Orlando Magic Daily 2023 Mock Draft 2.7: Imagining trade possibilities

Orlando Magic Daily 2023 NBA Mock Draft 2.7

The Real Move-Up Targets

Trade Chance: Something there, but long way to go

So who are the real trade partners for the Orlando Magic above them? Who are the teams they could actually try to trade up with? And, more importantly, who are the players they could target?

If the Charlotte Hornets take Brandon Miller and Scoot Henderson is on the table at No. 3, all of a sudden, it feels like the team could make Cole Anthony or Jalen Suggs available. That might be more enticing to the Portland Trail Blazers.

So much of making trades is also about the motivation of the teams to make a trade. And the Trail Blazers are certainly motivated to make a deal to try and build a roster around Damian Lillard as he starts to agitate for the team to improve or ship him out.

The above deal is the framework that was suggested in an article on Bleacher/Report and was discussed between myself and Locked on Trail Blazers’ Mike Richman a few weeks ago:

We both came to the conclusion that the Magic would not make a deal for Brandon Miller. But there was a rough framework to make a deal work. I was bullish on trading Wendell Carter’s favorable contract for Jusuf Nurkic’s contract (he has three years left at $16.9 million and increasing compared to Carter’s $13.1 million and decreasing in the next three years). Carter might end up being a better player anyway — although Nurkic’s size and toughness is intriguing.

The real question in all of this is would the Magic be willing to make this kind of a deal to trade up to No. 3 to take Amen Thompson? Thompson is a bigger guard at 6-foot-7 who fits the Magic’s overall drafting philosophy. He is a dynamic athlete and attacker.

At the end of the day, my draft philosophy has always been, if you have a guy you really want, go and get him. Most teams can figure out depth around them anyway. If the Magic believe in Amen Thompson that much, they should chase after him with real fervor and that might mean sacrificing some core pieces if that helps complete the vision for this team.

I am doubtful that Jeff Weltman and the Magic view Amen Thompson — or even Scoot Henderson — as worth all of that. I think most of the Magic’s trades would probably focus on moving Nos. 6 and 11 to move up. Maybe they might part with Cole Anthony considering his contract situation (he is extension eligible this offseason before restricted free agency next season).

But that probably is not a good framework to deal with Portland.

Trade Chance: Not really much chance

Similar to the problem with trading with the Charlotte Hornets, it is hard to see a trade scenario between the Orlando Magic and the Houston Rockets that is not just exchanging draft picks.

The Rockets do not have a lot of players they seem like they are looking to move — outside of Kevin Porter Jr., whose $15.9 million salary and four years left would make him difficult to move to a team like Orlando that is still trying to maintain flexibility. It is hard to see the Magic have that much interest in making a deal.