Orlando Magic will have to find room for Caleb Houstan too

Orlando Magic broadcaster David Steele made a seemingly throwaway remark in the first-quarter of Wednesday night’s 126-120 win over the Indiana Pacers.

It regarded head coach Jamahl Mosley and how he seems to have settled on a 10-man rotation with this group. A team which has gone an impressive 14-9 since December 7th and has managed to beat the Boston Celtics three times this season.

One look at the box score from that win over the Pacers confirms Steele’s comment, with the Magic using 10 players, plus the eight minutes Jonathan Isaac averaged in his second game back after 904 days out injured. Mo Bamba even made a cameo in the second half because of foul trouble, so the rotation might have been even tighter that game.

The Magic, as they approach the trade deadline, still have a problem of too many mouths to feed. And they added one more key young player who was struggling for playing time even before Isaac returned.

Before Wednesday’s game, the Magic recalled Houstan from the Lakeland Magic after spending a week getting playing experience in the G-League.

The Orlando Magic are clearly invested in Caleb Houstan’s development. With the rotation already full, the team has to find a way to get him on the court.

Houstan has been doing some good work down in the G-League. He has been putting up double-digit scoring efforts with ease, averaging 20.2 points per game and shooting 43.8 percent from the floor. He added 5.6 rebounds per game for good measure in 28.7 minutes per game in his five appearances.

At only 20 years old, that ability to put the ball in the bucket is something the Magic need more of.

They sit a lowly 23rd in offensive rating (111.7 points per 100 possessions) and have needed big efforts from Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero to see them across the line against a multitude of opponents.

This begs the question after the recalling of Houstan: Is he about to crack the rotation and try and provide scoring off the bench, or could he be included in any potential trade deadline moves the organization may make? More importantly: What is the Magic’s plan for the young guard?

Getting meaningful minutes looks like a tall order, but not an impossible one. Center Mo Bamba was on the court for only 12 minutes against the Pacers, and his 17.2 minutes per game is tumbling toward his rookie average of 16.3.

Bamba is also reportedly readily available in a trade, which would clear out some space for Houstan. Unfortunately for him, he is not in direct competition with Bamba for minutes. Still, it is a reason for optimism for Houstan.

Terrence Ross’ future looks to be elsewhere, and although little has leaked by way of a concrete offer for his services, it feels like it is only a matter of time. He is a free agent this summer and Gary Harris has stepped into the important role Terrence Ross once provided.

So with both Mo Bamba and Terrence Ross possibly moving on, and R.J. Hampton very much on the periphery, suddenly the idea of Caleb Houstan getting more minutes in the near future does not seem so crazy. Even if he has only averaged four points per night in the 30 games, he has appeared in so far this season.

That optimism ends, however, with the stark reality that Isaac will likely step into not only Bamba’s minutes (whether he stays or goes), but he will also swallow up more available time on the court as he works his way back to being the player we all know he can be.

Then there is Chuma Okeke. A forward like Houstan, and one who is currently injured. It is hard to gauge a second-round pick like Houstan after 30 games, but right now Okeke is the better defender.

In truth, Okeke is the better two-way player. But again, that is harsh on a player in Houstan who as a rookie has shuttled in and out of the rotation depending on injuries and now between the NBA and the G-League.

But it certainly feels like the franchise is not willing to part with Okeke just yet.

He is definitely not the natural shooter Houstan is, but he might be the most intriguing player on the entire roster not named Bol Bol. Okeke still feels like a blank canvas, and one who coach Mosley will know could blossom into a real defensive asset.

For now, it is unclear when Okeke will return. He has started doing some on-court work, but is not doing any contact drills at the last check in.

It is hard to bury or cut ties with a player who has only played 133 games across three seasons for the organization. Then again, that is more than four times as many as Houstan has played so far, and he will be hoping he gets as much time to impress as Okeke has.

The Magic seem unlikely to try to trade their young second-round pick. They seem very invested in Houstan and have been effusive in praising the young forward’s professionalism and play this season. The only problem is that they have not been able to find him consistent playing time. That only gets tougher with how much healthier this roster is.

Sending him to the G-League was an opportunity to get him some playing time. But now that he is back with the NBA club, the Magic are back in the quandary of trying to find him playing time.

There might be a few front offices who will push to have Houstan included in trades if the Magic decide to get aggressive at the deadline. They may look for some insurance by way of a young player on a cheap rookie deal to keep beyond this season. The Magic did something similar in acquiring Hampton as part of the Aaron Gordon deal with the Denver Nuggets.

Harris was the key player they got back in that deal, but many thought he would not last as long as he has with the Magic. It was Hampton who they saw as somebody who had the upside they could get behind for the long term.

Houstan can be that player in any Ross deal. The Magic would likely prefer if it was Hampton who occupied that role because he has not worked out as they had hoped, but his stock around the league appears to be at an all-time low.

If the right offer came in for Ross, but Houstan had to be added, it is hard to see the front office or fans thinking too long about it. Whether that is the right attitude or not remains to be seen, but it is the reality of life in the NBA.

If you want to acquire players through trade to make your group better and who fit with your timeline, you have to make sacrifices.

As we have shown, making the back end of the rotation is going to be hard anyway, so it may be that it is best for Houstan to grow elsewhere.

No matter which way this goes, it will be interesting to see what Houstan can do with the Magic when he is given the opportunity. The ball is still in his court to prove to the organization that he deserves a chance to make their rotation.

For now, Orlando just needs to find ways to get Hosutan some playing time and get a better assessment of this young player and where he fits into the future.