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Orlando Magic Rumors: Poor January has team rethinking roster

By Philip Rossman-Reich

Dec 20, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic head coach Scott Skiles calls out to his team from the bench during the second half of a basketball game against the Atlanta Hawks at Amway Center. The Atlanta Hawks won 103-100. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 20, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic head coach Scott Skiles calls out to his team from the bench during the second half of a basketball game against the Atlanta Hawks at Amway Center. The Atlanta Hawks won 103-100. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Orlando Magic’s slow rebuild may have received a more immediate jolt with the team’s poor January. The Magic are looking more closely at making change.

The common refrain when it came to the Orlando Magic and the upcoming NBA trade deadline is that the Magic are not going to make a major move to sacrifice their future. With the team playing decently well and being in the Playoff conversation, the team needed to gather more information on its players and the viability of its roster, explore opportunities as they come around and not make rash decisions on the future.

There was time to make decisions.

January may have changed that formulation. A 2-12 record in January and losing 15 of the past 17 games after losing to the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday may have those thoughts changing.

As the trade deadline approaches, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders reported Thursday, the urgency in the Magic front office to make a deal has increased:

"The Magic, for most of December, were turning away offers on their roster. But over the last three weeks sources close to the situation say that trade conversations have taken a turn and there is an increasing sense that this roster as constructed may require significant change.The Magic are one of the teams listening to the big idea offers; however, they seem unwilling to part with their young core, especially the players who were high level draft picks."

Certainly, these are some of the big questions the Magic needed to answer. They needed to figure out if this core as constructed could come together — even if from the outside it seemed clear the pieces did not quite fit. At this stage of the rebuild, the Magic had built up their talent base through three NBA Drafts and needed to take steps forward.

They have only taken baby steps forward. The team obviously wants more and expects more, especially heading into 2017.

Exactly what the Magic can do at this stage and what they can acquire for any of their major pieces is still not entirely clear. Orlando is seeking the star-type player to galvanize and unify the roster some since the team has not been able to mine one out of the Draft quite yet.

Trading for a star rarely means actually acquiring an All Star. There is a reason players get traded.

The Magic certainly have to gauge the value their players may bring in and determine what is worth it. They also have to build a team rather than collect talent simply. It is that time to turn the corner for the team.

Rob Hennigan and his staff tend to keep things to themselves. Even seeing this report coming from a source close to the Magic’s thinking is a bit of a surprise. It certainly shows though the Magic are asking themselves the big questions fans are too and looking into the avenues available to them to improve the roster.

Next: Why Rudy Gay would be a good fit for the Orlando Magic

What they will actually do may come down in two weeks or may come down in the summer. It is becoming clearer though that this roster as currently constructed has major flaws that need resolution or clarification if the team is serious for a 2016 or even a 2017 Playoffs run.