The Orlando Magic are in something of unfamiliar territory.
Their 15-7 start to the season just past the first quarter of the season has placed them second in the Eastern Conference. They are defensive juggernauts and nearly unbeatable at home.
The Magic potentially have two All-Star players in Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. The team has raised its expectations to not just merely make the postseason but to be a top-six team and avoid the Play-In Tournament entirely.
That is how much things have changed.
The question everyone has is: How do the Magic ensure they meet those expectations? How fast do the Magic want to speed things up? How far along does this team believe it is?
Everyone is eager to see this Magic team now reach the playoffs and start making noise. It very much feels like this team has arrived early. And all the talk from the offseason of making a splashy trade did not go away, it has only gone dormant.
And those feelings and that talk will reawaken on Dec. 15 when most contracts signed this offseason become eligible for trade. It is officially trade season once again with the trade deadline set for 3 p.m. ET on Feb. 8.
The Magic are going to be a team that will be involved in a lot of those conversations and rumors. They are a young team on the cusp of contention with two budding stars. They have a ton of cap room for the offseason with few players to use it on and clear needs they need to fill. They also have plenty of young players and draft capital to spend to get involved in any kind of deal.
Orlando was a hot team all summer connected to trade rumors, even though it did not feel quite like the right time for the team with how young and unproven the team was. It probably still does not feel quite like time to make an all-in trade. The Magic are still developing their core and they clearly want to give this group the chance to show how far they can go.
The early thought entering trade season is the Magic are likely going to be very quiet and let this team play itself out this year. Then use this offseason to begin assessing what the team needs externally and what the team can develop internally.
Still, this is the time of the season to begin evaluating and assessing the roster. It is time to start aligning the pieces and preparing for what possibilities might come.
Nothing should be set in stone just 20-plus games into the season. And the trade deadline is a time to balance both short-term needs and long-term needs. Orlando will likely lean toward long-term needs rather than plugging short-term holes.
Still, they have to be open to every opportunity that is out there. That starts with a careful assessment of their roster.
This list of three players who are expendable and three they cannot afford to trade will focus on players who might actually be on the trade block. So players like Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner are of course players the team would not entertain dealing -- similarly Cole Anthony is ineligible to be traded with his extension waiting to kick in next year.
3 Orlando Magic players who are expendable, 3 the team can't afford to trade
Expendable: Markelle Fultz
The Orlando Magic are in a constant waiting mode for Markelle Fultz, unfortunately.
When the team acquired him in 2019, it was still in a position to let him get healthy and see whether the former top overall pick could reclaim his talent and contribute to the team. Fultz eventually did return healthy and made an impact for the Magic. There is still clearly a strong player in him.
The question the Magic continually face though is whether he is the right player for this team.
Injuries have continued to be the story with Fultz.
He tore his ACL early in the 2021 season, essentially derailing the entire year and jumpstarting the rebuild that has led the magic to this place. After returning from that, he looked like he was regaining his bounce only for left knee tendinitis keeping him out for all but five games this season.
And unfortunately, those injuries have prevented the Magic from finding that answer.
Now with the team on the cusp of contending seriously for a playoff spot, the team is going to have to assess its roster and determine what it might actually need to advance deeper into the playoffs or ensure that spot entirely.
It does not feel like a Fultz deal is imminnet. Unless the Magic are going for a veteran point guard -- like Malcolm Brogdon, who will almost certainly be one of the hotter names on the trade market -- to fill that need immediately, the team needs Fultz. The Magic are short on the kind of big, defensive-minded lead guards that can operate offensively and defend at a high level.
During Markelle Fultz's absence, the team has used Anthony Black in his spot. But Black has largely been a no-usage offensive player, averaging 5.0 points per game and 3.8 field goal attempts per game. Orlando has essentially run Paolo Banchero as its main initiator and ball-handler.
For as poorly as Fultz appeared to be playing in his five-game stint, he still averaged 11.4 points and 4.0 assists per game. Nobody expected those numbers after his strong finish to last season. But it is serviceable with everything else this team has to offer.
The bottom line is this though: Fultz is a free agent this summer. There is a decision point coming with him whether the team moves him at the trade deadline. Having a non-shooting lead guard on a team full of players who are capable of making plays on their own and need to have the freedom to do so is a major question for this team moving forward.
