The Orlando Magic pushed their chips in this summer.
The trade to acquire Desmond Bane was the first major trade Jeff Weltman has made since the reset trades in March 2021. It was a statement of belief that the team was ready to take the next step. It seemed like the necessary move to elevate the team into a contender, giving its two stars the space and support to take the next step.
At this time last year, it was clear the Magic needed to make a move like this. It was clear it was a time for action.
That was supposed to deliver the Magic into the contender class. It was supposed to elevate Orlando to a new level -- that is the team's in-arena intro song, after all. Everyone leaned into this idea.
As trade deadline week begins, the Magic are 25-23 (granted, the same record they were in 2024 when they eventually won 47 games and nabbed the 5-seed). That is hardly where this team imagined it would be. It is sitting in eighth in the East, a half-game behind the Miami Heat and 1.5 games out of sixth and avoiding the Play-In altogether.
It has been a struggle. Because, unlike last year or the year before, the Magic are ranked 15th and 16th in defensive and offensive rating.
This team is smack dab in the middle of the league. And that is not where the team expected to be after the cost of acquiring Bane and the contracts the team has on its books moving forward.
To say the least, the Magic must manage their finances this year. The primary goal entering this trade deadline is to get under the tax to avoid starting their repeater clock with the aprons on the horizon.
But Orlando also needs to act like a winning team. That means not being precious with struggling role players and constantly looking for ways to improve. The Magic cannot honestly look at their roster and believe they have enough -- even if they were healthy.
Franz Wagner's return from injury will still be the biggest trade deadline acquisition this team will make. Just like last year, Jalen Suggs' return (that never came) was meant to be the biggest acquisition.
But Wagner's injury alone will not fix this team.
Before the Magic can go out and explore the trade market, they must assess what they have on the roster and what they are willing to give up.
As we kick off trade deadline week, I am turning back to my annual trade value column. Styled in the old Bill Simmons column, this is a ranking of the Magic's trade assets. Essentially, it is my ranking of who the Magic would trade or how they value players as they approach the market, including consideration of salary.
Category I - What is a Two-Way Anyway?
17. Colin Castleton - Two-Way
Colin Castleton has not played for the Orlando Magic on his two-way contract yet. A hand injury has kept him from playing for Osceola at this point too. It is hard to get a handle on what Castleton is.
Castleton spent a cup of coffee in the NBA last year and he is close to the league. Why he chose to sign with an Orlando Magic team that had already signed a two-way center is beyond me.
16. Orlando Robinson - Two-Way
Orlando Robinson has gotten a little bit of run for the Orlando Magic, starting that weird game in Boston where the Magic laid an egg before rallying furiously at the end of the game. But he has played in only four games so far this season.
Orlando Robinson, like Colin Castleton, is knocking on the door of the NBA. He is a high-level G-League player who has graduated from this level. But he is not finding much room to play on this Magic roster.
15. Jamal Cain - Two-Way
Of the Orlando Magic's three two-way players, Jamal Cain has been the most impressive. He has provided solid defense and an improved three-point shot to help the team. Cain has played in 18 games for the Magic this year.
Orlando turned to him in the same way the team turned to its successful two-way stories -- Trevelin Queen and Kevon Harris. He came in and provided energy and helped flip games in the team's favor. That is what a two-way player is supposed to do.
Category II - Careers at a crossroads
14. Tyus Jones - 1-Year, $7 million
The idea behind Tyus Jones was a pretty good idea. Even if he worked out he might still be 14th on this list because of the talent ahead of him.
The Orlando Magic needed a good game manager at point guard off the bench to fill in minutes and hit open threes. The team would hopefully grow enough to not need him when he became unplayable in the Playoffs.
When you get old in this league, you get old fast. Maybe playing for losing teams hid how slowed down Jones had become. But this season feels like Jones falling off a cliff.
Jones is shooting just 29.7 percent from three and is averaging 3.1 points per game. It simply has not worked out. And the Magic seem eager to attach a second-round pick to get off him and get under the tax. Jones has just become a line on the balance sheet.
13. Moe Wagner - 1-Year, $5 million
Last Year: 7th
It feels really unfair to put Moe Wagner this low on the list. He is not even a month since returning from a torn ACL and a year away from the game. He was still so valuable because of what the Orlando Magic know he can be.
But things change quickly, especially when you are dealing with the financial restrictions the Magic are facing and the pressure to win. Wagner has struggled a bit to get up and running. And the team's struggles has made the patience to let Wagner find his way go slower.
Orlando knows what Wagner is and likely want to bring him back, even if just as a third center. But who is trading for a player that is still recovering from injury? How much will Orlando be wiling to invest to keep waiting?
