Orlando Magic players have been through the trade deadline and its pressure before. They are trying to do their best to push through and control themselves.
Evan Fournier said he was going to go through his day Wednesday — an off day for the Orlando Magic — just like any other.
His parents happened to be in town. So he was going to come in and get some treatment early and maybe get a massage before calling it a day. If his phone happened to ring so be it.
Even asking him the question about Thursday’s NBA trade deadline was a bit awkward. The affable Evan Fournier imploring the reporter jokingly to just go ahead and say it.
After all, there is nothing Fournier can ultimately do. If it is his time to go, it is his time to go.
"“I’m not the type of guy who is going to worry about stuff I can’t control,” Fournier said. “I am going to have a regular day tomorrow [Wednesday]. If something happens, it happens. I’m not going to worry about something I can’t control.”"
The awkwardness of the trade deadline is not lost on anyone. Essentially the trade deadline is a day of forced transfers. Imagine going to work one day and your boss suddenly tells you he is transferring you to a completely new city across the country and you have 48 hours to uproot your life and report to that new city and integrate into a new team.
The real-world example does not make a ton of sense. Few people would agree to it. But that is life in the NBA.
Every year in the first week of February, players go through the pressure and worry of having to make this kind of a move. They have to deal with the rumors and questions that come with the trade deadline.
On this Orlando team, it seems everyone is available for a possible trade.
Fournier still has three more years at $17 million per season, a difficult contract to move, but he has certainly gained some interest. As a productive player who may not fit the team’s future anymore, the Magic are almost certainly shopping him.
That does not mean they will find a deal. It seems just as likely for Fournier to suit up Thursday against the Atlanta Hawks as it is for him to be on a plane to somewhere else to play for a new team.
There are a lot of players who are probably in the same boat. They will go to shootaround in the morning like normal. But they may not be playing in the game they are preparing for after 3 p.m.
"“I ain’t even worried about that,” Jonathon Simmons said of the trade deadline after Tuesday’s game. “We kind of look at that and laugh. We know it is a business and it’s our job. We’re not worried about it. We’re just kind of going day by day.”"
This is somewhat the attitude players have to have as they enter the trade deadline. Jonathon Simmons was not the only player to say they do not worry about the deadline or rumors and focus only on what they can control.
They obviously cannot control trades and where the team moves them.
Simmons is a great example. He just signed a three-year, $18-million contract. It would seem the Magic wanted to invest in him and stick with him for some time.
But the reality is also that Simmons has one of the most valuable contracts on the team. And he is a player who has played well enough through this difficult season to maintain his value and garner some interest. Fans of several playoff teams have put in inquiries about what it would take to acquire Simmons.
Considering this Magic season, no player seems safe entering the 3 p.m. trade deadline.
As a coach, Frank Vogel has tried to leave the trade deadline out of mind. He said he has not sensed any trepidation about the trade deadline. Players on the team recognize it is part of the business of the league.
There is surely some concern or worry as every team in the league feels the pressure of the deadline’s uncertainty. But it is not something the coach wants to bring up.
"“I don’t know if I have ever even talked to a player about the trade deadline,” Vogel said. “I think everyone understands it is part of the business.”"
That is how coaches want to approach it for sure. If they do not have to address it and players can play through the pressure, the better.
The Magic have won five of their last 10 games and two in a row for the first time since November. Orlando seems to be playing well under this pressure.
Still, the Magic are expected to make some moves at the deadline even if they are minor moves. It is rare for a team to go completely inactive at the trade deadline.
All players can do is put it out of mind. And if something happens, roll with the punches as it comes.
"“I have been traded before,” Shelvin Mack said. “Like anything else, just control what you can control, don’t believe everything you see and keep moving. The fact is most trades happen on draft night more than the trade deadline. It is what it is.”"
Indeed, every player in the NBA will go through this pressure again in June.
Shelvin Mack, especially. There is not a ton of trade buzz for him now. But with only $1 million of his $6 million guaranteed in the final year of his contract next year, his name will surely come up in trade talks. If the Magic do not outright decide not to bring him back and eat that final year.
Next: Rumors: Elfrid Payton, Mario Hezonja on the block
Once February 8 passes, it provides only a momentary sigh of relief. The cycle in this business never ends.