The Orlando Magic seemed poised to being shifting and transforming their roster. They appear ready to transition away from the holdovers of the Rob Hennigan era and make a new era.
The team already has the seeds with extensions for Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac already signed and an injury-filled season likely leaving the team with a top-10 pick at worst and the possibility of great odds to be in the lottery among the top-4. That is at least a start.
And the Magic do not have to start from scratch either. The team is a recent playoff team and this reset will start from that base. But Orlando has plenty to consider and judge before the trade deadline to set up their future.
The easy decision might be trading away potential free agents in Evan Fournier and Khem Birch. Their clocks are up and the Magic have to determine how to extract value from them, plan to keep them this offseason or let them walk in free agency.
The team’s future is cloudier still with what the team might do with its other veterans. Teams are expecting the Magic to be more willing to sell these players for future assets now that the team has fallen in the standings.
The Nikola Vucevic market is full but not likely to create the conditions for a deal. The Magic are rightfully planning on having Vucevic stick around to be the veteran for a young team and want a healthy return if they were to move him.
But the bigger questions revolve around Aaron Gordon.
Teams around the league are lining up to ask the Orlando Magic what it will take to trade Aaron Gordon. It is clear there are some very strong suitors if the team wants to move him at the trade deadline.
As a player, Aaron Gordon remains a mystery. He has shown flashes of his skill offensively — averaging a solid 13.6 points per game and 7.0 rebounds per game with a career-high 4.0 assists per game and 36.5-percent shooting from beyond the arc. But he has also been an inconsistent shooter and has never found his fit offensively.
Still, at 25 years old, Gordon still has a lot of growth to come. And Orlando may not be so keen to let Gordon go even with the team’s apparent glut of versatile forwards.
Monday saw a flurry of rumors involving Gordon that suggests a lot of teams are interested to see if they could wriggle Gordon free. But, at the same time, the Magic seem to be making it clear they will ask for a lot to move off Gordon. After all, his contract is not expiring (he has one year left) and the team can wait until the offseason to do any heavy lifting.
A lot of the discussions being had now are likely to carry over to the summer. it is not like the Magic’s position will change a whole lot before then.
Still, it is important to figure out what the Magic want in a deal involving Gordon. And for that, the clues from the latest batch of rumors will help us figure out what the Magic are looking, which teams actually have the framework to make a deal and who to watch as this market develops.
Minnesota Timberwolves
There were seven teams connected to Aaron Gordon in some way during that flurry of reporting and rumors that came out Monday. That suggests there is a market and the Orlando Magic will have offers to consider and the ability to pick the one or two they want to pursue more seriously.
Jeff Weltman could even end up playing offers off each other to squeeze out a bit more whether at the deadline or next season.
The place to start is the lone concrete rumor that was reported. It has been one that has been floating around for a while now.
The Minnesota Timberwolves’ interest in Gordon has been well reported. The question was always what it would take to get him.
Most fans would probably want D’Angelo Russell, but with the team already invested in Markelle Fultz and plenty of legitimate questions about whether Russell works as a first option (especially with his lack of defensive reputation) to go on top of Russell’s long-term contract, that always seemed like a pipe dream.
It feels like the Timberwolves were more focused on adding to a core they think is fairly close to the playoffs — despite holding the worst record in the league this year. Karl-Anthony Towns, D’Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards are a core to start with. But their clock is ticking to compete with all the money they have invested.
Instead, the rumor centered on veteran point guard Ricky Rubio. And the report was the teams were pretty advanced in their talks before Gordon’s injury in late January put him on the shelf for six weeks.
Rubio alone — 8.2 points per game, 6.5 assists per game and a 44.1-percent effective field goal percentage — is not enough to get a deal done. Rubio is a solid point guard who help nurture young guards and provide stability — he would be a perfect replacement for what D.J. Augustin gave the team — but is not enough to get the Magic to move.
The rumor had the Magic also picking up draft picks from the Wolves. And certainly, because Rubio’s contract essentially matches Gordon in amount and years, the Magic would need a bit more.
