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John Hammond expects Orlando Magic to look at long-term at deadline

By Philip Rossman-Reich

ORLANDO, FL - JUNE 22: John Hammond of the Orlando Magic looks at his notes in the war room during the 2017 NBA Draft on June 22, 2017 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL - JUNE 22: John Hammond of the Orlando Magic looks at his notes in the war room during the 2017 NBA Draft on June 22, 2017 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Orlando Magic general manager John Hammond made the radio circuit before the NBA trade deadline. He said to expect the team to focus on the long term.

Orlando Magic fans are eagerly awaiting the NBA trade deadline. It is the first time the team will have a chance to shake up the roster after a difficult season. Orlando’s 15-35 record has been a frustrating season. Injuries have decimated the team.

There is no getting around where the Magic are at in the standings. They will be playing with a high Lottery pick this summer. That will add an influx of talent for sure. But everyone also senses the team’s current core is not getting the job done either.

Orlando has to find a way to flip things over and get some new faces. Some new faces that fit what president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman and general manager John Hammond want to accomplish. Slowly, but surely, the Magic’s new front office needs to make the team fit their vision. That means getting rid of some of the pieces from the old regime.

There are plenty of rumors flying about. Most of them are probably half-truths or possibly outdated. The report the Magic gauged interest on Aaron Gordon got a lot of Magic fans worried and a lot of fans from other teams salivating, trying to figure out how to pry free the Magic’s young star.

More likely than not, the Magic were simply evaluating the market and demanding a steep asking price to do a deal. The odds of the Magic trading Aaron Gordon are still very low.

It is more likely the Magic look to move players like Elfrid Payton, Evan Fournier or Nikola Vucevic. They come with their own flaws, though.

The team is still exploring a whole lot of options. But Hammond has gotten to calling this time of year as the calm before the storm. That is what he told Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel and Scott Anez of ESPN Orlando.

The team is active in trade discussions, but it is still fairly early for something real to materialize. The Magic have a lot of assets they may want to trade. But finding the right deal and coming together for a trade remains the difficult trick.

"“Are we in discussions, like any other team? Of course, we are,” Hammond told Scott Anez on Wednesday. “Everybody is just doing their due diligence today. Could something unfold? Yes, it could. But also we could be very quiet. If we are quiet, we will move forward with our team. We still like some of the player son this roster when we’re healthy. And we think we can move forward with them from a financial standpoint as well.”"

Hammond noted the team does not have the typical trade assets of a team looking to make a move at the deadline. They do not have a ton of expiring contracts or veteran players seemingly on their last legs. There are no bad apples in the locker room the team feels like it has to move now.

The one thing he said the team will not do is tank. He said it is not healthy for coaches, players or the league. The Magic may be heading down in the standings and there is logic in going after draft picks — a “top-level potential star” in Hammond’s words — but that is not the mindset the team will take.

The draft, it seems, will work itself out.

Hammond also said to expect the team to make long-term moves rather than short-term moves at the trade deadline.  It would be a move to set the team up better beyond this season.

Hammond also joined Dante Marchitelli on Magic Drive Time to discuss the upcoming trade deadline on Thursday.

"“I don’t think it’s any different today than it was a week ago. Ask me 24-48 hours before,” Hammond told Marchitelli. “And who knows, we could be in a mad scramble. We are going to go into it with an open mind. We’re not going to do anything that is going to be a short-term fix. Hopefully anything that we do is going to be something that is going to help us in the long run. Something that will be good for us two years from now, three years from now or four years from now. Not something that is going to help us for 30 games or into one season next year. We don’t have that mindset right now for sure.”"

Hammond still describes things as fairly calm. But things will pick up as the deadline gets closer and closer. Deadlines tend to create movement and get teams to make deals as decision points come closer.

The Magic’s management is likely headed into the bunker for the next five days as the trade deadline approaches February 8.

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It will be an interesting period for the Magic as they look to remake their roster.