Orlando Magic: Making sense of dealing Bismack Biyombo

By Chris Murch | Jul 10, 2018

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 23: Bismack Biyombo /

It’s time to break down Sunday’s trade where the Orlando Magic acquired Timofey Mozgov and Jerian Grant and shipped out Bismack Biyombo.

On July 8, the Orlando Magic were involved in a three-team trade that dealt center Bismack Biyombo to the Charlotte Hornets for center Timofey Mozgov. They also received point guard Jerian Grant from the Chicago Bulls at virtually no cost to them.

Some of you may be looking at this trade and scratching your heads. Why trade an expensive, underwhelming center for another expensive, underwhelming center? Why acquire a young point guard who hasn’t proven anything? If you read between the lines here, this deal was done for two reasons.

The first is that Biyombo was inconsistent and going to take away minutes from Mohamed Bamba and Johnathan Isaac moving forward. The second is this deal was really done to get Grant. The need for any point guard was imperative.

Biyombo hit the 2016 offseason lottery. After impressing in the playoffs with the Toronto Raptors, playing 20 games and averaging 6.2 points and 9.4 rebounds per game on 58 percent shooting, Biz cashed in. When the 2016-17 cap was projected to skyrocket thanks to an exceptionally league friendly TV deal, everyone from Allen Crabbe to Moe Harkless got a big piece. Biyombo was no exception.

In his two seasons in Orlando, however, Biz failed to produce like projected. In the 2016-17 season, he averaged a career high(!) 6.0 points and 7.0 rebounds a game. Those numbers actually went down this past season, believe it or not, as did his minutes per game at 18.2.

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It actually pains me to say negative things about Biyombo. He is still only 25 and has some tools to be a 10 and 10 guy in the league someday, but his future does not reside in the Sunshine State with the Magic.

They have too many young frontcourt options to choose from, especially when you already have a center in Nikola Vucevic, who can score a lot better that Biyombo ever could. You have to pick and choose. After drafting Bamba, the Magic definitely didn’t need Biz or his bloated contract.

What Mozgov can bring to the table for the Magic is veteran leadership, deep playoff experience and an ability to guard and rebound for the second unit. He also won’t eat minutes up from the new guys.

Mozgov is as traditional of a center as they come. A sturdy 7’1” and 275 pounds, Mozgov can defend the more traditional centers that populate the second units of most NBA teams. He can also score decently enough, especially against smaller defenders. This is a guy who for two straight seasons averaged above nine points per game — despite only playing an average of 25.2 minutes — on above 50 percent shooting.

People are quick to forget, but Mozgov started all 20 games for the Cavaliers during their 2015 NBA Finals run. He also has a ring from the Cavs in 2016. The Magic are a crazy young team, with an average age of 25.9, and only have four players that have ever made it past the first round of the playoffs.

Mozgov knows how to be on a winning team and go on deep playoff runs. He will also be a great mentor to Bamba and will be sure to bang with him in practice and show him how to defend in the post on a nightly basis. I know singing the praises of Mozgov is rare these days, but I digress.

Ultimately though, this trade is more about acquiring Jerian Grant than getting rid of Biyombo’s contract or adding Mozgov.

According to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel, talks with Isaiah Thomas about a potential contract never got off the ground. Worries about his play coming off injury in 2017-18 were substantial. I liked the potential addition of Thomas to this young Magic team, but they have made it clear since draft night that going big and long is their M.O. moving forward.

At 6’4″ with a 6’8″ wingspan, Grant fits this mold to a tee. He has three years of experience and is still only 25 years old. Also, with the Bulls last season, he averaged a career high in minutes, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and points. His contract is team-friendly, only costing the Magic $2.6 million, with Orlando having the ability to extend a qualifying offer next season.

You know what all of this means? It means the Magic just got a young, improving point guard for next to nothing. A player who has a lot to prove will be given the opportunity to do so in Orlando.

In an interview post deal with NBA.com, Grant had this to say about his arrival in Orlando:

"“It’s the position you want to be in in the league right now. If you are a point guard and you can go at these guys every night and prove yourself against them, you can do it against anyone,” he stressed with conviction. “Every night there’s that opportunity to prove yourself. I’m looking forward to competing – for minutes, for playing time and against the best players in the NBA.”"

Grant sounds hungry to prove himself to the league, himself and his Magic teammates. For someone who will fight for starter’s minutes against the incumbent D.J. Augustin and the newly signed Isaiah Briscoe, this is a great sign.

Next: 2018 NBA free agency tracker: Grades for every deal so far

Ultimately I like this move for the Magic. The Biyombo contract was going nowhere and you get a solid veteran out of it in Mozgov. Grant was cheap and still can be a good player in this league. Let’s not forget that he was an AP First Team All-American in college and the 2016 NBA Summer League MVP. Dude can ball and he will get a shot to prove so in the land of Disney this season.

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