Orlando Magic: Pros and cons of trading for Dennis Smith Jr.

Verdict

This is a move that the Orlando Magic should try very hard to make happen, to the point where they should be willing to part with one of Isaac or Bamba.

Gordon should be the only player off the table for now, if only because he is emerging as a leader for this young team and has shown improvement.

The need for a point guard is great and the circumstances which have made Dennis Smith Jr. available only happen once every couple of seasons.

It is the right move to make at the right time and unlike trades of the past that have backfired, the Magic won’t set their rebuild back even if it doesn’t work out.

Smith is still young, they will still have some combination of Gordon, Isaac and Bamba on the team as well, plus they have their own first round pick this summer too. As things stand they look lottery bound, so imagine adding another young player to this group.

In the one full season we saw of Smith on a rebuilding Mavericks team, he looked raw and he made mistakes. But that energy and athleticism was clear for all to see too, and he could be that gravitational pull, both on and off the court, for a Magic organization that could really do with it.

There would be growing pains, and Smith may never even get close to reaching All-Star status, but it is a risk worth taking. Augustin would be the perfect role model to help him find his way too.

There’s only a couple more weeks to get this done and with other teams faltering through injury in the East, the time to go for a move like this is now.