Orlando Magic Shooting Month: Shooting trades the Orlando Magic regret

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Trevor Ariza, Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic

The Orlando Magic did not need a project who could not shoot in Trevor Ariza. He came back in the 2009 Finals and torched them for a title. (Photo by STAN HONDA/AFP via Getty Images) /

Orlando Magic Shooting Month: Shooting trades the Magic regret

Shooting Acquisition Fails

There are undoubtedly some ideas the Orlando Magic had when they went after shooters that looked really good on paper and seemed certain to succeed. But then they turn around and fall flat and hit them on their face.

Not everything works out even if there is some logic to it. These are some of those signings and ideas.

Brian Cook

This is perhaps one of the most reviled trades in Orlando Magic history. But at the time it was made, it did not really raise a blip.

Sure, the Magic were trading away a young, promising defensive player. And the team probably was not in a great position to make those kinds of deals in 2008.

The Magic were cruising and surprising the league to win the Southeast Division eventually. But nothing was assured at that point — neither was their eventual ascendancy to title contention.

What Stan Van Gundy was looking for was reliable shooting and consistency for this new style he was fully embracing. And Trevor Ariza just did not fit the deal. In the 2008 season, he missed all three of his 3-pointers in 11 games that season. Ariza was just not a comfortable 3-point shooter.

The Magic grabbed Brian Cook then to be a backup power forward who could spread the floor like they were doing with Rashard Lewis. Cook shot 39.0-percent from three in the 2008 season for the Magic and 40.0-percent across three seasons for Orlando.

The team got the like-for-like swap in the defensive-minded Maurice Evans in the deal too. Evans made 39.6-percent of his 3-pointers in that 2008 season. The Magic got what they wanted from that position (and eventually replaced him with free agent Mickael Pietrus in the offseason).

That deal made a lot of sense on paper even if Cook did not fully work out — the Magic eventually used him in the trade that brought in Rafer Alston.

Still, the team faced some immediate regret in 2009.

Ariza eventually turned himself into a 3-point shooter. He made 31.9-percent of his threes in the 2009 season as his attempts ticked up. More importantly, he made 47.6-percent of his 3-pointers in the 2009 playoffs including 10 of 24 3-pointers in the NBA Finals series over the Magic.

No trade came back to bite Orlando more than this one. Even if it made complete sense.

Channing Frye

The Orlando Magic were certainly desperate for shooting to help support their young roster in the wake of the Dwight Howard trade. They desperately needed it too because they kept drafting guards who could not shoot at all.

Enter Channing Frye, signed to a four-year, $32-million deal.

He had all the makings of the kind of player that would help the Magic. He could play power forward or center and help stretch the floor. He was a good veteran that had good presence and was well-liked in the locker room.

And, honestly, he produced. Frye made 39.4-percent of his 3-pointers in two seasons with the Magic.

But things just did not work out. It was clear very early on that Channing Frye was not buying into what Jacque Vaughn was trying to preach as head coach.

No one could honestly blame him with how quickly things went off the rails that season and how disastrous the Magic’s front office was under Rob Hennigan (despite good intentions).

There really was not a plan to implement him.

The failure with Frye is a perfect example of how things can look good on paper but just do not click in reality. Frye was a good shooter but the wrong person for this young Magic team. And they were never able to make it work tactically.