There are a number of players the Orlando Magic could look to target for a trade this offseason should the front office decide to shake things up.
The Orlando Magic face an uncertain offseason with several decisions needing to be made on the futures of key players, such as Aaron Gordon and Nikola Vucevic.
The Orlando Magic ended a six-year spell outside the playoffs in the 2019 season but exited in the first round against the Toronto Raptors, something they repeated this past season by losing in five to the Milwaukee Bucks.
This season again emphasized the need for more offensive talent on the roster. Defensively the Magic were sound, ranking tied for 10th in the league in defensive rating, giving up 109.2 points per 100 possessions, and ranked eighth for both steals and blocks.
But when it came to offensive rating, Steve Clifford’s team was just 23rd, scoring 107.9 points per 100 possessions. Shooting was also a huge cause for concern, ranking 25th for 3-point percentage at 34.3-percent and 22nd for 3-point shots made per game at 11.1. They were also 27th in field goals made per game which at 39.3
Simply put, something has to be done to improve offensively especially when it comes to three-point shooting. If the Magic are to use the trade market in the offseason they need to add more scoring with the ability to knock down threes at a consistent and steady rate.
The wing positions are huge in today’s NBA and are somewhere Orlando must strengthen. The wait to see whether Evan Fournier will take up his player option remains, while the injury to starting small forward Jonathan Isaac leaves a gaping hole in next season’s starting five.
With the contracts of D.J. Augustin and Michael Carter-Williams expiring this offseason, Orlando could also use some more depth at point guard to back up Markelle Fultz depending on whether Augustin and Carter-Williams stay or move on.
If Evan Fournier does re-sign, the front office has him, Nikola Vucevic and Aaron Gordon as potentially attractive trade pieces to move should they decide to make big changes to the roster, as well as younger players like Mohamed Bamba.
If the Magic do decide to be active in the trade market, here is one player from each Atlantic Division team that the front office could target…
Eds. Note: The deals proposed here are for instances and examples of what it might take to acquire these players. They do not reflect any actual reporting or indication either team is interested in such a deal.