As we begin the slate of preseason games ahead of the regular season proper, the Orlando Magic find themselves perched in a good place. At this moment in time, they have a first-year head coach in Jamahl Mosley who the players are responding to, and a ton of young talent that it is hoped will continue to improve.
A year with plenty of losses (and the online abuse that comes with it) is sure to follow, and it is going to put a dampener on the optimism around the franchise, but for now, all teams are equal and the good vibes are permeating from the group. With great veteran guys in the locker room like Robin Lopez and Terrence Ross, the roster as it is currently constructed mostly makes sense. For those who lived through the last rebuild, that was never a given and is great to see.
But no roster is immune to change, and the Magic will be no exception as they look to create a sustainable future.
The Orlando Magic are a team that is continuing to grow and improve, with these three players likely to be gone by the trade deadline.
Although some of the candidates on this list are likely obvious, don’t be surprised if tougher decisions are made sooner rather than later. The backcourt in particular, despite seeing a serious lack of quality in the years after Jameer Nelson left, now has arguably too many players who are all going to want substantial minutes as time goes on.
For now though, finding the balance between youth, experience and planning for the future is the main goal. The roster is fairly balanced as it is, but if an opportunity to turn assets into future growth that raises their ceiling exists, then the franchise has to think long and hard about cutting ties with some players sooner than they’d like. The following are three prime candidates.
Orlando Magic trade deadline candidates: 3. Terrence Ross
We have already spoken at length about how underrated Ross is both to the Magic and throughout the league, but that doesn’t mean that trading him before the deadline isn’t the best course of action here. Much like Nikola Vucevic before him, it is possible his value will never be higher than it is right now.
Even if that is still not quite at the level it should be in terms of how he is valued by others. But Ross is capable of coming off screens and nailing 3-pointers at a level that is more than acceptable for contenders. As it is he is the only player on the Magic’s roster who can do this consistently and his offensive threat is greatly needed.
He doesn’t make a ton of money and is comfortable coming off the bench, and at 30 he still has plenty to give in the right situation. As already mentioned he is a great veteran in the locker room and is one of the longest-tenured players that the Magic have. They wouldn’t want to give him up easily.
But any chance to get better in the long-term should be examined seriously. As sad as it is to contemplate, Ross may be past his best when the Magic are finally ready to enter the postseason with aspirations of winning a series or two. That is no disrespect to him, and in fact, he could end up aging well and be of use.
He has also had no major injuries anytime recently either, which helps. But it may also be that Ross goes to the front office and respectfully asks to be traded to a contender if the opportunity arises. He has given his all to some poor Magic rosters over the years and has been nothing but professional. If the Magic can get something back and Ross gets to play deeper into the summer, then everybody will win.
Orlando Magic trade deadline candidates: 2. Gary Harris
An obvious candidate here, Gary Harris is entering the final year of his current contract and has only played 20 times for the Magic since coming over alongside R.J. Hampton in a move that saw Aaron Gordon head the other way to the Denver Nuggets. At this point in time, it is hard to see him remaining a long-term piece or somebody who gets brought back when his current deal is up.
The Magic already have to figure out what to do with Hampton, Jalen Suggs, Markelle Fultz and Cole Anthony, and although Harris would actually compliment all of these guys well in the backcourt, adding him to the salary bill for the coming years doesn’t seem to make sense.
He is making $20.5 million this coming year, and if that is any indication of the kind of money Harris will be looking for again, the Magic should steer clear. With that being said, if Harris starts the season well (he has averaged 17.5 points over the course of a season in the past and is still only 27), he will attract the interest of playoff hopefuls who see scoring bursts in Harris.
Financially the Magic would have to take a similar-sized contract back (or a couple of players so the math works), but to make it worth their while if a pick or picks were attached it would be something to explore. Harris would be seen as a rental in much the same way Evan Fournier was for the Boston Celtics when they gave the Magic a pair of second-rounders for him at the deadline last season.
Another deal like that could work, even if adding on an expiring contract from that other organization has to happen. Ideally, it would be great to get a young player as part of any deal, much like Hampton for Gordon when Harris was thrown in, but right now that doesn’t seem likely. No matter how he plays though, Harris will remain a prime trade candidate this year.
Orlando Magic trade deadline candidates: 1. Mohamed Bamba
As watched touched on at the Magic’s media day, this is likely Mohamed Bamba’s last chance to stick with the franchise. Working in his favor is the fact that previous head coach Steve Clifford, who did not seem all that impressed by him, is gone, while coach Mosley has already worked out with Bamba this offseason.
Having the back of the coaching staff will give Bamba the confidence to believe that this year can be different. He has also packed on some serious muscle as well, which it is hoped will make him much more of a factor on the defensive end. The length and ability to sniff out a block have always been there, but the strength to hold his own inside has not.
Why then if there is all this positivity is Bamba the most likely candidate to get moved? Well, the Magic also have another center in Wendell Carter Jr., who they got in the Vucevic trade. There is no doubt getting a pair of first-rounders for Vucevic (one has already turned into Franz Wagner) was the main reason they made the deal, but Carter Jr. is far from a throw-in.
He was in the same draft as Bamba, picked one spot behind him in seventh. Carter Jr. also arrived in Orlando last season and played with the kind of energy despite it being a lost cause of a campaign that fans were quickly drawn towards. If we’re talking about where both players are right now, Carter Jr. is the better defensive player and looks closer to realizing his potential.
What is so intriguing about Bamba is that his ceiling is probably higher, especially as he has hit some 3-pointers before to stretch the opposition on the offensive end. Sadly though, he tops this list because he is now eligible for an extension on his rookie deal, which means Carter Jr. is as well.
The Magic aren’t going to keep both guys around, and when you look at the roster that they are building, a more defensively sound player like Carter Jr. makes the most sense to keep with the group at this moment. The organization won’t pay both guys, it would be less shocking to see them pay neither, so exploring a trade for Bamba to get out from under that financial commitment, as well as the introduction of Carter Jr., means his time is likely up in Orlando.