Orlando Magic Trade Value Column 2017
With the NBA All-Star Weekend completed. It is full steam ahead to the NBA trade deadline Thursday. In our yearly column, OMD breaks down the Magic’s assets.
The Orlando Magic did not wait for the trade deadline to begin the seismic shifts sure to occur with this franchise following this season.
The team’s disappointing 21-36 record was going to necessitate change. And it started with cutting their losses on Serge Ibaka. The Magic traded Serge Ibaka to the Toronto Raptors for Terrence Ross and a first round pick (likely the LA Clippers’ pick in the late 20s).
Considering all the ambition placed into this season, that feels like the first domino to fall. The Magic said they were going to be active entering the trade deadline. There is no reason that will stop just because the Ibaka deal is done. The Magic are still 6.5 games out of the final Playoff spot and have no feel for their new team or the direction it will head.
Surely the Magic are resetting their rebuild some right now. They are trying to restock some assets and find players that complement each other better. The Magic are assessing their roster and determining what should stay and what no longer works.
Clearly after four years out of the Playoffs — and likely a fifth after all these changes — the Magic are rethinking their future and the direction they must go. That likely top-five draft pick also looks pretty good as a basis for building.
The future for this team is up in the air and Rob Hennigan — or whoever else — is going to have some work to do to remake the roster and get the team back on the right track.
Fortunately, the Magic still do have some assets and a few players other teams would want. Maybe not enough to get a star or really transform the team, but the Magic are not locked into salary cap hell.
They could use some internal improvement and a couple of shrewd moves — the few tweaks the team needs to get back into the Playoff picture — but it does not feel the Magic are completely lost. They still need help and have to piece some things together, but things are not completely lost.
Or at least that is what the Magic might have to tell themselves for now.
Orlando will remain active heading into the trade deadline. It does not appear the Magic are close to being done and they know that. The next deal could still be right around the corner.
As we have done at Orlando Magic Daily, it is time to take some stock of what the Magic have with our annual trade value column.
Based off the popular Bill Simmons column, here is our ranking of the Magic’s trade assets. The idea here is, based on the player’s skill, production, upside and contract, who is the most valuable player on the team?