Orlando Magic: 3 players most likely to be traded before deadline
By Luke Duffy
2. Jonathon Simmons
The case of Jonathon Simmons in Orlando is a curious one, mostly because on paper he is everything this struggling franchise could ever hope for. From the moment he put on the pinstriped blue, his commitment to the cause has never been in question.
He has come off the bench predominantly, but has also been a starter and has even acted as the backup point guard this season. Simmons is a jack-of-all-trades character, and the fact he is a master of none may ultimately be what works against him as the Magic continue building an identity.
In the two huge recent victories over the Boston Celtics and Houston Rockets, Simmons played zero minutes. In fact, he has received DNPs in five of the last eight games. With Isaiah Briscoe emerging as a reliable backup point guard, the need for Simmons has decreased even more.
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Why, then, would another organization need a player like Simmons, if he has fallen out of the Magic’s plans? We’ve seen how important he can be to a playoff outfit in the past, when Simmons broke through with the San Antonio Spurs and was a key part of their rotation in the 2017 NBA Playoffs.
What he can do doesn’t always show up in the box score, but right now the Magic need more players who can influence the outcome of games in this manner. If he were coming off the bench for a playoff team, he could once again find himself in the role that got him to Orlando in the first place.
Simmons is making only $5.7 million next season before hitting unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2020, and so he’d be a steal if he can be utilized properly. Of all the players on the Magic’s roster, Simmons is the one they’d most like to move, knowing they could get something of worth in return.