1. Terrence Ross, Orlando Magic
Terrence Ross‘ $10.5 million salary is on the verge of being difficult to orchestrate a deal for, but a motivated team will find a way. Simply put, the Orlando Magic‘s designated sixth man is in the middle of a career year, and it shouldn’t be long before he’s in the middle of trade discussions.
The Magic are still technically in the playoff hunt, sitting three games behind the current 8-seed. However, this Orlando squad has also lost eight of its last 11 games, and its -3.5 point differential screams “lottery team.” If the downward spiral continues, the Magic would be foolish to neglect capitalizing on Ross’ value.
Averaging a career-high 13.9 points per game on 37.5 percent shooting from downtown, Ross is putting on a stellar audition for playoff teams in need of scoring punch and floor-spacing in their second unit. He’s taking six 3-pointers per game, so it’s not like his efficiency is the byproduct of limited looks either.
As a career 37.1 percent 3-point shooter on 4.6 attempts per game, this season is no fluke; it’s simply the next step in his maturation. As an expiring contract who will only turn 28 years old in a few weeks, Ross is the perfect blend of expendable, but also talented enough to stick around with his next team depending on their cap situation.