Minnesota does not have a ton of young players it would be willing to give up and would interest Orlando. Josh Okogie is intriguing, but he has not lived up to his billing, dropping to 4.9 points per game this year (a career-low).
Orlando probably would have to put another in the deal to try to get Jaylen Nowell out of it. Nowell has been a surprising player this year, averaging 10.3 points per game and hitting 40.9-percent of his threes off the bench.
Some on social media would push for the Magic to add Jarrett Culver instead. Culver is averaging 7.2 points per game and has shot worse than 30-percent from beyond the arc in each of his first two seasons. That does not pique my interest as much.
The Rubio-for-Gordon swap with the Magic receiving some picks with protections is the framework for the deal. It works on its face. But that deal also smacks of a team trying to save its season. It does not feel like it fills the Magic’s needs or helps the team return to the playoffs in 2021.
The time for that deal has probably passed.
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are certainly a team that is probably looking for some support and help this season to get back into the Western Conference contenders picture. Despite Nikola Jokic’s stellar season, the Nuggets’ year has been uneven. Denver sits at 23-16 and fifth in the Western Conference.
Things are starting to look up for them. But Denver is still missing something.
The Nuggets’ biggest loss this offseason was losing Jerami Grant. And the Nuggets seemingly want a defensive-minded forward who can spread the floor a little bit. They at least need that defender to help matchup with the best players in the Western Conference.
They have used Michael Porter Jr. as their starting power forward and he has continued to develop into the top prospect many pegged him as before his back injury. The starting small forward spot has been a mix of the oft-injured Gary Harris and flamethrower Will Barton.
A frontcourt of Michael Porter and Aaron Gordon would probably work the way the Magic want Jonathan Isaac and Aaron Gordon to work. So there is some interest there. The Nuggets could also be potential landing spots for Evan Fournier and Terrence Ross, to be perfectly honest.
The Magic probably have to settle for Harris, who like Gordon probably needs a change of scenery. But if they agree to take Harris, they should probably try to get another long-term asset too. Whether that is a player like R.J. Hampton or a future first is the matter for debate.
Harris is averaging just 9.7 points per game and has seen his scoring decrease in the last three years from a high of 17.5 points per game in 2018. Harris is a career 35.9-percent 3-point shooter. But he is making only 32.0-percent of his 3-pointers in 19 games this year. He is currently out with a hip strain.
Hampton would be the intriguing player. He was someone a lot of us had our eyes on at the draft. He is currently waiting to clear health and safety protocols. He is averaging 2.5 points per game in 9.2 minutes per game.
If the Magic believe Harris can be healthy and can return to the team for next season, then that would be a really good return for Gordon (albeit he has just one more year left on his deal too).
Other suggestions from social media would have the Magic acquire Bol Bol and a couple of firsts instead of Hampton in the deal. There is something there too.
The framework is clearly for the Magic and Nuggets to swap Harris along with a young prospect and some late-draft capital to get a deal done.
But it does not seem like the Nuggets could deliver the long-term assets the Magic want to make an immediate move. Not unless they plan on throwing a lot more into the pot.
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers have long had an interest in Aaron Gordon. This is not the first season there has been rumored interest between the two teams. Considering how much the Blazers need some help on their frontcourt and especially defensively with some dominant backcourt players to handle the offense, Gordon would fit right in.
The Blazers have had their injury issues inside though. This would actually be a team that could use Nikola Vucevic with Jusuf Nurkic and Zach Collins both dealing with injury issues.
The biggest question with the Blazers is what young assets would the Blazers have that could entice the Magic to move?
There is not much the Blazers would want to part with it seems.
Portland has leaned heavily on Gary Trent Jr. whlie CJ McCollum has been out with a broken foot. He is still a valuable role player to come off the bench now that McCollum has returned. It seems unlikely the Blazers give him up.