This is the reality of the league in a nutshell.
Category III - Who are you?
12. Jett Howard - 1-Year, $5.5 million
Last Year: 12th
When Jett Howard plays and gets consistent minutes, he is able to put up points in a hurry. The whole idea behind Jett Howard was that he was a sharpshooter who could hit shots from anywhere and make a bunch in a hurry.
The Orlando Magic have seen that more this year because he has gotten more consistent playing time. But his poor defense and his inconsistency as a shooter will keep him from remaining on the team. The Magic declined his team option as the first cap casualty of this new era. And the Magic do not have much space for Howard anymore.
It is just too bad his salary is not enough to get the team under the tax. But he could be an interesting sweetener for a team looking to make a second draft acquisition.
11. Jase Richardson - 4-Years, $15.3 million, Team Option in 2028, 2029
Jase Richardson has had an interesting season.
When he plays, he shows the scoring burst the Orlando Magic hoped to see when they drafted him. They have been hesitant to keep him in the rotation for very long. His size is the impediment everyone imagined, and the Magic seem content to keep him under wraps.
You do not draft rookies for their rookie year. That he has shown he can function on an NBA court is a good thing and the Magic can keep developing him. He is not going anywhere. But nobody knows what he really is.
10. Jonathan Isaac - 4-Years, $59.0 million, Partial Guarantees in 2027, 2028, 2029
Last Year: 5th
Jonathan Isaac remains an intriguing player. For all the hand-wringing and concern about his decline, he is still a plus defender. And the last week has shown that he can still be a game-changer on defense. All of his defensive numbers suggest he is still a nearly elite defender.
It has not helped that he has been so poor on offense. Isaac is averaging only 3.0 points per game and shooting 20.6 percent from three. Orlando is playing him more as a backup center just to leave him in the corner or the dunke spot.
Isaac is still gifted enough as a defender that some team could be snooping around. And the Magic need a more effective use of this salary slot with how restricted the team is financially.
If Orlando can get a decent deal for Isaac, it is likely something the team should jump on.
Category IV - Actually has some value
9. Noah Penda - 4-Years, $8.7 million, Partially Guaranteed in 2028, Team Option in 2029
When you are a tax team and in the aprons, you need to hit on a few Noah Pendas and second-round picks. Penda looks like a complete steal with his feel for the game, activity on defense and around the basket and surprising three-point ability.
Penda is the kind of versatile young player the Orlando Magic love and so rarely hit on.
He clearly needs some fine-tuning. He gets overeager and is a bit over his skis. But how the Magic develop him is going to be one of the more intriguing stories heading into next season. He makes it OK to let go of Isaac an reallocate that salary because he can accomplish a lot of the same things.
This was a clear draft steal.
8. Goga Bitadze - 2-Years, $15.9 million
Last Year: 4th
If the Orlando Magic were going to sell high on Goga Bitadze, it would have been last year when he had a clear role on the team and could play consistently. He was vital to the team surviving early in the season when Wendell Carter was hurt.
When he starts and get starter's minutes, he averages nearly a double-double -- he had 14 points and 13 rebounds in his lone start this season and averaged 9.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per game as a starter last year.
But his play has noticeably dropped, really dating back to a concussion suffered in January 2025. Bitadze can be a little overly physical and his promising shooting from EuroBasket has not translated, limiting him to working around the basket.
Still, Bitadze is the most valuable trade chip the Magic have. He is a player that should be in a rotation somewhere and the Magic do not have a lot of room for him. If Orlando is looking to add a key rotation player this year, Bitadze is the player they are shopping.
7. Tristan da Silva - 3-Years, $13.9 million, Team Option in 2028
Last Year: 9th
For the Orlando Magic to be successful, they need to hit on late-draft picks when they get them. Starting off with a solid addition in Tristan da Silva has been a big boost. When he is right and making his outside shots, he is a solid role player. Finding an attacking guard for him to play off feels essential.
Da Silva is averaging 9.1 points per game and shooting 37.4 percent from three. He is still pretty inconsistent and has some wild swings. But that is fine for a second-year player. Finding him the right role to maximize his shooting is a good thing.
And maybe if there is a clear upgrade that requires attaching him, he is someone the Magic would be fine parting with.
Category V - The next steps
6. Wendell Carter - 4-Years, $69.5 million, Team Option in 2029
Last Year: 10th
Wendell Carter remains a tough player to figure out. His skills are undeniable and when he is dialed in he is a tough player around the basket, a good decision-maker out of the high post and a solid 3-point shooter. Not to mention he is always in the right spot defensively. The Magic trust him more than any of their other centers.
