The Orlando Magic figure to be in the center of several trade talks as trade deadline discussions heat up with two weeks to go.
They are almost certainly sellers on the market as they continue their rebuild and figure out their next steps. There may not be a truly splashy move — certainly nothing to the extent they saw last year at the deadline — but the team is going to be active.
In all likelihood, the Magic will trade one if not both of their veteran wings in Gary Harris and Terrence Ross by the Feb. 10 deadline. That would just make good business sense to try to maximize those assets while the team is still rebuilding and winning is not the main focus.
Orlando will have to have its future in mind as the team considers what to do. The Magic are one of the few teams with cap room and should have north of $20 million to spend or use if they should choose this offseason.
It is not a good summer for spending with precious few free agents — restricted free agents Miles Bridges and Deandre Ayton are among the players in the pool, but it would be hard not to see their teams match offers and Zach LaVine is likely staying in Chicago now.
Do not ask about James Harden either. It is not happening.
The Magic also currently have nine players under contract for the 2022 season. That does not include Mo Bamba — a potential trade option at this year’s deadline and an uncertain re-sign in restricted free agency — and the team’s upcoming first-round draft pick.
Orlando could well be a landing spot for bad contracts as the team uses cap room to help facilitate trades and get other assets in return. That could be something the team tries to do even at this year’s deadline, opting to use up that cap space now to obtain some asset.
The Magic have one more tool in their quiver the next few weeks that they can use — a massive $17.2-million trade exception acquired in the Evan Fournier trade last March. Orlando has to use this trade exception at the trade deadline or it will lapse.
It is still not clear whether the Magic will use this. Being a selling team, they likely would use this as a tool to acquire a high-priced veteran to help some team get under the luxury tax or clear some cap room for the offseason. They would get compensated with a draft pick for this service.
And trade exceptions can only be used in non-simultaneous trades — meaning it can only be used on one player. That means if Orlando is looking to use this exception it is likely looking for draft compensation and not multiple players to make the deal worth their time.
The Magic may not be in a good spot to use this exception unless the sweetener is too good to pass up or they have some feeling or assurance the player they are acquiring will help them with their rebuild. Orlando should not be looking to use this tool just because it is about to lapse.
But there are a few intriguing options for the Magic to consider pursuing as teams make their final moves before the trade deadline.
At the very least, this kind of list will give you a good idea of what is out there as the Magic consider how to use this trade exception.