Terrence Ross’ is sure to be a hot commodity when the NBA trade deadline picks up steam. The New Orleans Pelicans are among the teams registering interest.
The NBA trade deadline is going to approach fast. February 7 only feels far away.
Teams around the NBA are going to be scrambling to make their teams better in a Playoff race that is overly packed. The Eastern Conference, as watered down as it is, has 11 teams at least two games within the final Playoff spot. That includes the Orlando Magic, now two games out of the final Playoff spot.
The Western Conference is even more of a mess.
So the trade market is going to take some time to develop. Even at this late stage. A lot of teams are going to look to stay in this crowded Playoff race. The next few weeks and the directions team head could very well make decisions for teams on whether to buy or sell.
The Magic are certainly chief among them as they have struggled the last few weeks. There is still time to turn things around. But the team must make a decision soon.
Because teams will almost certainly be calling them about players on the team. Chief among them Terrence Ross.
Sean Deveney of The Sporting News reports the New Orleans Pelicans are interested in acquiring Ross and might be willing to part with a first-round pick to get him and shore up their roster. He says, as others have reported, the Magic are reluctant to part with Terrence Ross at the moment, preferring to trade Jonathon Simmons instead.
This refrain will likely repeat with other potential suitors until the team determines whether it can truly still make a Playoff push. The Magic have to consider these trades though because Ross is a free agent this summer and it is not clear how much the team is willing to commit long-term to free agents at this point as part of their rebuild.
Ross has had a career season this year, averaging 13.3 points per game and a 52.7 percent effective field goal percentage. He is the lone player who consistently scores off the team’s woeful bench.
It is no wonder teams like the Pelicans might be interested. And a first-round pick is certainly enticing.
The question then becomes whether New Orleans has anything that would entice Orlando to make this move. And that part seems difficult to figure.
Solomon Hill‘s salary matches and he has one year left on his deal at a little more than $12 million. But that would be kicking the can down the road on a player who is clearly worse than Ross. Hill is averaging 3.9 points per game and has appeared in only 28 games. He is averaging 6.0 points per game for his career.
The real prize in this potential deal would be that first-round pick. With the Pelicans at 20-22, they are 2.5 games out of the final Playoff spot (like the Magic). Currently, New Orleans would be in line for the 10th best Lottery odds.
The only way this kind of a deal might work for the Magic, securing them the long-term asset they want, is if the Pelicans either put no protections on the pick or perhaps make it top-four protected (in case New Orleans wins the Lottery). In either case, Orlando is gambling New Orleans would miss the Playoffs to get a second Lottery-level pick.
In this scenario, a second chance at winning the Lottery might be the only enticement. Orlando probably would not like two “dead money” contracts on the books next year with Timofey Mozgov still with one year left on his deal. Mozgov has yet to play this year as he deals with a knee injury (and a loaded depth chart at center).
Other than that, New Orleans has expiring contracts or contracts with one year left on their deal — like E’Twaun Moore, who does not fit the profile for the kinds of players Jeff Weltman and John Hammond favor. New Orleans really has no other big-contract players of interest. Julius Randle has a partial guarantee for next year but likely would squeeze out young players Orlando wants to develop.
The Pelicans might be interested, but there does not seem to be a lot there. Unless the Magic really value a second Lottery pick in this draft. And even that would be a gamble that Ross would not be enough to propel that team into the Playoffs.
Surely, the Pelicans are not going to be the only team interested in Ross though.
A lot of Playoff teams could use a shooter comfortable coming off the bench who is solid defensively too. Orlando has certainly gotten a lot out of Ross this year.
This will not be the last time Ross’ name pops up in trade rumors. His name will surely pick up steam as the deadline gets closer and the Magic’s insistence on offering Jonathon Simmons decreases.