Who knows how trade ideas really start anymore.
It was a few weeks ago that Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com went on his podcast and pitched the potential for trading Darius Garland for Jalen Suggs, helping the Cleveland Cavaliers relieve some of their cap pressure and giving the Orlando Magic the All-Star-level lead guard they need.
Reporting sprang out from that, suggesting that the Cavaliers were at least exploring the idea of trading one of Darius Garland or Jarrett Allen to find some cap relief and try to sneak under the second apron.
The Suggs-for-Garland idea took special hold around the league. Especially in Magic circles.
The Magic were never likely looking to trade Suggs at this point. Just like the Cavs were probably not ready to blow up their core of four players after they faltered in the Playoffs this season.
It shows how precarious things are when teams are competing to win and the kinds of conversations and talks that happen throughout a roster after a season falls short of expectations.
Still, there comes the reality of teams trying to make themselves better and trying to position themselves around the league. And just as quickly as everyone had to go through the thought experiment, the water got thrown on the first to put it out.
Brian Windhorst went on ESPN Cleveland to lambast the idea of swapping Suggs for Garland, calling it a bad deal for the Cavs and that the Cavs would need to get a lot more in the deal.
Jake Fischer, writing on the Stein Line Substack (subscription required), reported that there have not been any substantial talks between the Magic and Cavs. He added the Cavs also have little interest in helping the Magic improve and threaten their spot atop the Eastern Conference, a far bigger implication within the speculative trade talks between the two teams.
As quickly as everyone could get excited about the potential for a big move like this, it seems to have been snufed out.
That has not quieted the Magic as a potential team to make major moves. Fischer said on his YouTube Live for Bleacher Report that speculation around the league is that the Magic will be active in the offseason and have been surveying the guard market to look for the relief they are looking for.
Fischer added in his newsletter that Orlando could be a team looking to package its two draft picks to move up, previewing the commonly held belief that Orlando would add only one player through the draft because of the incoming roster crunch and limited roster spots the team has available.
Fischer also added that the Magic were one of the teams that looked into acquiring De'Aaron Fox at the trade deadline, but conversations did not advance meaningfully.
The Orlando Magic were interested in Malik Monk in free agency last summer before he re-signed with the Sacramento Kings. That could be another avenue the team explores.
At this point, there is enough substantial reporting to suggest the Magic could get under the tax and use the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception of $14.1 million to chase after Minnesota Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
No one is ruling out a major move too -- whether that is chasing a star like Trae Young or someone a tier below like Anfernee Simons, Collin Sexton or Austin Reaves. The Magic may go after multiple of these players.
No one knows what that plan is. The point of all of these discussions though is the Magic have the ability to go in multiple paths.
They can chase after a star-level player like Garland or have the contracts to stack to chase another player. They have the flexibility to get the cap room to go after a big free agent like Alexander-Walker. They have the tools to move up in the draft, too.
There is a lot on the table for the Magic this offseason. It may not be the big fish or the big deal. But there is something out there for Orlando. That much has become clear.