Who the Orlando Magic could target for a trade from teams in their own division

Washington Wizards: Bradley Beal

This huge trade would be wholly dependent on the Washington Wizards deciding to capitalize on Bradley Beal’s enormous trade value to embark on some form of a rebuild.

The Wizards were unable to make the playoffs for a second straight season despite Beal averaging an incredible 30.5 points per game. However, former All-Star point guard John Wall is set to make his return next season which will provide a huge boost for the Wizards who could have one of the deadliest backcourt partnerships in the league. And the Wizards have Beal under contract for two more seasons and a player option in 2023.

The Wizards, in other words, are in no rush to trade him unless they find a deal they want. And there will be plenty of suitors trying to pry him from D.C.

But Beal’s insane scoring record on a team outside of the playoffs has sparked plenty of trade rumors over the past year. He has plenty of teams interested in his services, some which are likely to be more attractive propositions than the Orlando Magic.

Washington Wizards

If the Wizards are going to listen to trade offers for Beal this offseason then the Magic would be silly not to try for him. Nikola Vucevic has been excellent for the Magic these past two seasons but the team desperately needs an offensive star to help him out.

There are of course teams that could offer a more attractive deal for Beal but what Orlando does have to propose is plenty of draft picks. Securing Beal would probably require at least three first-round picks and potentially more, given what the LA Clippers had to give up last offseason to secure Paul George.

That might end up being an asking price too high. The Magic would then have just two years to convince Beal to stay. And one of those seasons would be without centerpiece player Jonathan Isaac. The clock would be ticking immediately not only to make the playoffs but contend for a title.

At this current moment, it is clear where the Wizards must improve. They ranked second-from-the-bottom for defensive rating, giving up 114.7 points per 100 possessions, and also gave up the third most second-chance points per game at 14.4. Defensively they are one of the weakest sides in the league.

Aaron Gordon has shown himself to be a good defender in his time in the NBA. His athleticism helps him guard the league’s better power forwards while he is also a strong rebounder and can make a valuable offensive contribution.

Offering up an exciting defensive prospect in Mo Bamba could also help the Wizards improve as they try to make it back into the playoffs with the returning John Wall. They could then utilise Orlando’s draft picks to try and build a better team.

Securing Beal would be an incredibly difficult thing to do but there will come a point when the franchise needs to attempt a big move to try and push this team forward. This would be their all-in move.

Trading within the division will simply be tough with too much competition coming from below and the other teams eager to do other things that would make swinging a beneficial trade to both sides difficult.