The Magic chose not to make a move at the trade deadline and have constantly been criticized for it since then. Most people in and around the NBA were stunned, firmly believing that the Magic would look much better with some offensive help.
Given how the Magic’s season has gone, those opinions are understandable. Plagued by injuries, the Magic have struggled to score all season long, but even when healthy, they will have to get someone to help Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner carry the offensive load. Otherwise, this team might never realize its full potential.
However, no deal that felt right to the Magic was available at the trade deadline, and they will have to wait until the offseason to make some significant changes to the roster. Nevertheless, they still believe that they can make a late-season push.
Not everyone agrees with that. Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz recently published an article with predictions for every NBA team and predicted that the Magic would regret not trading for a true point guard at the trade deadline.
The Magic still have time to justify their trade deadline decision
One issue that likely factored into the Magic’s decision not to make a move at the trade deadline is that they have not seen their team fully healthy yet this season. First, Paolo Banchero missed time with an injury. Then, Franz Wagner went down with the same injury. Once they returned, Jalen Suggs went down. So, without seeing those three together with the rest of the team, it was difficult to judge what exactly this team needed to secure long-term success.
The season is not over yet, and the Magic still have time to get healthy and figure things out. They just got an important win over the Charlotte Hornets and will get some much-needed time off over the All-Star break. Some time off seems to be just what the Magic need to get everyone healthy and in shape to string together some wins.
The Magic are currently seventh in the Eastern Conference, 2.5 games behind the sixth-seeded Detroit Pistons. Fighting out of the Play-In Tournament will not be easy, but it is still a possibility. In a way, the Magic need to make the playoffs to justify their trade deadline decision.
Making the playoffs despite all of the injuries would prove that the Magic were right to not simply pursue a band-aid and save their assets. It would also make it easier to make big decisions in the offseason. So, the Magic will enter the last 26 games of the season with a lot of pressure, but also with a great opportunity to prove themselves.