The Orlando Magic have been the subject of some trade rumors recently, with Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet one potential option that Shams Charania believes they could explore.
Whether through trade or free agency, there are deals out there to be done if the Magic are looking. Even if VanVleet is not the right choice, as many believe he is not, what about a legitimate star like Trae Young?
What is often forgotten when exploring dream scenarios is that the organization would have to send players out as part of these deals. It is why Mo Bamba and R.J. Hampton are still on the roster, because of what they could yet become.
On paper veteran Terrence Ross should be the main trade candidate for the Orlando Magic then. But they would be foolish to sell too low on the 3-point specialist.
There are plenty of reasons to believe that trading Terrence Ross is a good idea. He has been in the league 10 years now, and is most certainly the player he is always going to be.
Also worth considering is that Ross is in the final year of his contract. The team may be ready to move on and free up the roster spot. Ross while continuing to express his optimism and love for his teammates certainly seemed ready to start competing for a playoff team once again. At least in the offseason.
If anything he will only regress from what in theory is the tail end of his prime (one that has included a 51 point game no less), and the eight points he is averaging per game is the lowest since his rookie season with the Raptors.
His spot as guaranteed sixth man is gone, as Cole Anthony has shown the capability of sliding into this position and doing a lot of things that Ross cannot. Even if he still has his detractors.
Whereas Ross is a flamethrower, quite literally named “The Human Torch” for how he can get hot in a hurry, Anthony is a smaller guard who is all hustle and energy, and who crashes the boards well for a guard.
The 22.5 minutes per night Ross is averaging is also the lowest since his rookie campaign, although he is still connecting on 37.3 percent of his shots from deep. Ross has appeared in 40 games, and has even started nine of them.
So while he is no longer as important on the court for the Magic as they continue to blood youngsters and watch Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner blossom, Terence Ross is about more than that in Florida.
The Magic are certainly weighing trading Ross fairly heavily. It seems like Ross is the most likely player the Magic would move at this year’s deadline.
But that does not mean they should. Ross still has a ton of value in the locker room on an extremely young team.
How many times this season have you heard of a young player acting up or about unrest in the Magic locker room? Exactly.
This is not all down to Terrence Ross, and both the temperament of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, and the trust in head coach Jamahl Mosley, are big factors.
But you look at another young group like the Houston Rockets, and the lack of leadership in that locker room. Their main veteran Eric Gordon, has said and done all of the wrong things in trying to bring that group along.
Eric Gordon on the 4th Q: "The problem with us is when we're not scoring, we're letting down things on defense. Defensively, it needs to be the staple to build any team...It's hard to win in this league, and that's what these guys are gonna understand." pic.twitter.com/S5OJxVyJTq
— Alykhan Bijani (@Rockets_Insider) January 16, 2023
But to look at Ross on the court and in the locker room for the Magic is to see a player happy in their role and surroundings. He would surely like to contend for a championship, and we will return to this, but he is not a negative influence over an impressionable collection of players.
This despite watching Gary Harris come in and steal some of his thunder as they have similar skill sets.
Harris may have only appeared in 16 games this season, but has started one more game than Ross (10), averages slightly more minutes (23.4), points (8.4) and even boasts a higher 3-point shooting percentage (38.9 percent). Not bad for a player who many believe has slipped badly.
Despite being put in Harris’ shadow somewhat, fans still have a soft spot for Ross. Which is why if he respectfully asked to be traded, it would change things.
Ross has been a loyal servant to the Magic, and if he wants to chase a championship elsewhere, the front office would likely grant this wish and fans would endorse it.
But until that happens, Ross should not automatically be put into every trade scenario involving the Magic. Yes he will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and so is not going to command what he once would.
But moving what would be an expiring contract for even a pair of second rounders doesn’t make sense for where the Magic are at right now. If anything, looking to bring Ross back beyond this season might actually be the move to make. Such is his importance to the group.
It is generally accepted that young teams that are near the bottom of the standings should accumulate assets and picks in the hopes of hitting in big.
Only the Magic already have they foundational pieces in Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Markelle Fultz and Wendell Carter.
You do not suddenly then contend, and need to build the right team which includes guys of good character and who are solid professionals around that. Terrence Ross fits the bill, and he has always fit that bill.
The offer of a young player with a ton of upside may entice. So too would a first round pick. But we have to draw the line somewhere, and it is not where you would think given all Ross does for the franchise.