Orlando Magic: 3 reasons to make a trade approaching deadline
By Luke Duffy
2. Selling high
Staying on the subject of Ross and Vucevic, although both are unrestricted free agents this summer, they are having career years. Ross has become an excellent off-the-ball mover who is converting 37.7 percent of his 3-point attempts. There isn’t much more than needs to be said about Vooch in his first All-Star season.
The time to sell on these guys may never be higher, although their upcoming free agency status does hinder any potential haul the Magic could get for either of them. Still, there are organizations that will panic and look to make a deadline day move in the hopes of solidifying their playoff position.
Should the Lakers strike out on Davis for example, both Vucevic and Ross would be serviceable stopgaps for their playoff push until they can continue their pursuit in the summer. Perhaps the Washington Wizards will feel the need to look at different players and deals, now that John Wall will be out for a long time.
Even somebody like the Knicks, a wildcard who can’t be ruled out of any deal and could try and pick up additional pieces for their anticipated summer frenzy of moves, could be in play.
Fans may not like the prospect of trading Vucevic as he is the focal point of the Magic and has reached All-Stat status. Given his situation, any return on moving him wouldn’t equal his worth to Orlando either.
But between Gordon, Isaac and rookie Mohamed Bamba, there are only so many minutes to go around. If this is Vuecvic’s ceiling, and it would certainly seem like it, moving on him and Ross now could be great for the team’s future.