The other two interesting young prospects are Orlando natives Anfernee Simons and Nassir Little. Both have had their ups and downs for the Blazers but have shown enough promise throughout. Any deal with the Blazers would almost certainly have to include one of these three players.
It will also have to include Robert Covington, even if the Magic would prefer to get struggling sharpshooter Rodney Hood.
Simons is probably the better prospect than Little right now, even if Simons is better suited at point guard. What inches him ahead is his ability to hit shots in a hurry and put up big scoring games.
Simons is averaging 8.1 points per game and shooting 40.8-percent from beyond the arc. In games where he has played more than 20 minutes, Simons is averaging 12.8 points per game with 43.5-percent shooting from deep. When Simons is given the chance to play, he typically delivers in big ways.
Covington is needed to match salaries. Covington is averaging 8.4 points per game and shooting 35.6-percent from beyond the arc.
This would be an impressive haul with the Magic bringing in one of the best defenders in the league and one of the under-used guards in the league with the hope of getting him playing time now. That might be tougher when Markelle Fultz and Cole Anthony are both healthy again.
Then again, the Magic have shown every intention of trying out two-guard lineups. There should be some interest in what Portland has to offer.
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are like the Orlando Magic at the bottom of the standings. They are a team trying to plan their next steps.
No team is probably as big of a seller as the Rockets. They are even trying to move Victor Oladipo on before he hits free agency this offseason.
Houston though still wants to be active at the deadline it seems. The Rockets are trying to reshape their team too. Although into what is unclear. John Wall and Christian Wood are a start. Although it is hard to say to what. They will have a high draft pick to play with so long as they end up in the top five (otherwise the Oklahoma City Thunder can swap picks).
Nugg Love
The Magic probably have little interest in the big money players the Rockets could offer. John Wall’s contract is way too big and he would displace Markelle Fultz.
Fans want the team to go after Oladipo. But the Magic probably are not interested in that contract unless Oladipo pledges to re-sign with the team this offseason. Orlando probably does not have an interest in a max deal with the regularly injured shooting guard (even with a different front office that does not have the baggage from his tenure in Orlando).
As was reported elsewhere, the Rockets might be looking to make a similar three-team trade as the one they made in the James Harden deal to net the asset they want — Aaron Gordon.
Trying to predict a three-team trade is extremely difficult. I always caution anyone pitching a three-team deal that the more teams you add, the more complicated things get.
Finding a home for Oladipo is doubly difficult because whoever is acquiring him will need to feel he will re-sign there. And that narrows the list considerably.
But what would the Magic want from the Rockets? Not much. A third team is almost completely necessary. So let’s pick the New York Knicks, who are rumored to be interested in a deal involving him.
There is actually one that makes some sense.
This is just a sketch of what a three-team trade would look like and how complicated it might get.
The Magic and the Rockets might also fight some over draft capital from the New York Knicks. And Orlando would likely buy out a player like Elfrid Payton if they acquired him (this deal works to cut some payroll too).
But what the Magic get out of a deal like this is taking a shot at a young player like Kevin Knox and first dibs to re-sign a young shooter like Ben McLemore. They acquire a veteran guard in Austin Rivers who can fill a rotation role next year too.
Rivers has been out of the rotation for the Knicks as they have made their playoff push. But he was averaging 7.3 points per game and shooting 36.4-percent from beyond the arc. His ability to play both guard positions and have outburst games might make him more valuable to the team.
Not to mention, it would bring Rivers home. He was certainly a player the Magic might have looked at last summer in free agency.
Again, care less about the specific players in the rumor and the kind of players the Magic might target. For Gordon, the Magic want to bring back a player who fits into the rotation and a future prospect that can grow with the roster.
Maybe this kind of three-team deal is not so far-fetched. The framework exists to make it work if the two teams can find a workable third team.
Golden State Warriors
How long are the Orlando Magic and the Golden State Warriors going to dance around each other? Really a lot of the deals and teams discussed here are carryovers from the offseason when the Magic passed on a lot of the offers sent their way.
