Orlando Magic Rumors: Orlando Magic pursued DeMarcus Cousins? Reggie Jackson deal dead?

The Orlando Magic are remaining active ahead of the NBA trade deadline. What may be intriguing is the deals that do not get done for the Magic.

The NBA world was caught completely off guard once the All-Star Game concluded Sunday.

The New Orleans Pelicans acquired DeMarcus Cousins from the Sacramento Kings for a haul that not even NBA2K’s general manager would accept. The Pelicans sent out only Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans, Langston Galloway and a 2017 first and second round pick to acquire one of the best centers in the entire league.

The return was as much a shock as the trade itself. The Kings were sending signals all week they would not trade Cousins. And Cousins seemed willing to re-sign long term with the Kings.

The deal seemed to develop shortly after the All-Star Game ended. With reports flying that multiple teams were engaged in talks and it would come down to which one the Kings liked best. The Los Angeles Lakers and Pelicans were the two primary teams, it would appear.

There were, however, some hints the Orlando Magic may have also been one of the teams the Kings discussed a Cousins trade with.

Most of them emanated from Ric Bucher of Bleacher/Report.

Friday, he published a video suggesting the Magic turned down a deal that would have sent Nikola Vucevic, Evan Fournier and picks to the Kings for Cousins. But, he reported the Magic balked over concerns of taking on another temperamental center with just one year until free agency. Their concern was retaining Cousins past that point.

Bucher doubled down on that rumor Sunday suggesting the Magic were one of the teams the Kings engaged. And, in fact, it would appear the package of Nikola Vucevic and Evan Fournier would have been better than anything else another team could give.

But Orlando balked. The team did not go through with the deal.

Bucher has sometimes had spotty information. Last year he reported Dwight Howard had reached out to the Magic through back channels to judge their interest. The report seemed to be a little too good to be true and sparked discussion, but no real action.

It is unclear whether the Magic had actual interest or discussions with the Kings about Cousins.

It does make sense in some ways. The Magic are desperate for a star to give themselves some legitimacy and set them more clearly on a Playoff track. Without a doubt, Cousins fits that description. The three-time All Star is averaging 27.8 points and 10.7 rebounds per game.

But there are legitimate questions if he truly transforms a team. His Kings teams won 30 games just once in his seven-year career. Perhaps that is more on the Kings’ relative dysfunction.

Cousins goes where ever he goes with baggage and a history of clashing with coaches, officials and teammates. That is certainly something to give the Magic pause.

Orlando also had other factors to consider. Just how much are they willing to give up for a star is a big question. So too is how much risk they are willing to commit.

Cousins will become a free agent in 2018. It is as likely the Magic judged the risk of losing Cousins and giving up a ton of assets to acquire him was not worth it overall. The Magic do need to increase their talent, but it still needs to support the team building for a longer-term future.

Acquiring Cousins without players already on the roster capable of making the Playoffs and then losing him after just one season would cripple the franchise. Especially if the team had to give up future first round picks. That is something the Magic were certainly unwilling to do.

It is completely unknown whether the Magic were actually in the running for Cousins or not. It is clear the Magic are not ready to sacrifice their future just to get a star. Certainly not one for one year.

At some point, Orlando will have to improve their talent and find a star to take their next step. It remains the Magic are looking for the right opportunity.

Reggie Jackson deal dying

The right deal may or may not have been the rumored Reggie Jackson deal that would have seen potentially only Jeff Green and D.J. Augustin going to Detroit. That deal seemed a bit too good to be true. After all, it was never completed.

Orlando’s interest in Jackson appears to be pretty real. But the Detroit Pistons’ willingness to part with Jackson seems to be less than initially reported.

Jeff Zillgitt of USA TODAY reports general manager Rob Hennigan does like Jackson a lot, but the Pistons do not seem ready to give him away. A deal is becoming less likely:

There seems to be no doubt the Magic are in the market for a point guard and are looking to improve that position. During the weekend, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders reported the Magic were in the mix for three point guards, including Jackson.

Jackson certainly would be an upgrade. Even having a poor season and coming off an early-season knee injury, Jackson is a capable scorer and strong pick and roll attacker.

Whether the Magic are pushing to acquire a veteran point guard or are willing to wait until the Draft to fill that need remains a big question too.

Next: Trade Deadline Targets for Orlando Magic

The NBA Trade Deadline is Thursday at 3 p.m. ET. There will be plenty to do before then.