There is a lot of spit-balling going around the NBA media-verse right now. This is a time for ideas, thought experiments and testing out trade ideas.
In about two weeks, it will be time to put these ideas into action. It will be time to put that plan into action.
Until then, there is a lot of sorting through all the ideas and possibilities out there.
That includes things that do not make sense.
Some players fit the Magic's clear need for shot-making and an added offensive boost that do not fit other needs and should be crossed off the board. Some players check their clear boxes but are not the players they should pursue.
Weeding those players out is just as important, even if there are those making noise or going through the thought experiments.
That would be a player like Lauri Markkanen, a player the league widely expects the Utah Jazz will trade this offseason.
On paper, Markkanen passes all the litmus tests the Magic need.
He averaged 19.0 points per game last year after back-to-back seasons better than 20 points per game, including an All-Star nod in 2023. He shot 34.6 percent from three last year, but was better than 39 percent in the previous two seasons.
Markkanen is one of those players who flips the floor offensively. He had a down year last year for the tanking Jazz, playing in only 47 games with a lower back issue. But there are few centers and big men who can stretch the floor like him.
That is why Markkanen, with the Jazz widely expected to try to shed his salary and focus on younger players in another bid to get a high draft pick, is one of the more sought-after players on this trade market.
Markkanen has long been connected to the Golden State Warriors, the betting favorite according to Bovada, but their actual interest is unclear. The Miami Heat are expected to be involved in the Kevin Durant trade, but could easily pivot to someone like Markkanen if they fail to get him.
And then there is the Magic, a team known to be surveying the market and eager to greatly improve their offense.
Markkanen would certainly do that. But the question, as with every move the Magic might make to improve their offense, is at what cost? And is this the right way to use their resources?
Markkanen is an excellent offensive player. The Jazz had a 111.4 offensive rating with Markkanen on the floor even in a down year with him. That was 1.2 points per 100 possessions better than the team's average and trailed only John Collins among rotation players for best offensive rating.
Markkanen's spacing and ability to hit multiple threes as a spot-up option (a 51.4 percent effective field goal percentage in spot-up opportunities) is super valuable. Having a reliable three-point shooting big man would free up the lane for Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner to drive and attack.
The Magic need that.
The biggest question with Markkanen has always been his defense. He is not a traditional center and often played power forward or even small forward alongside Walker Kessler and John Collins. He is a non-traditional 7-footer. That often puts him in bad spots on defense.
The Jazz were slightly better defensively with Markkanen on the floor, but that might not fully reflect his defense -- it may be more of a reflection of the youth elsewhere on the Jazz's roster and how bad the team was overall.
Defense alone would make Markkanen seemingly a bad fit for the Magic. More than that, he plays the same position as Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, sliding one to play and defend guards, further compromising the team's defense.
Orlando clearly needs some offense and so thinking about a player like Markkanen makes some sense. It is easy to connect some dots. But those dots fall apart quickly.
The idea was more formally spitballed on The Kevin O'Connor Show, where Kevin O'Connor of Yahoo! Sports and Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated went through the thought experiment of the Magic chasing Markkanen with their known interest in offensive players.
They ultimately concluded this was not a good fit on the court.
"They need one more shot-maker," Mannix said on the podcast. "Maybe Lauri Markkanen is not ideal. I'd probably want somebody in the backcourt who is more of a shotmaker more than a 6-10 forward who clutters things up a bit for Paolo and Franz. If that is on the table, I'd be surprised if Orlando doesn't make a move."
The Magic are expected to make a move. And so, it is not surprising they have been attached to so many of the top offensive players expected to be available on this trade market. Everyone can sense they are missing that last piece to get over the hump.
Perhaps Markkanen, or someone like him, is that piece. The Magic would certainly benefit from adding more offensive talent like him to the roster.
There are other considerations though.
Markkanen comes with a hefty price. He is owed $195.9 million over the next four seasons, starting at $46.4 million for the 2026 season and ending at $53.5 million in 2029.
To say the least, with the Magic already bumping up against the first apron before they sign Banchero to a new extension.
For now, the Magic are expected to chase after a guard to boost their backcourt. Reporting suggests the team is aggressively surveying the market for these kinds of players.
Indeed, it seems the Magic need creation and playmaking as much as they need shooting. Their needs are simple, but interconnected.
With Markkanen's poor fit and questionable defense, it is not enough to overcome what he would add offensively to the team.