Ti’s Four-Point Play: The Biggest Winners And Losers From The NBA Trade Deadline

Loser: Orlando Magic

Orlando had such a beautiful thing going this summer. The Magic had a ton of young talent around, and just needed to give their team some time to determine who is an essential piece and who can be dealt to build around the other guys.

Instead of doing that and letting their team grow the right way, the Magic brought in Scott Skiles and chose to chase wins now. To accomplish that goal, Tobias Harris and Channing Frye were traded away on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively.

Orlando’s return? Brandon Jennings, Ersan Ilyasova, Jared Cunningham, and a second round draft pick. Even if neither Frye nor Harris were in the Magic’s long-term plans, they really needed to do better than that for a return.

Orlando got a Jennings rental and Ilyasova for Harris, a talented, young wing player. For Frye, who was the most valuable stretch-4 on the market since the New Orleans Pelicans decided to hold onto Ryan Anderson, they got a guy who has been on five teams in four years and a second round pick.

More hoops habit: 2016 NBA Trade Deadline: Grades For All 30 Teams

Yikes. These moves might not have harmed Orlando’s true young core, but they will likely set back the Magic a few years. That’s what happens when a team gives away a ton of value for not much value at the deadline, and why Orlando firmly lost the 2016 NBA trade deadline.