NBA Trade Rumors: 5 Teams That Should Trade For Goran Dragic
3. Orlando Magic
Should the Orlando Magic deal one of their youngsters like Elfrid Payton or Mario Hezonja to bring in a 30-year-old floor general like Goran Dragic? Absolutely not. Is it impossible to imagine them doing so anyway? That’s another matter entirely.
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Behind the Buck Pass
If this sounds like a dumb, shortsighted idea, then it might just be right up general manager Rob Hennigan’s alley! Don’t forget, this is the same guy who traded Tobias Harris and Victor Oladipo away without getting a single first-rounder in return, mostly because his job is under fire from management that wants the team to return to the postseason.
Though the Magic are 13-18, they’re somehow only two games out of a playoff spot in the East. Sacrificing the team’s youth would be yet another long-term blunder in the service of an inevitable first-round exit, but if Orlando is insistent on making it happen, they have the pieces to entice Miami and add more scoring, shooting and playmaking.
As well-rounded as Elfrid Payton might be on both ends of the floor, he still can’t shoot. That limits his playmaking in pick-and-roll sets, clogs Orlando’s spacing and currently has him coming off the bench for head coach Frank Vogel — despite being gifted on the defensive end, while playing for a defensive-minded coach.
The Magic want scoring, playmaking and shooting, all of which they’d be getting from Dragic, who is averaging 19.2 points and 6.7 assists per game while shooting 41.7 percent from three-point range. The Heat want to get rid of Dragic’s contract while possibly bringing on young talent or future draft picks. This deal involving Payton and Jeff Green accomplishes both:
Though Nikola Vucevic — another player coming off Orlando’s bench who deserves a starting gig somewhere — could be inserted in Green’s place, the Magic’s 30-year-old swingman makes more sense for both parties.
Adding Vucevic would bolster Miami’s talent, but he’d still probably be coming off the bench behind Whiteside. That’s also quite a bit for Orlando to give up just for Dragic, and trading Green comes with the added benefit of freeing up more minutes for Aaron Gordon at the 4 (where he belongs) rather than continuing to play him out of position as a 3.
The Heat wouldn’t mind taking on what’s left of Green’s one-year, $15 million deal if it gives them a possible point guard of the future like Payton. Though he has his flaws, Payton is still only 22 years old, he’s a tenacious defender, and he’s averaging a career-high 11.3 points and 5.6 assists per game on 45.5 percent shooting despite decreased minutes and the demotion to bench duty.
The Heat need to start rebuilding around a different timeline, and trading for Payton would accomplish that goal. They could let Green walk in free agency, get Dragic’s deal off the books and pocket a player with potential from a franchise that routinely abandons that kind of development.
Meanwhile, Orlando gets the scoring they’ve been looking for, adding a player who could work wonders in the pick-and-pop with Serge Ibaka and possibly help lead the Magic back to the postseason for the first time since 2012.