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Orlando Magic Daily Roundtable: Deadline day

By Philip Rossman-Reich

CLEVELAND, OH - JANUARY 18: Elfrid Payton #2 of the Orlando Magic lays one in against Jeff Green #32 of the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena on January 18, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. 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. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - JANUARY 18: Elfrid Payton #2 of the Orlando Magic lays one in against Jeff Green #32 of the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena on January 18, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. 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. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /
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Elfrid Payton, Orlando Magic, Jeff Green, Cleveland Cavaliers
Elfrid Payton, Orlando Magic, Jeff Green, Cleveland Cavaliers /

It is NBA trade deadline day. The Orlando Magic are going to begin answering some of the questions that have plagued the roster. What will happen? We answer.

Orlando Magic fans — and all NBA fans — have had February 8th circled on their calendars for some time. It is trade deadline day. And since everyone is human and deadlines create movement, Thursday is the first big day for teams around the league to make moves and change their rosters.

For the Magic, that day seemingly could not come soon enough.

A season that started out with so much promise at 8-4 quickly deteriorated into an absolute mess. President of basketball operations Jeff Weltman and general manager John Hammond have told the media whenever they can that some of their evaluations have been thrown off because of the team’s massive amount of injuries this year.

Injuries have played a big role in the team’s season. But that does not quite explain why the Magic are still at 17-36, the fewest wins in the league.

Yes, the Magic are once again playing for ping pong balls it seems as fans worry that each win will take them away from the top pick (I choose to think of each win being the one that ultimately clinches the top pick, but I am an optimist).

The one thing that seems clear as the Magic have descended the standings is that they need a change. They need to flip their core over and make some fundamental changes to the roster.

That is easier said than done. The trade deadline is an opportunity to begin making that change, but not everything is ideal for change. Especially considering how tight this trade market will be.

The hours leading up to the 3 p.m. deadline is going to be hectic for sure. A lot can still happen — even if you have not heard much of anything in the hours before.

There is a lot to get to and a lot to do for the Magic. With that in mind, the Orlando Magic Daily staff got together to answer some pressing questions ahead of the trade deadline. What are the Magic looking for? Should they trade Aaron Gordon? And what kind of team are the Magic building?

We answer that and a whole lot more in this roundtable.