Potential Trades and Candidates for the Orlando Magic before Trade Deadline

Trade candidates for the Orlando Magic

Orlando Magic Decide Not to Trade for Fred VanVleet

The Orlando Magic have cap space, as previously mentioned. Everyone is eager to see how the Magic deploy this tool.

Fred VanVleet is a free agent this summer. There have been numerous reports suggesting that the Toronto Raptors and VanVleet are not seeing eye-to-eye on a contract extension.

The specter of the Magic and their widely reported but still hard-to-believe heavy interest in VanVleet is likely pushing the Raptors to shop VanVleet hard at the deadline. The question is whether the Magic are actually interested in VanVleet and if they are whether they need to act now to get him or if they can wait until July.

The Magic simply do not need to give up assets to acquire a guy that the Raptors are for sure willing to let walk this summer.  Also, acquiring Fred VanVleet would put an already crowded backcourt of Markelle Fultz, Jalen Suggs and Cole Anthony playing time in jeopardy.

The only way Magic should make this deal is if they truly believe they are willing to part with one of those three guys, most likely Cole Anthony, then it is a possibility. Acquiring Fred VanVleet would put him next to Markelle Fultz in the starting five with Jlaen Suggs and Gary Harris as the backup guards.

However, Magic seem to still believe in Anthony. Vanvleet and Anthony are both undersized offensively inefficient guards. Does giving $30-plus million dollars annually to an undersized inefficient guard nearing 30 years old really make sense then?

Vanvleet would be a good addition if he would be willing to come on a two- or three-year deal with a neighborhood of $20 million annually. But he has reportedly already rejected a four-year, $114-million offer from the Raptors prior to this season.

It would not make sense for the Magic to pay him that much money for guy that would be 33 when his four-year contract ends.