The Magic have not been able to catch a break on the injury front. Paolo Banchero is back, but they still have to play without Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner, Gary Harris, Moritz Wagner, and Goga Bitadze at the moment. After a few tough losses, the Magic have fallen to seventh in the Eastern Conference.
Ending the season in a favorable position for the playoffs is still well within reach, however. Soon enough, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs will be back, and that may be just enough to get the Magic back on track. Still, it seems it may be time for the Magic to make a move before the trade deadline. Even with Wagner and Suggs in the lineup, there are significant concerns about the Magic’s offense in the playoffs.
Orlando currently has the second-worst offensive rating in the league, ahead of only the Washington Wizards, and ranks last in 3-point percentage. Those are the same issues that hurt the Magic in last year’s playoffs. If they do not address the team’s offensive shortcomings, winning a series will be challenging once again. The Magic do not often make significant moves during the regular season and have been incredibly patient during their rebuild, but now seems like the right time to change that.
Bobby Marks wants Magic to trade for Cameron Johnson
The Magic have been connected to several players, from De’Aaron Fox to Anfernee Simons. Recently, on the Kevin O’Connor Show, Bobby Marks said that the Magic should actually have their eyes on Brooklyn Nets forward Cam Johnson to improve the team’s shooting.
Johnson is currently shooting 42.6 percent on 7.6 3-point attempts per game—significantly better than any Magic player. Adding a shooter like Johnson, who can space the floor as well as defend but does not require the ball in his hands a lot, could really help the Magic.
If the Magic are healthy, Johnson likely would not start and play quite as many minutes as with the Nets. In turn, he also probably would not shoot over seven threes a game. That would not change the positive impact he could have on the Magic’s offense, though.
Even when Johnson primarily came off the bench in Phoenix during his first three seasons, he always attempted at least 4.8 threes per game and only shot less than 39 percent once. That would still be much better than what the Magic have right now. Four Magic players are averaging at least four threes per game but none of them are shooting more than 35.8 percent.
Plus, Johnson has a reputation as a 3-point threat. Just his presence on the court would space the floor. Trading for him would also add another scoring option and a player with playoff experience to the bench unit. Johnson could end up being a real difference-maker for the Magic but would not cost nearly as much as chasing an All-Star would.
And yet, landing Johnson may not be as easy as it sounds. The Nets seem ready to part ways with Johnson after already trading Dennis Schröder and Dorian Finney-Smith, but if the Magic decide to look into a trade, they will have plenty of competition. Teams looking to compete always need 3-and-D forwards.
So, if the Magic choose to make a move before the trade deadline—which would significantly improve their playoff chances—they cannot afford to hesitate.