but if he continues to be a poor range shooter, a questionable decision-maker, and a mediocre defender, Orlando will have to ask themselves the dreaded question sooner rather than later.

He will be a “young star” throughout the entirety of his deal, meaning the Magic will always be able to trade him for valuable assets. Again, this is an unlikely event, but it may be more possible than most fans would admit.

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