4 teams the Orlando Magic could target for draft day trade

Orlando Magic Draft Trade Targets

Memphis Grizzlies

The Memphis Grizzlies are signalling to the world they will be aggressive at the draft this year. They reportedly already traded Jonas Valanciunas and the 17th pick to get to the 10th pick to the New Orleans Pelicans and added Eric Bledsoe and Steven Adams. The deal was essentially a salary dump for the Pelicans to help them clear cap room for the summer.

But, it seems the Grizzlies are not done. By all reports and accounts, Memphis wants to add another high-level prospect by moving up from the 10th spot now.

Unlike a trade up in the Draft, the Orlando Magic would be the ones with the valued asset to acquire. This would be a chance for the Magic to dump some salary and add a valuable player to try out with the team’s future.

Memphis Grizzlies

Everyone has talked about the Magic trading up from No. 5 as a chance to go get one of the celebrated top-4 of this draft. Nobody has really talked about the prospect of the Magic passing on Scottie Barnes (who has a questionable positional fit with two other key forwards on the team) or using him as leverage to get someone they might like anyway and grab another player or asset too.

Orlando has some power to trade down in this instance. And a motivated team like the Grizzlies might be willing to give up a lot to make a deal to get the No. 5 pick.

There might indeed be a deal.

The Magic are not likely interested in Bledsoe as the Grizzlies are trying to move him along again. Orlando has plenty of point guards on the roster already and Bledsoe would clutter the position.

He would just be a big salary to take. And the Grizzlies do not have something to make that worthwhile, having spent some of those assets to trade up to 10 already.

Justise Winslow might be an interested player to take a flyer on at $13 million in the final year of his deal. But like Bledsoe, he would be a salary dump. Memphis would have to add something to make it worth their while — like multiple firsts or the like.

If the Grizzlies were willing to put a young player like Brandon Clarke on the table or even De’Anthony Melton (9.1 points per game, 41.2-percent 3-point shooting last year after two sub-30-percent shooting seasons), that might get the magic on board to make a deal.

Maybe dealing No. 5 and Mohamed Bamba to acquire No. 10 and Brandon Clarke or De’Anthony Melton could be a gamble worth taking. It might free up the Magic to draft Alperen Sengun, a player the team has reported interest in, or to add a veteran big in free agency to give the team some veteran presence.

The Grizzlies are going to be active and so the Magic are going to have some thought of moving around. Do not be surprised if Memphis is one of the teams Orlando has discussions with.