In the latest of our series of articles looking at potential trade targets for the Orlando Magic, we identify one player from each team in the Central Division.
We have already looked at potential targets for the Orlando Magic in the Atlantic Division that could go at least some way to addressing the Orlando Magic’s weaknesses.
The franchise faces an uncertain offseason where the front office must determine the team’s future path. Choices must be made on the futures of key players such as Aaron Gordon and Nikola Vucevic and whether or not to make use of the trade market.
After two consecutive first-round playoff exits, the Magic are looking for a way forward. Defensively this season the team was solid, 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 there were serious offensive weaknesses on display. Injuries played their part during the regular season and the postseason series against the Milwaukee Bucks but a lack of strong shooting was also to blame for the team’s seeming lack of progress.
The Magic ranked just 23rd for offensive rating, scoring 107.9 points per 100 possessions. They were 25th in 3-point percentage at 34.3-percent and 22nd in 3-point shots made per game at 11.1. They were also 27th in field goals made per game with 39.3 percent.
If the front office is to look to the trade market this offseason then the lack of offensive talent and strong shooters is something that must be addressed. With Evan Fournier’s future still unclear and Jonathan Isaac likely out for all of next season, Orlando should look to strengthen at the wing positions with better shooting.
Orlando could also use some depth at point guard to help out the developing Markelle Fultz depending on whether D.J. Augustin and Michael Carter-Williams re-sign.
Here is who the Magic could look to target in the Central Division to try and improve the team.
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.
Milwaukee Bucks: Donte DiVincenzo
After once again failing to win an NBA Championship despite being one of the favorites to do so, the Milwaukee Bucks will be spending the offseason wondering how they can try to get back-to-back MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo a title in the last year of his current contract with the franchise.
Following a disappointing exit to the Miami Heat, they could be tempted to move some pieces around to try and make an NBA Finals.
Donte DiVincenzo is still very early in his NBA career but has shown signs of promise this season. He played a more significant role in the Bucks team, averaging 23 minutes and 9.2 points per game while shooting 45.5-percent from the field.
He would still be very much of a development project for the Magic. There is no doubt he could make an effective contribution right away but he is not someone that would instantly supply the offensive boost the Magic need.
DiVincenzo only shot 33.6 percent from three this season. But at just 23-years-old, there is plenty of time left for him to refine his game. The young shooting guard is not afraid to take shots from distance and could become a very effective three-point shooter in the years to come.
He is also a good defender which would appeal to Magic head coach Steve Clifford. His positional awareness is strong and he reads the game exceptionally well while averaging 1.3 steals a game.
But trading for the former Villanova Wildcat would not be easy. The Magic have very few options to complete a deal and Mohamed Bamba stands out as the only player at the right salary that is an attractive prospect for the Bucks.
Milwaukee Bucks
But even Bamba, despite his promise and defensive potential, would not necessarily be a great fit for the win-now Bucks. They probably would not have the patience to develop him with the stakes they are playing with.
Big question marks still surround Bamba. His ceiling remains high but he has been unable to make enough of an impact on the team so far and has seen his opportunities limited due to the excellent performances of Nikola Vucevic.
Bamba struggled with his conditioning during the season restart after catching COVID-19 earlier this year and eventually left the Orlando Bubble to undergo more tests. But 14.2 minutes per game during the regular season is not enough for him to grow as a player and the Magic must decide whether they want to keep him around as a development project or move in another direction.
If Steve Clifford and company cannot guarantee Bamba the game time he needs to start to work towards his potential then trading him could be an option. The young center could still grow into a very good player so Orlando should at least try to get a replacement back-up center like Robin Lopez, if he takes up his player option, as well as Donte DiVincenzo.
At the end of the day, the Bucks are looking for players who can help take them over the top and win. The deals they make are likely for bigger fish.
Chicago Bulls: Zach LaVine
The Orlando Magic need an offensive-minded wing with big scoring ability and good shooting range. Zach LaVine fits the description perfectly.
