Orlando Magic Trade Value Column 2019
Category III — Is that what you are offering? OK, I guess
10. Khem Birch (1 year, $1.4 million)
Khem Birch is a player searching for playing time. The guy has gotten asked (usually around this time of year) to play meaningful minutes after spending most of the season on the bench and then performs admirably.
Khem Birch will play critical minutes the rest of the season with Mohamed Bamba out with a stress fracture. Birch is more than capable of playing. He has stepped in well for Mohamed Bamba at various points this season already.
Birch is a good defender and has smarts in defending pick and rolls, using his size and length well. He is a good shot blocker too. The only thing missing with him is perhaps some lateral quickness and awareness diagnosing plays in the paint. His pick and roll defense is probably the best on the team.
This is just a player screaming for a more consistent role. One the Magic have struggled to give him in two years. With a qualifying offer this summer, the Magic will have an interesting decision on whether they give him a long-term deal or not.
9. Wesley Iwundu (2 years, $3 million)
Wesley Iwundu has emerged in his sophomore year as a reliable defensive wing off the bench. His weaknesses are still apparent — namely his shooting — but Iwundu has always played hard and filled in the role the team needs him to fill.
The Magic are probably a bit surprised with how much Iwundu has grown this year. They sort of drafted Melvin Frazier as a duplicate talent in case Wesley Iwundu did not work out. It is safe to say Iwundu has worked out.
Iwundu has entrenched himself in the rotation now as a vital defensive presence. But he is also improving and getting more confident with his shot. Iwundu is shooting 32.5 percent from three. That is not great still, but a massive improvement for the young guard.
Iwundu has displayed a ton more confidence and is a promising young player to come off the bench and add depth in future years. Other teams might see this. But his contract is too low to be much more than a throw in for a deal. And not one the Magic are really ready to give up.
8. Jonathon Simmons (2 years, $11.7 million)
Jonathon Simmons is the first player on this list the Maigc might actually be willing to trade or could get some type of value for.
Simmons has a good track record to build off of from his time with the San Antonio Spurs and even last year’s run with the Orlando Magic as their sixth man. He showed he can get to the basket and make shots streaky enough to be a real threat and explode for some big games.
This year has been a bit of an aberration. He is struggling with his shot — shooting just 36.4 percent for the year and a sub-40 percent effective field goal percentage. That is not good.
He has a built-in excuse with the wrist surgery that kept him out for most of the summer. Simmons has just failed to find his rhythm this year. He has enough of a track record built up that many may view this year as an aberration.
His real value in the trade market though comes with his contract next year. Only $1 million of his $5.7 million is guaranteed. If there is a team that wants to clear cap room, the Magic could easily offer him with a second-round pick to grab a second draft player (a player at the end of his rookie contract).
Simmons should stil have some value on the trade market. Now that Simmons is out of the rotation and Iwundu has taken over that role, perhaps the Magic could look to move on and cash him in (more than anyone else) with a potential split happening this summer.