We're less than two weeks away from the 2026 NBA trade deadline, and the main goal for the Orlando Magic should be clear. This team's payroll currently has them sitting just above the first tax apron. To avoid incurring penalties, the Magic should be looking to move off certain contracts that will allow them to get under the apron and have more flexibility moving forward.
This team is in a bit of a strange spot at the moment. Orlando dealt away a lot of assets to be able to acquire Desmond Bane last summer, and they're not in a position to make much of a splashy move. With that being said, taking action around the margins can often be similarly as impactful as a blockbuster trade when executed correctly, with the proper timing.
Considering the Magic are right at the first apron line right now, making a trade to help them get under that mark has to be the wisest move they can make at the moment. There are several players that they could seek to deal away in order to achieve that result, but perhaps the most obvious candidate to be moved is Tyus Jones.
Orlando can get under the first apron by trading Tyus Jones
Jones is making $7 million this season, and getting his contract off the books would be an efficient way of freeing up some space. Tyus was considered a solid addition before the season, but his play has unfortunately not fit the mold of what this team was looking for. If Orlando can do it, trading him would be a smart move.
Ideally, you'd like to move Jones along with maybe some draft capital for another backup point guard who's playing on a reasonable contract. This would clean up the Magic's cap sheet a bit without disrupting the team's core or altering their trajectory in any meaningful way.
Orlando hasn't been a team to do a lot at the deadline the last couple of seasons, and it doesn't make sense to go changing that now. Tyus is still a solid basketball player, he just isn't the ideal fit for the Magic's vision.
This is just the type of subtle move that good front offices make before problems start to come later on. Orlando doesn't need to take a swing that it's not ready to make, it just needs to trim the fat while keeping the big picture intact.