He is coming off his best-ever year as an NBA player, averaging a huge 25.5 points per game as well as 3.1 threes made per game, going 38 percent from beyond the arc.
The 25-year-old possesses tremendous athleticism, something we know Steve Clifford looks for in a player and he is at the age where he is still getting better.
There is plenty of positivity surrounding the future of the Chicago Bulls. They are not likely to move LaVine for anything short of a starring player.
Chicago was one of the big winners in this year’s draft lottery, getting the fourth overall pick, and have just hired Billy Donovan as head coach. The Bulls hired Donovan because they seemingly know they are close to the playoffs and just need the right element in their coaching to get there.
Chicago Bulls
Despite LaVine’s excellent offense, his scoring has not had a huge impact when it comes to boosting the team’s win percentage. Chicago has not made it to the postseason for three straight years and the pressure is on to build a team that is capable of at least making it into the top eight of the Eastern Conference.
To get a player of LaVine’s quality, the Magic would have to give up a big asset in return. Realistically, Nikola Vucevic is probably the only player that would at least get the Bulls to listen.
Vucevic does not offer as many points per game as LaVine but nonetheless is a hugely talented offensive player. He has proven himself as a guy that can lead a team into the playoffs and showed against the Milwaukee Bucks that he can make a big impact in the postseason.
It would undoubtedly cost Vucevic to get a player of LaVine’s caliber. But a deal with the Bulls is exceedingly unlikely. Chicago is still invested in Lauri Markkanen and Wendell Carter Jr. Both on rookie contracts, the Bulls are unlikely to give up on them so soon. Or bring in a player like Nikola Vucevic — or Aaron Gordon for that matter — to clog that part of the rotation at that salary.
The Magic might also look into trying to acquire Otto Porter in a deal involving Aaron Gordon, but that too might run into the same problems. The Bulls, like the Magic, have a lot of their investment at power forward. That would make it tough to swing any kind of deal.
This trade would see both teams move in very different directions and is a big risk on both ends. But with both Chicago and Orlando seemingly stuck in their current positions, a trade of this magnitude and risk might be what is needed.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Kevin Love
The Cleveland Cavaliers are another team looking to find their way back into the playoffs. Unlike the Chicago Bulls, however, they may have to wait a little longer given the number of young players on the roster.
Kevin Love was a key part of the Cavaliers’ team that made it to four straight finals and won the 2016 NBA Championship. But following the departures of LeBron James and Kyrie Irving he has been left on a team in full rebuild mode.
At 32, Love is heading toward the end of his career but he still has plenty to offer. He averaged 17.6 points per game this season, shooting 45-percent from the field and knocking down 37.4-percent of his three-point attempts while averaging 2.6 per game.
He is a five-time All-Star, former NBA Champion and possesses a strong offensive skillset including a great shooting ability which is something the Magic are currently lacking.
Cleveland Cavaliers
There are injury concerns, however, with Love having not made the 60-game mark in the last four seasons. Love’s contract also makes this potential trade a difficult one. He is set to earn more than $31 million in both of the next two seasons and then more than $28 million in the last year of his deal.
Would the Magic really want to take on a contract of this enormity for a 32-year-old?
Possibly not. It would limit what Orlando would be able to do in free agency in the next three years and could also have an impact on what contracts the front office is able to give young talent like Jonathan Isaac.
But it might also set the Magic up to make significant improvements with the current roster, giving them a reliable scorer and veteran leader to help usher the team to the next level.
Love would have a positive impact on this offense but the front office would really need to buy into him as a guy that could take the franchise forward for the amount of money he would make. They would be committed to him for the next three years — through injury and all.
He remains an important starting player for Cleveland but given how the last couple of seasons have gone they may want to get some bigger contracts off the book and use the money in other areas.
What Cleveland lacks is defense and Aaron Gordon and Al-Farouq Aminu would provide that. Gordon has shown over his time with Orlando that he is a more than capable defender with great athleticism and can contribute offensively.