But the up and down play and his below-the-rim style of defense leave a lot of questions. This was always a big season for Carter to prove that he can anchor this team as they grow into contenders. He still has a lot to prove in the Playoffs.
After struggling through last season despite playing the most games in his career, he has bounced back this season. Carter is averaging 12.1 points and 7.3 rebounds per game whil shoot 34.6 percent from three. That is plenty for a player the Magic expect to be their fifth option in the lineup.
Orlando will likely take a hard look at the center rotation in the offseason. Especially because Carter's contract extension kicks in. Unless the team wants to cut next year's payroll now.
5. Jalen Suggs - 5-Years, $150.5 million
Last Year: 3rd
Last year, Jalen Suggs was in the category dubbed "The Core Three." Dropping him here is not losing recognition that he is part of this team's core. The Orlando Magic would not move a player like Jalen Suggs unless they were getting such a clear upgrade that puts them over the top to win a title that they have to move him.
Suggs is still this team's heartbeat and one of its most essential players. He has struggled a bit since returning from a MCL contusion, but he is as essential as any player on the roster. His defensive energy and his emerging shooting make him a player the Magic should remain invested in.
It helps too that his extension is declining. He theoretically becomes more tradeable as the contract ages.
Orlando would not be where it is without Suggs. And Suggs is a player the Magic will hold onto tightly.
4. Anthony Black - 2-Years, $18.1 million
Last Year: 8th
Nobody had Anthony Black taking the leap he has taken this year.
In his first two years, Black was merely a nice defender who showed flashes of his offensive ability. In important moments, the Orlando Magic mostly wanted him out of the way.
But Black has become a dynamo this year, attacking the rim confidently and draining jumpers. Teammates asked him to be confident when he had the ball, and he has delivered that on all fronts this season, averaging a career-high 15.9 points per game.
The Magic would be in big trouble without him this season.
The only reason Anthony Black is ahead of Jalen Suggs on this list is because of his contract. He is on the last two years of his rookie deal. And one of the big decisions facing Orlando this summer is where to set his extension at and whether that forces some critical financial decisions sooner than the team is ready.
Category VI - Your Stars
3. Desmond Bane - 4-Years, $163.2 million
When the Orlando Magic acquired Desmond Bane, they believed they were adding a third player who could contribute at an All-Star level. They figured that his 3-point shooting would be the thing to unlock a woeful offense and give their stars the spacing they so desperately needed.
They had that at least partially right. Bane's shooting is starting to come around after a slow start. And as the team gets healthier, perhaps they will see Bane's shooting fully unleashed.
What they did not potentially realize they were getting was another offensive engine who could attack and make decisions off the dribble. Like so many things, Bane adjusted his game to what the team needed and is a big reason why the Magic are where they are.
At 19.4 points per game, he has the Magic dangerously close to having three 20-point scorers for the first time in franchise history. And he seems to be just hitting his stride.
The Bane acquisition has not ben exactly what the Magic believed. But he has been worth the price so far. And if the Magic can get healthy, they can evolve into what they imagined.
2. Paolo Banchero - 6-Years, $256.0 million (Estimated), Player Option in 2031
Last Year: 1st
There is a lot that people have said about Paolo Banchero. There have been a lot of holes that critics have tried to poke into his game and his impact. And those are questions he needs to answer.
But sometimes, you need to step back and appreciate a young player figuring things out and their brilliance as they try to find themselves in the league.
There are so many expectations heaped on Banchero that it is easy to forget he is still so young and still learning how to be a leader and how to manage the game as a young star. Some figure it out immediately, but Banchero has had fits and starts. That is OK. The Magic are not a playoff contender or a title contender without him.
The investment in him with a max contract was a sign of the team's belief. But that also comes with pressure. Orlando needs Banchero to perform and be an impactor every night. And there are still too many nights where Banchero does not put his fingerprints on the game like other star players on championship teams do.
Banchero has checked off the first part of stardom. Now comes the next part -- leadership and dominance.
1. Franz Wagner - 5-Years, $224.2 million
Last Year: 2nd
Franz Wagner is the most coveted player on this Orlando Magic roster. That may or may not mean he is the best. And there should be no pitting Franz Wagner against Paolo Banchero. They can and do work together really well.
But Wagner is the player who stands out. He can fill in with any type of role, taking over games or playing off other stars as a shooter or attacker. Wagner is simply more versatile in the style he can play. That is one of the reasons he works so well -- even if Banchero is a better passer and rebounder.
Wagner has emerged in the last two years as a clear-cut All-Star. And the Magic's struggles since his injury only highlights how much the Magic have missed him. He fills in gaps and brings everyone up with him.
That is what you want from a team leader and star. He fits in well with this team and there is a reason teams are regretting passing on him even this long after his draft.