Another year, another quiet NBA trade deadline for the Orlando Magic, or so we think. In the past decade-plus, the organization has been cautious at the best of times, but especially so at this stage in the NBA’s calendar. The only move of note they have made in recent seasons being the shrewd addition of Markelle Fultz from the Philadelphia 76ers.
That’s not to say that the Magic are going to make no moves at all though. While most predict that the core group of their team is likely to remain in place until the end of this year and beyond, not every player is free from potential trade chatter. Unlike previous years though, injuries to many key guys muddy the waters on exactly how good this group can be when fully healthy.
Two-time All-Star Nikola Vucevic leads the group, and when both Fultz and Jonathan Isaac are back from long-term injuries, it will be interesting to see what this roster looks like. Certainly, the Magic seemed like a playoff outfit this season, and that was without Isaac. It seems bleak right now as the franchise head back to the lottery, but this time next year it may not be.
This is why deciding what players to move, if any, is a risky one. The front office has played it safe and strived for stability and continuity. They nearly had that this season, only for injuries to strike. Making personnel moves now when the makings of something is right there in front of them is not easily done. But if moves are to be made;
These are the most likely Orlando Magic players to be moved at the NBA trade deadline
Some of the names on this list might surprise you, but in the case of all three, some combination of their situation on the roster, as well as their current contract, likely plays into the decision. There is also no point in making moves for the sake of it, but some change around the Magic, albeit small ones, might not be the worst idea either.
3. Evan Fournier
Evan Fournier is the right place to start on this list because he straddles the line between being a member of the Orlando Magic’s core, but also one of their most likely, or ideal, players to move. We say this because Fournier is in the final year of his current deal, and can hit unrestricted free agency this summer.
So if Fournier were to be moved, it would be for one of two reasons. The first would be as a rental for a contending team to potentially push them over the top. Think about what he could bring to the Utah Jazz for example. The second is so that another franchise, most likely one not near the top of the pile, can get off some contracts of their own in trading for Fournier’s expiring.
The only issue there is that by and large front offices are savvier than they used to be, and these horrendous contracts, which would need to have picks attached for the Magic to take on, aren’t as plentiful as they used to be. There’s also the small issue of the Magic actually regressing without Fournier as well if he left.
As much as he divides opinion, nobody on the roster can create like Fournier can. It may ultimately be the main reason the Magic actually bring him back on another deal this offseason, a scary thought for some. But despite fans not always loving what he does on the court, he absolutely has value around the league.
Given that the front office may want to get off the idea of having to make a decision on Fournier in the summer, it is highly likely he is available for the right price. The organization still seems committed to winning and building on the back-to-back postseason appearances of the last two years, so they may be happy to take a veteran back in return as well.
Getting a young player however to add to Fultz, Isaac, Chuma Okeke and whoever they take this summer would put the franchise in a strong position to build towards something more long-lasting and with a higher ceiling in the future. Moving Fournier now could be the perfect moment to set that plan in motion.
2. Khem Birch
Outside of ESPN’s Zach Lowe, not a lot of people know or care about center Khem Birch. That is on them, however, as in his time with the Magic he has gone from player brought back from the overseas wilderness, to a real cult hero and somebody who has taken minutes away from lottery pick Mohamed Bamba.
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The idea of trading for Birch isn’t exactly a sexy or trendy one, but he could absolutely do a job for pretty much any team in the league. That’s his appeal. The Brooklyn Nets may have brought in Blake Griffin, and could yet add Andre Drummond, to try and shore up the paint with bigger bodies, but Birch would be the perfect player for them.
A guy who runs the floor diligently, sets screens, looks for putbacks and barely ever has his number called, and is absolutely fine with this being his role. The kind of unsung big man that you would want on the end of your bench over the course of a season.
Yes, he would likely see his minutes cut drastically if he were traded to a playoff team, and his offensive game is very limited. But we are seeing a rebirth of the big man in the NBA and although Birch is unable to provide a high level of play on both ends of the court, defensively he is able to battle in the paint with just about anybody in the league.
Birch is making $3 million this year and is also an unrestricted free agent this summer. In the Eastern Conference, other teams could do worse than take a look at Birch as somebody who could wrestle with Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers over a seven-game series in the playoffs. It would also not take a lot for the Magic to part with him either.
This would finally clear the way for Bamba to assume the role of backup center full-time, and quite quickly we would know if this is something he is able to do over the course of a season. Bamba has shown some flashes this season, and Vucevic won’t be around forever. Fans love Birch, and he has been great, but the time to move him to get something in return is now.
1. Terrence Ross
Terrence Ross ticks every box for a contending team, and it is the reason he tops this list. At 29, he is currently in his prime and is a career 36.8 percent 3-point shooter on just over five attempts per game. Ross also has two years left on his deal after this one, meaning that if another team traded for him, they could keep him with their core for a number of years.
The Orlando Magic have been smart in the ways they have configured some of their contracts, and the money owed to Ross will decrease slightly over the next couple of seasons. Vucevic’s deal is constructed similarly, and it makes guys easier to move, as opposed to harder as sometimes as they get older their production drops, but the money owed increases (see Griffin, Blake and Love, Kevin for more high profile examples.)
This makes Ross even more appealing, as he will eat up less money on a contender, going from $12.5 million to $11.5 million the year after, and is also easy to move on if it doesn’t work out. To add to the pros of going after Ross, he is used to coming off the bench and can go through stretches where he is among the top sixth men in the league.
Any organization looking to bring him in should view him as a Seth Curry type of figure. We have seen with the younger Curry how the Dallas Mavericks have missed him this season, while the 76ers have benefitted from bringing him on board to replace Josh Richardson. Ross likely isn’t as good as Curry, but the gap between the two is not huge either.
Defensively you might not be getting a lot from Ross, but his nickname is “The Human Torch” for a reason. He can come off the bench and pile up points in a hurry and does his best work off the ball. Just set screens and watch him run through them until he finds a way to get open. The former Slam Dunk champion may not be as explosive as he once was, but he’s still got hops.
All of this makes Ross the most valuable trade chip that the Orlando Magic have right now that they would be willing to part with. They would look for something of note in return, and they’d get it too. As the NBA trade deadline nears, franchises who think they’re close to going over the top will look for ways to get better. Terrence Ross is among the most ideal candidates in the league right now.