Orlando Magic: Trade market for Aaron Gordon not what you think

As has so often been the case, Aaron Gordon’s name is appearing in trade rumors, but the Orlando Magic would struggle to move him if serious about it.

As the man himself once said, here we go again. There are certain things you can count on in the NBA year after year. The dominance of LeBron James. Which disgruntled young star is already eyeing up a new city to play in. Oh, and the Orlando Magic apparently being open to trading Aaron Gordon. It happens year after year, and unsurprisingly, this time out is no different.

Only it kind of is, because if you look around the landscape of the league right now, it is unclear who would want to sacrifice so much cap space to take him on, especially with 2021 looking like a monster year for big names on the move. In theory, a young fringe star like Gordon would have other organizations queuing up for his services, but here is why it might be different this time.

For starters, what the Magic would likely want back from another team in any deal would scare most of them off. In recent days there has been chatter that the Milwaukee Bucks could be interested in adding Gordon to what is already a contender. The only issue there is that Khris Middleton would surely be off the table.

It would make no sense for the Bucks to get rid of Middleton, an actual All-Star and a much better offensive player who fits brilliantly next to Giannis Antetokounmpo, for Gordon. So what would they have left to offer? Well, point guard Eric Bledsoe would probably have to join the Orlando Magic in any deal to make the salaries match. Do you think the Magic would be into that?

The Bucks would have to add a first-round pick to the mix to get the Magic interested, and beyond that only have guys like Donte DiVicenzo (who plays well in their system) and D.J. Wilson (who kind of cost the Bucks Christian Wood) to add to the deal. It’s hard to see the Magic parting with Gordon for that.

Who could the Orlando Magic make a deal with?

So let’s move onto somebody in a completely different position, the San Antonio Spurs. Playing catch up as a result of holding onto a more dated way of playing for too long, they have the most old-school top-two pairing in the league in LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan. Gordon would bring some excitement to Texas.

But about all they could offer for him, assuming they want to keep young guys around him to improve, is DeRozan. Great and all as he is, and really it would be brilliant if he could land on a contender at this point, he wouldn’t push the needle enough for the Magic. Rather, this could be the second coming of the nightmare that was trading Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis for Serge Ibaka all over again.

The idea was to get better in the short-term, but like Ibaka, if you add DeRozan to what the Magic have, that makes them at best, a sixth-seed? Luckily this front office seems a lot smarter than to do something as shortsighted as that. Alright then, what about the Golden State Warriors?

Now we’re getting places, and in fact, this might be the best potential trade of all for both sides. The Warriors get a younger player to take some of the load off Draymond Green while adding that athleticism and defensive play to Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson seems like an ideal way to inch closer to contention once more.

For the Magic, asking for the second overall pick straight up probably would be met with the phone line going dead, and Andrew Wiggins would have to be added to make it work. But Wiggins salvaging his career alongside somebody else who is currently doing this well in Orlando, Markelle Fultz, isn’t as ridiculous as you’d think. Throw in Eric Paschall, one of the few bright spots for the Warriors last season, and a second-round pick if the Magic turn the screw, and that’s a deal.

But is Gordon good enough to go all-in on if you’re the Warriors? To this point in his career no, and it would push them into tax hell. A place they wouldn’t mind being, as they have before if they know it almost guarantees them a Western Conference finals berth. Only with Gordon, it doesn’t, which is why names like Jrue Holiday are doing the rounds now too.

You look at the organizations that have cap space this offseason, and there aren’t many, and they have their sights on bigger prizes. The New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks and Phoenix Suns gravitating towards names like Chris Paul and Fred VanVleet. If they fail in these pursuits, they seem smart enough to wait it out until next year (well, except maybe the Knicks, as usual).

All of which is to say, floating out a trade rumor regarding Aaron Gordon isn’t the straightforward affair it was even a year ago. His dip in play means his stock has taken a hit. There are other guys out there right now. He costs a lot of money if you’re a contender. No, you’re not getting CJ McCollum for him so stop trying. Orlando Magic fans, you could do worse than getting your new “City Edition” jersey with Gordon’s 00 number on the back..