That should be a sign as much as anything of how little urgency the Magic might have to deal Aaron Gordon. A lot of these same deals will be available this offseason if the team wants to pursue them then.
A lot of fans wanted the Warriors to deal the second pick and Andrew Wiggins for Nikola Vucevic. But that never had any real legs behind it, so it seemed. Their long-rumored interest in Gordon seemed a bit misplaced. But they have Draymond Green to show them the way.
To make an Aaron Gordon deal happen would cost the Warriors Draymond Green (unlikely), Andrew Wiggins ($29 million per year for the next three years) or Kelly Oubre (an expiring contract). Do any of those sound appetizing enough to move?
In a vacuum of talent-for-talent perhaps Wiggins or Oubre make sense. But in the context of how this team is growing and developing: Are they ready to commit to that long-term contract with Wiggins? Would the Magic be able to re-sign Kelly Oubre and is he truly a better option than Evan Fournier?
Those are the questions that matter more to the Magic. It has to be about the big picture and the larger puzzle.
The Warriors just do not have the young players that would sweeten the pot for the Magic. Players like Brad Wannamaker, Jordan Poole or Damion Lee may not completely move the needle for the team. Poole is interesting after a strong run in the G-League bubble, but there is not a lot to work with.
That is unless the Magic are sold on Wiggins or Oubre as their guy.
There were reports last year the Orlando Magic and Phoenix Suns discussed a Gordon-for-Oubre swap and neither team moved — see how history keeps repeating? — so maybe that interest does exist.
What Oubre provides for the Magic is a solid shooter. He is currently averaging 15.1 points per game. But he is shooting just 31.2-percent from beyond the arc. He is a career 32.6-percent shooter.
I personally do not see the interest despite his size and versatility as a more natural small forward.
Wiggins can put up points — he is averaging 17.2 points per game on a career-best 53.6-percent effective field goal percentage. But his minutes without Stephen Curry on the floor can be rough and he is still not likely a player who should be the primary offensive option. That is what he would have to be in Orlando.
This is a rumor that just will not seem to die.
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks have a good base to start from with Luka Doncic as the superstar player and Kristaps Porzingis as a good roll man to compliment him. The Mavericks clearly need one more guy.
Is Aaron Gordon that guy? That I am not sure about. He could certainly help them but I am not sure he is going to put them over the top.
The bigger issue is the Mavericks really do not have the prospects, picks or players that would really interest the Magic at this point. They might have a better shot at Evan Fournier as things stand.
The best offer Dallas could probably come up with is something centered on either Tim Hardaway Jr.’s expiring contract or a package with James Johnson (to match salaries) and Dorian Finney-Smith.
That is not exactly the kind of young prospects the Magic are looking for. And Dallas does not have a ton of draft capital to spend — this year’s first-round pick is headed to the New York Knicks as part of the Porzingis deal.
There just is not a lot to be interested in here.
Detroit Pistons
It is really rare to see two teams at the bottom of the standings trade major pieces. If the Detroit Pistons are expressing interest in Aaron Gordon, it is likely because they are looking to bring someone in to replace Jerami Grant because they traded him.
Orlando Magic
It feels really unlikely. Bad teams are bad because they do not have great players. So typically, they send out their best players for a wish and a hope on some future assets. They trade the present for the future.
There is not much present to trade for either the Pistons or the Magic. And neither team can afford to trade their future.
The Pistons do not have many future assets they can afford to give up. To acquire Aaron Gordon either the Magic would have to have interest in Jerami Grant and the teams would trade the two forwards straight up or the Pistons have to be willing to trade Killian Hayes or Saddiq Bey. Neither scenario feels likely.
It probably is not even worth discussing further.
The biggest conclusion then for the Magic is that they are seeking two of three things in these kinds of deals, at least as a start. They need a veteran who will be in the rotation next season, a young prospect who can grow into a role or a future first-round pick.
That is what it will take to make a Gordon deal happen. And there are clearly plenty of suitors to make things happen.