Orlando Magic should stay put at trade deadline

With an 18-28 record, now it’s time for the Orlando Magic to decide what to do at the trade deadline. Buy or sell? Stay put?

The Orlando Magic are now 18-28, 4.5 games behind the Chicago Bulls for the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference after Sunday’s 118-98 home loss to the Golden State Warriors.

There is still time to at least get the last playoff spot. But that time is running out. Which means the Magic have to decide how to approach the rest of the season and the trade deadline fast approaching.

Should the Magic be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline? Who can they bring that will improve the team enough to reach the playoffs? Is trading young players like Aaron Gordon, Nikola Vucevic or Elfrid Payton to get a veteran the best decision? Is a postseason berth the ultimate goal, even if it also means a quick exit?

Capturing the eighth or seventh seed would mean facing the Cleveland Cavaliers or the Toronto Raptors in the first round (most likely). Will the Magic get someone that can make them overcome the top teams in the East in a playoff series?

It does not appear there is anything that would move the needle much more than just sneaking into the Playoffs.

The Magic’s goal should always be to reach the playoffs and compete, not just get in and be happy with that. Building a real contender takes years and this team already has some pieces that can contribute in the future. Getting rid of promising players to add someone who may or may not help the Magic achieve a first round exit makes no sense.

For this reason, the Magic should enter the trade deadline with some caution and skepticism. They should not sell the farm for a singular Playoff berth. They must keep the team’s long-term vision in mind.

Unless they can get something in return for a player like Serge Ibaka, who may very well leave when his contract expires at the end of the season, the Magic should finish the season with this roster and plan for the future ahead.

The recent 1-5 road trip dealt a huge blow to the Magic’s playoff hopes. Three of those five losses were by 10 points or more and all six opponents scored more than 100 points. That kind of performance won’t take this team far.

The Magic are 1-1 since coming back home from that trip. But they have a 2-6 record in the last eight games. It signals it might be time to start thinking about next season.

It has been a stretch to forget for the Magic as a whole. But the performances of some players stood out and provide hope for the future.

Aaron Gordon has become a more complete offensive player. He finished with a team-high 28 points, including 4-of-8 from 3-point range in the loss against the LA Clippers. He is averaging 14.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per game in 12 games in January.

Nikola Vucevic has stepped up his game, averaging 15.5 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.2 blocks per game in 12 January games, scoring in double figures in 11 of those contests.

Vucevic has done everything the Magic have asked of him. He was not thrilled about coming off the bench. But he worked hard to help the team any way he could and win his spot back. Moving him back to the starting lineup was the right call.

With Evan Fournier out for most of the road trip, Elfrid Payton elevated his play and seems to have turned a corner. Payton has been in and out of the lineup and he has had to deal with the pressure of hearing Goran Dragic‘s name linked with a trade to the Magic. Despite all that, he is proving that this can be his team.

Payton’s improved play continued against the Warriors, as he finished with 23 points, 10 assists, four rebounds and one steal in 39 minutes, shooting 11 for 18 from the floor. He is now averaging 20.7 points and 7.8 assists per game in his last six games, proving he deserves his spot in the starting lineup and that he can be the floor general the Magic need.

Bringing in Serge Ibaka and Bismack Biyombo has not made the impact the team expected. Ibaka is set to become a free agent in the summer, so the Magic should trade him and get a player in return while they can.

An Ibaka trade would give the Magic more in return than what any other move could.

The Magic’s plan should be to get significantly better soon and keeping him without knowing if he plans to stay or not after this season is a big risk. Trading him makes sense.

It may seem too late in the season to make a playoff run, but Magic fans should feel confident about the team’s future. Gordon, Vucevic and Payton are showing what they are capable of and they will only get better.

The Magic should not be buyers at the trade deadline. They should not be sellers either.

Unless they can move Ibaka or Biyombo. The front office should give the current roster a chance to see how far they can go, remaining patient for deals that will truly make the team better.

Next: Rob Hennigan: Orlando Magic need external, internal improvement

Staying put at the trade deadline is the right move. That said, they also have to figure out how to improve this team next season.