That answer may not quite be coming to a head yet. But Orlando has to be considering its point guard options.
3 Orlando Magic players who are expendable, 3 the team can't afford to trade
Can't Afford to Lose: Jonathan Isaac
If availability is the best ability for a player like Markelle Fultz, absence might be making the heart grow fonder for Jonathan Isaac. And there is something to that because Isaac is still a fascinating player despite his long list of injury issues.
When Isaac does play -- and despite his return last year and then again this year, that still seems like a rare occurrence -- it is clear he can make an extremely positive impact on the game. The Magic are definitely hurting defensively since he left the lineup with this ankle injury. Orlando's defense has notably lagged since that win over the Boston Celtics.
That is why it still feels like Isaac is indispensable to the team. And with how favorable his contract remains -- completely non-guaranteed for the 2025 season -- it is hard to give him away or not get something substantial in return.
The numbers are pretty clear. The Magic have a 93.3 defensive rating when Isaac is on the floor. Entering Friday's game, the Magic have a team-worst 112.9 defensive rating with Isaac off the floor.
Further, Jonathan Isaac's most often two-man pairing is with Cole Anthony. That duo has a 94.3 defensive rating when they are on the floor together and Anthony has a 111.9 defensive rating for the season this year. In the last five games with Isaac out, Anthony's on-court defensive rating has jumped to a team-worst 120.7.
That offers at least some hint to how impactful Isaac's defense can be. Everyone just needs the eye test often to see how Isaac can gobble up rebounds and defend the rim -- opponents shoot 45.2 percent at the rim against Isaac on 2.2 attempts per game according to Second Spectrum.
His defense is just unreal even after all these injuries. And it is almost impossible not to feel and invest in that impact with this team. And right now, that feels really important to keep.
Isaac's importance has never felt more important than it does right now. And it feels really hard to explore any kind of trade market for him right now to keep this team's defense afloat and constantly pressuring opponents.
3 Orlando Magic players who are expendable, 3 the team can't afford to trade
Expendable: Gary Harris
The last thing the Orlando Magic should be thinking of getting rid of is shooting.
The team entered Friday's game ranked 30th in attempts per game and 25th in 3-point field goal percentage. Orlando has been able to get by and find ways to attack and score, but shooting remains the big bugaboo for the team and will surely come up in the Playoffs.
Any questions anyone has about any particular player on this roster usually come down to their shooting.
The Magic have made some strides in that area despite the overall numbers going down -- Paolo Banchero and Jalen Suggs especially have taken a huge step forward with their shooting.
So why put Gary Harris on this list? Why would he be expendable?
Some of it is contract timing. Harris is a veteran player (another big need for the Magic) with an expiring contract. If the Magic are going to be sniffing for something in this year's trade market at the deadline, it is likely to involve Harris and his $13 million expiring contract.
Harris has had his struggles this year too.
After shooting 43.1 percent from three last year and 38.4 percent the year before, Harris is down to 36.2 percent this year on 4.2 attempts per game. The percentage being down has hurt the Magic who rely on Harris to be that floor spacer and shooter.
It also does not help that Harris and the Magic's other shooters just do not shoot at volume. Trying to figure out how to get him and the Magic's other shooters more shots and open shots is going to be one of the bigger challenges for this Magic offense.
That is why Harris is so important. But it is also why there are some wondering eyes when it comes to him.
Orlando trusts him for a spot start. But it is also an area where they can clearly get an upgrade. The Magic absolutely need a player exactly like Harris. The question is whether they can find a better version of this specific player.
Harris though is both vitally important and potentially expendable at this point. And his struggles this year have only heightened the questions about him.
3 Orlando Magic players who are expendable, 3 the team can't afford to trade
Can't Afford to Lose: Joe Ingles
When the Orlando Magic signed Joe Ingles this offseason, nobody knew what to make of it. He signed a two-year deal worth $22 million. And even with the team having an out with a team option for the second season, it felt like an overpay.
His slow start with his shooting as he adjusted to his new team heightened some of his concerns. And even now his impact is not so clear statistically.
Still, Ingles has been one of the most impactful players on this Magic team. His contributions and veteran poise have been invaluable to the team. And the numbers back up that Ingles simply makes everyone better.
