The NBA trade deadline is still three months away. It is almost impossible to predict what a lot of teams might do.
That has not stopped the rumor mill from spinning as teams have gotten off to slower-than-expected starts and teams begin to assess themselves a little more than a month into the season.
The Orlando Magic might have been one of those teams in panic mode after their 1-4 start. There was certainly a lot of hand-wringing about the team's offense, the inclusion of Desmond Bane and their coaching situation.
Most of those rumors have died down now that Orlando has won eight of its last 11 games.
But there is still a foreboding sense that the Magic will need to make some type of move this winter to solidify their spot near the top of the Eastern Conference. It is quite possible this team is still missing something.
It is easy for everyone's eyes to get bigger than their stomach and miss the piece that could turn the magic into a championship team.
The Magic have made their big move. Their hunt for the bigger fish on the trade market is likely over. It is not simply because of the team's finances. It is because they have something working pretty well right now.
The needs everyone thought the Magic needed to pursue at the deadline a week ago are looking very different now that the team has found its groove. They will undoubtedly change before the Feb. 5 trade deadline.
But it should be clear for now, the Magic do not need to chase after the big fish or go for a star. And nobody should expect them to.
Star hunting?
The Orlando Magic made their big all-in move this summer, trading four first-round picks with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Cole Anthony for Desmond Bane.
After a slow start, the returns on that investment are starting to look pretty good. They have found their groove to start to climb the standings after a slow initial adjustment period.
Any team that believes it is competing for a championship should always be looking to improve its team. The Magic, who are well-known for holding their water on trades, should remain pretty active in the trade market when it truly opens up on Dec. 15.
But that something is almost certainly not the player who has sent that rumor mill spinning far faster than it should be before Thanksgiving.
Kelly Iko of Yahoo! Sports reported Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball is increasingly frustrated with the team's slow start and would be open to a trade. Ball tweeted at least some public dispute over the report.
But things have seemingly been trending in this direction for some time. Ball has been one of the big names often cited in potential trades for some time. And it is easy to understand why the Hornets might be hesitant to further commit to Ball, considering they have failed to make the Playoffs in six years since drafting him (they have lost in the Play-In twice).
This is not the first time we have written about a potential LaMelo Ball trade or why it is a bad idea for this team.
This summer, when the Magic seemed ripe to make a major move, trying to get Ball to the Magic was a favorite pastime of the trade machine.
Orlando opted to go for Desmond Bane in the end.
While Ball is a skilled scorer and playmaker -- averaging 21.6 points and 9.6 assists per game this season for the struggling Charlotte Hornets -- his turnovers and focus have always come under question.
For the Magic, it was never the right fit with two ball-dominant bigs in Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner anchoring the lineup. Ball, or someone like him, would help get them easier shots, it would also fundamentally change the pecking order and how the Magic play.
Orlando is finding some success now with Jalen Suggs at point guard and with Desmond Bane also providing some playmaking. There is still an adjustment for every player, but the Magic have found their groove.
What the Magic do not need, assuming the team continues playing at this level and evolving as a group, is another high-usage player who will take the ball away from their best players.
What will the Magic look for?
The trade deadline is still a long way away.
The Orlando Magic still have 31 games before they have to make any decisions. A lot will happen between now and then. A lot has happened in the last two or three weeks to change the Magic's outlook completely.
The Magic still have a lot of pieces to figure out. They are not rushing into anything.
Paolo Banchero has missed the last four games with a strained groin. He will need to reintegrate with a team that has found its groove in the past week.
Moe Wagner is also slated to return from his torn ACL sometime in December or January. That will give the Magic a huge scoring boost off the bench.
Many of the team's weaknesses will likely find some solution just by those internal improvements -- the Magic have one of the lowest-scoring benches in the league which Moe Wagner's return will help as will returning Tristan da Silva to the bench groups.
President of basketball operations Jeff Weltman is notoriously patient with his team. He is not one to rush into a trade or rush to make a move. This Magic team has been all about internal development. They are likely to let their young players continue to develop and find their way.
But if the Magic are in a tight race at the top of the standings, they cannot sit still either.
Tyus Jones' early-season struggles would suggest the Magic still need to find a stabilizing veteran point guard and more reliable shooting off their bench. While the team is still sorting out its rotations, another attacking guard who can also play off the ball seems in the cards.
What should also be clear is that the Magic do not need to touch the top of their roster. Their starting lineup is among the best in the entire league. If Orlando does anything at the deadline, it will be to solidify its depth.