With the NBA’s trade deadline approaching, fans are waiting to see who their favorite team may end up acquiring or trading away.
The Orlando Magic could be active with several players that could entice teams looking for that key veteran to make a postseason push. Or that young player they are eager to develop.
This deadline in particular has the potential to be a big one for the Magic going forward. Orlando is currently the 13th seed in the Eastern Conference. But the team feels competitive enough to be fighting for a play-in spot.
They are only four games back of the 10th seed with less than half of the season to go.
The Orlando Magic will face some big decisions at the deadline as they look to shape their roster for the future. None bigger than for veteran guard Terrence Ross who should be in some demand at the deadline.
Regardless of whether the Magic decide to add another young player or chase after a veteran to solidify their team, one thing appears evident: Terrence Ross may well be on his way out of Orlando.
Ross, who is 31 years old, is getting the ninth-most minutes per game on the team entering Wednesday’s game. And his role is seemingly fading every game. He sat out Monday’s win over the Boston Celtics to make way for Jonathan Isaac’s return and did not play again in Wednesday’s game against the Indiana Pacers.
He has struggled some with his shot (his 9.5 points per game are the fewest he has had since his rookie year, but he is shooting a more solid 38.1 percent from beyond the arc), but he still has a ton of gravity with the respect and reputation he has gained as a shooter.
Ross is also making $11.5 million and is on an expiring contract. He seems unlikely to re-sign with a young Magic team beyond this season and would most likely land on a contending team.
So instead of barely playing him — his 22.5 minutes per game are the fewest since his rookie year too — and then losing him for nothing in free agency after the season, it would make the most sense to trade him now and get something in return.
Despite what some fans may think of Ross’ performances, he is still a capable NBA player who could help a ton of teams.
The goal though for the Magic is not simply to dump Ross on whoever will take him. They need to get value and something that will help them build for their future — whether that is a player or future draft consideration.
Losing Ross would undoubtedly cut into the team’s shooting and ability to space the floor. Replacing that would be imperative in any trade — even if the plan is ultimately banking on Caleb Houstan to step in as a shooter.
Here are three possible trades for Ross, and what the Magic should be thinking about in return.
3 trade scenarios for Terrence Ross
Trade Scenario 1: Los Angeles Clippers
The LA Clippers have championship hopes but have a bottom-three offense in the NBA. They need some offensive-minded veterans to help their team. Terrence Ross fits that bill.
The Magic would want one main thing in return, Luke Kennard.
Kennard is currently on a three-year deal and is only 26 years old, so the Magic would be obtaining him in his prime.
He is a career 42.8 percent three-point shooter and is shooting 46.2 percent this season. He has shot 45.2 percent during the last three years and is only getting better.
Kennard is a 45.2-percent career field-goal shooter and he is shooting 48.9 percent this season. He is also comfortable coming off the bench. Everything the Magic could want and need.
He is a consistent shooter who can get hot in a hurry. Much like Ross in his heyday.
This year he has had eight games with three or more made threes. In those games, he is shooting 55 percent from 3-point range.
He has 51 career games with four or more threes, which is about 16 percent of the games he’s ever played in. In the same deal, the Magic get to move off of R.J. Hampton, who has slipped way out of the rotation.
Kennard though has faced injury issues. That would be the risk in trying to acquire him. He has played in only 29 games and is currently dealing with a calf injury. Ross would give the Clippers some flexibility for the summer to ease their luxury tax concerns and give them someone who is more reliably healthy too.
Although maybe the Clippers would want big man Mo Bamba instead? They would also add Brandon Boston Jr., another player shooting over 40 percent from deep this season. A nice bonus to this proposed trade.
3 trade scenarios for Terrence Ross
Trade Scenario 2: New York Knicks
The New York Knicks spent a lot of money this offseason to be a playoff team and so far they are sitting as the seventh seed. They need to make some moves to keep them going in the right direction.
The Magic would be looking to get Cam Reddish here. He is still only 23 with sky-high potential. He has a career defensive rating of 114.4 which is slightly below average but has shown great defensive potential and has hit 113.2 in the past.
Offensively he is a 33.2 percent shooter from deep, but everyone who has watched him knows that he is a phenomenal shooter who has not been given a fair chance in the league to date. He even had a season averaging 35.9 percent.
Reddish is also talented at getting to the rim and is a great free-throw shooter.
He would fit perfectly on both ends for the Orlando Magic as a backup wing. He can score 20 points on any given night and can become the shooter and defender the Magic need off the bench.
The Magic have the opportunity here to steal a gem.
Giving away Moe Wagner would hurt, and his younger brother Franz may not approve. But he is on an expiring deal and adding Isaiah Hartenstein to shore up some leaky defensive minutes off the bench would be a sneaky nice addition.
3 trade scenarios for Terrence Ross
Trade Scenario 3: Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets are trying to be a contender and are playing all of their veterans to do so. This leaves another young talent on their bench in Cam Thomas, who is looking for a role he can succeed in. This is where the Orlando Magic can step in.
Thomas is another elite scorer who only three years ago led the SEC in scoring and who has not been given a fair shot in the NBA. He has played great when given the opportunity. The Nets just have little opportunity for a gunner guard off the bench with all the scoring already in their lineup.
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When Kyrie Irving was injured he stepped into that role and averaged 17.0 points per game, and then got that position taken away as soon as Irving returned. He is playing only 13.9 minutes per game this year.
He is too talented to sit on the bench and can absolutely provide the offense and shooting the Magic need. In the 34 games he has played at least 20 minutes he average 15.9 points per game on 46 percent shooting.
Also in the deal would be Seth Curry. At 32 he is on an expiring deal so the Magic can choose if they want to try to retain him or not. Thomas has a team option through 2025, so would be part of the longer-term vision here.
The Magic need offensive punch, scoring and in all likelihood a player who can step into more minutes if members of their rotation go down with injury. As they always seem to. This is a move the organization should think long and hard about, with the play-in tournament still a possibility.