Could the Washinton Wizards trade with the Orlando Magic?
Teams don’t like trading within the division, but when the right deal presents itself, teams put their manufactured differences aside and pull the trigger. The Orlando Magic are a solid team with one bonafide All-Star in Nikola Vucevic but their lack of a true facilitator will prevent them from being anything more than the 8-seed.
The Magic would have to be confident that the John Wall of old is coming back but if they’re looking to move up in the NBA hierarchy Wall could be exactly the player that gets them there. The combination of Wall and Vucevic in the pick and roll would be deadly. Plus a backcourt pairing of Wall with the criminally underrated Evan Fournier would form a solid nucleus.
NBA teams are forever in pursuit of forming a “Big-three,” and while Vucevic, Fournier, and Wall might not meet those arbitrary standards they’d be at least a “Biggish-three.” The Magic haven’t been relevant since Dwight Howard was pretending to be Shaq and a move for Wall could see them once again be a threat to make the second-round.
The Wizards’ return from the Magic could see them bolster their depth, help their finances, and provide a homecoming for Markelle Fultz. To make the finances work the Magic would have to part with Aaron Gordon’s $18 million contract, Terrence Ross’ $13.5 million, and Fultz’s $12.3 million. The trio’s salary commitments for 2021 come in at $43.8 million which almost matches Wall’s $40.8 million.
While this seems like a heavy price to pay for the Magic, they’re not surrendering anybody that has been crucial to their marginal level of recent success. Gordon is far more famous than he is good and is still owed an additional $16.5 million for 2021-22. The hope for the Wizards is that in a new environment his play will improve.
Gordon has never been able to develop a consistent jump shot and his defense hasn’t developed to the point where his lack of floor spacing is not a concern. Gordon’s ability as a cutter and rim runner leads to an absurd amount of entertainment value but the areas of the court where he excels are where Nikola Vucevic does his damage.
Gordon is not cheap and he is not particularly good, his fame aside, but a move to a team that lacks a true frontcourt anchor could help him do what he does best. Terrence Ross is a contract that the Magic would likely want a do-over with as well.
Ross is not a bad player but he’s owed $37.5 million over the next three seasons and will be 30-years-old in February. Ross is a solid scorer off the bench but players with his skill set can be found at half the price. For comparison, Lou Williams, the NBA’s premier bench scorer, is only on an $8 million salary for 2020-21.
Markelle Fultz has shown promise in Orlando but if John Wall is headed to the Magic then Fultz’s $12 million salary for a backup point guard not only is expensive but will also stunt his growth. Fultz heading back to Washington would be a joyous homecoming for a player who has endured much in his short career.
The Wizards might have to include a small amount of salary to make the deal go through and the Magic would also want back some future picks as protection if Wall’s injury problems flare up again but this is a deal that makes both teams better. If Wall is adamant about leaving, the first team the Wizards should call are the Orlando Magic.