The trade would free up some cap space for Cleveland and allow them to look more toward the future. Especially if the Magic are willing to give up their first-round pick to make something like this happens.
Indiana Pacers: T.J. Warren
T.J. Warren was one of the big surprises of the Orlando Bubble. He was named in the All-Bubble first team after hitting 53 points against the Philadelphia 76ers and had three more games where he finished above the 30-point mark before the postseason.
He had an impressive regular season too, averaging 19.8 points per game and going 40.3 percent from three in his first season as an Indiana Pacer. Remarkably, the Indiana Pacers were able to get him for only cash considerations from the Phoenix Suns.
A year later and Warren’s trade value is sky-high. The small forward is a very efficient shooter, shooting 53.6-percent from the field this season. He was a big reason behind the Pacers finishing fourth in the Eastern Conference.
Indiana would be unlikely to want to lose Warren but a disappointing 4-0 first-round series defeat to the Miami Heat has left the franchise wondering how to take the next step.
Evan Fournier shot well from three for the Magic this season, a skill which is not prevalent enough on the roster, but another lackluster postseason leaves doubts over whether he can be the guy to help take Orlando past the first round.
Fournier would have to take up his player option for next season for this trade to work and his salary of $17 million is bigger than Warren’s $12-million deal, which lasts for another two years. Fournier averaged 18.5 points per game last season but makes more threes a game at 2.6 compared to Warren’s 1.4, though does take over three more a game.
Warren would likely make more by taking more as he showed when the season restarted, going nine-for-12 from beyond the arc against the 76ers.
Given the choice of the two, Indiana would most probably prefer to keep Warren. But offering up a young prospect like Bamba for a role player like Jeremy Lamb could make the deal more appealing. It would also give them more options after next season, with Fournier’s player option only for another year.
But, for now, with Victor Oladipo’s uncertain future and injury history, the Pacers are likely to make Warren their featured player for the 2021 season.
Detroit Pistons: Luke Kennard
It has been a bleak decade for the Detroit Pistons with just two playoff appearances in 11 seasons which both resulted in first-round exits.
The Pistons have two former All-Stars in Blake Griffin and Derrick Rose, both of whom are very injury prone, and some promising young talent including Sekou Doumbouya and Luke Kennard.
Kennard made big strides forward in his shortened season, averaging 15.8 points per game and 4.1 assists. He is a skilled three-point shooter, making 2.6 a game at a rate of 39.9 percent and also averaged 32.9 minutes. At just 24-years-old, there is plenty of time for him to keep developing.
Current Magic shooting guard Evan Fournier has a decision over whether to take up his player option for next season but regardless of whether he stays or goes. Kennard is the type of player Orlando needs to address their weaknesses.
Injuries are a concern, however. When the season was postponed Kennard remained out with bilateral knee tendonitis and played in just 28 regular-season games.
But his form before his injury will have given Detroit encouragement that he can play a part in helping take the team back into the playoffs. He still has a year left on his rookie contract with the chance to submit a qualifying offer for a further year after that.
Orlando would have to give up at least a big prospect of their own to make it happen and Mohamed Bamba stands out as the most obvious choice. His development has been inconsistent and he would have more opportunity to flourish in a free-wheeling system with the Pistons — where they could slide Christian Wood to the forward spot and actually give Bamba some starts.
That still might be too much for the Magic to give up. Especially for potentially one year of Kennard before he hits free agency.
Detroit is short of centers and could do with more options. Bamba could yet be a key player for the Magic in the years to come but has so far seen his opportunities limited and is yet to make a big impact after going sixth in the draft.
The Pistons may be reluctant to lose someone more proven than Bamba but would be getting a player in a position they need with big potential. The Magic would get the shooter they need.
The question is just how much the Magic really value Bamba as it is at least likely his name enters some trade discussions to push this team forward.
In the end, the Pistons may not have any player that is really worth diving deeply into.