Orlando Magic: 3 reasons to make a trade approaching deadline
By Luke Duffy
1. Anticipating a quiet summer
The main reason to look at trades before the deadline is because there are no guarantees the summer is going to bring any joy to the Magic. As of now, they are not a free agent destination.
It may seem like every big player worth talking about is on the move, but none of them wants to come to Orlando. In truth, it is going to take a lot to convince players of that caliber to set up there — most likely in the form of growing two All-Star level players themselves.
So while the likes of D’Angelo Russell and even Tomas Satoransky will be restricted free agents, their respective employers are not going to let them go. It doesn’t matter what offer sheet the Magic send their way, it’s going to be matched.
First order of business for Washington is discussing a possible extension for Tomas Satoransky. The point guard is eligible up until June 30 to sign a four-year $47M extension. Satoransky will become a restricted free agent if he’s not extended.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) February 5, 2019
This is why a trade at the deadline makes more sense. If they can add a player who will be under contract for a number of years, they won’t have to worry about them leaving town. Pair that with the young core in place, and it would be interesting to see what could come out of that situation.
It would be better to look at deals now than to wait until the summer and realize no players are coming, before re-signing Vucevic for too much money and going after second-tier free agents. What that would do is lock the Magic into the core they currently have.
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Although there is much to like about the young players in place, and a lot of people would be happy to see Vucevic back, that does not look like a top-four team in the East even five years from now. They need to make some changes, and doing so in the next 48 hours would be a good start.