The joke among Magic fans this year has been: If a lineup needs to be fixed, put Ingles in it.
There is a lot of statistical truth to that too. The Magic have a +10.7 net rating with Ingles on the floor including a team-best 120.3 offensive rating. Orlando has a team-worst -0.1 net rating and 107.1 offensive rating with Ingles off the floor.
This is pretty incredible for a player who scores only 4.8 points per game and 3.5 assists per game. He is shooting only 40.9 percent but 40.0 percent from three (and 62.5 percent of his shots are 3-pointers).
That really does not hit at his impact for the Magic though.
Ingles is essentially the team's point guard with their now-vaunted second unit. He organizes the team and gets everyone going to the right spots.
That does not even get into the attitude and swagger he gives the team with his constant talking and celebration for big plays. Ingles has bravado and the Magic feed off that energy as much as anything.
It almost feels certain Ingles will get that second year picked up. It is hard to imagine the Magic have this kind of success without him -- veteran depth was certainly something the team missed last year and Ingles has filled that role to a tee.
Now feeling healthy after his ACL injury in the 2022 season, Ingles is looking like he did with the Utah Jazz and making a very real impact for the Magic. One that they would not otherwise be able to replace.
3 Orlando Magic players who are expendable, 3 the team can't afford to trade
Expendable: Chuma Okeke
The Orlando Magic already kind of hinted at what they think of Chuma Okeke and his future with the team. They picked up the final year of his rookie contract, but it did not feel like he was going to get an extension. He is essentially out of the rotation at this point.
Chuma Okeke did get called into action with both Jalen Suggs and Jonathan Isaac out of the lineup in Friday's game against the Detroit Pistons. He played 13:08 in that game, the first time this season he eclipsed 10 minutes in any game.
Okeke did not score very much, making his only shot in the game. But that is not his role right now. He is there to defend and give the team an energy boost on that end, using his versatility. And he did that well.
Okeke has been relegated to the end of the bench though. Caleb Houstan has gotten most of the minutes when Jonathan Isaac is out of the game. So Okeke is clearly out of the mix.
But Okeke still generates a little bit of interest around the league. Everyone still like his potential as a shooter and versatile defender and everyone with the Magic will still tell you how popular and beloved Okeke is in the locker room.
That is why Michael Scotto of HoopsHype listed Okeke as a likely trade candidate for the Magic as the deadline approaches.
Scotto reported several teams had an exploratory interest in him previously -- including the Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets -- but it is unclear if those persist today. And with him unlikely to get a qualifying offer this offseason, maybe those teams would prefer to wait for the summer to take a flyer on him.
That is the unfortunate fate waiting Okeke. He has had few opportunities on the court so far and an uncertain future facing him with the team.
3 Orlando Magic players who are expendable, 3 the team can't afford to trade
Can't Afford to Lose: Moe Wagner
The Orlando Magic's bench has been the team's superpower this season.
Orlando is averaging a league-high 46.6 points per game off the bench. And there have been a lot of games -- even with all the injuries to starting players -- where the Magic's bench just overwhelms overmatched teams in the second and early fourth quarters.
Cole Anthony is in the running for Sixth Man of the Year without a doubt. So too is Moe Wagner.
Wagner's story has been as incredible as anything else this season. In three years, he has gone from a castoff picked up by the Magic to fill the roster to third center on a short-term deal to backup center with some flaws but good energy to an indispensable bench player.
Wagner this season has continued his crazy ascent, averaging a career-best 12.5 points per game. He is shooting an incredible 63.3 percent from the floor, proving to be an excellent roll man on pick and rolls -- 1.27 points per possession on plays when Wagner is the roll man.
Wagner though has been dominant inside the paint. And that includes defense where he went from giving up 75.5 percent shooting at the rim -- the worst mark among centers who played at least 41 games -- to giving up 57.7 percent at the rim.
Wagner was a good screener last year and has continued that this year with 2.0 screen assists per game, trailing only the Magic's main starters.
Wagner continues to step up his game and match the physicality the team needs while also giving them scoring. He has continued to be a revelation.
Orlando needs physical players like Wagner desperately. That is part of the identity the Magic have been trying to build this year. Some players exemplify that perfectly -- like Jalen Suggs, Joe Ingles and Jonathan Isaac. And those are the player who are truly indispensable for this team.