It’s been a tough season for Paolo Banchero. An oblique injury cost him significant time, and when he returned to the court, he did not look like himself. On top of that, the 22-year-old just cannot escape critics who want to tear him down for his inefficiency as a scorer.
Efficiency is important, and the Magic and Banchero would look much better if he could consistently score as efficiently as he did in March. However, we should not forget how young Banchero still is and how much he has to do for the Magic.
In March, Banchero converted almost fifty percent of his field goal attempts and averaged almost 30 points per game. He looked like an All-Star and the player the Magic hope he can become consistently.
Nevertheless, some people are not happy with Banchero’s production. A recent proposal even suggested that the Magic should trade the former number-one pick.
Egregious trade proposal sends Banchero to the Trail Blazers
The F5 just published a list of “anonymous takes and rants from NBA insiders and outsiders.” One of those takes included a proposal that would send Paolo Banchero to the Portland Trail Blazers for Deni Avdija and a lottery pick in this year’s draft.
The reasoning behind the take was Banchero’s inefficiency and tendency to rely on the midrange shot.
“The Magic should trade Paolo before everyone else realizes what their front office probably already knows: he’s empty calories,” the anonymous writer noted.
They also added, “I’d rather have Deni Avdija and a lottery pick in this year’s draft than Paolo on a max.”
That is a bold take, to say the least.
Deni Avdija is a good player. He is currently averaging 16.3 points, 7 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1 steal per game in 29.8 minutes per contest with the Portland Trail Blazers. He can also space the floor, converting 36.8 percent of his 4.7 3-point attempts per game. The 2025 NBA Draft will also feature some interesting players, particularly in the lottery.
Nevertheless, this mock trade is not the right move for the Magic. The Magic want to compete now and have shown before that they can do just that if healthy. Trading a 22-year-old, who has already been an All-Star and led his team to the playoffs and wins in the playoffs, for an older player and a lottery pick that might need time to develop is not the move to make to win now.
It is fair to worry about Banchero’s efficiency and his troubles to be an efficient scorer throughout an entire season. Converting a high percentage of his field goal attempts—no matter whether they are midrange shots, layups, or threes—consistently is the next step for Banchero toward superstardom.
This take and trade proposal goes a step too far with the worries, however. The Magic are not going to trade Banchero, especially not without seeing what he looks like with an improved, healthy roster around him first.