3 Players the Magic cannot be afraid to trade to build a contender 

2. Wendell Carter Jr. 

When healthy, Wendell Carter Jr. has been a solid starting center for the Magic since coming to Orlando in the 2020-21 season. He is a good rebounder, a decent defender, and can space the floor. The latter has been especially valuable for the Magic, as they struggled to shoot last season. 

And yet, Carter Jr. is not irreplaceable, especially considering his injury history. Last season, he played 55 regular season games and 7 playoff games but did not necessarily look the same when he came back from his injury. In the playoffs, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner both averaged more rebounds than him. 

It seems that if the Magic want to compete at the highest level, they could benefit from an upgrade—someone who is not so injury-prone and maybe someone who is more of a rim protector. 

While that may be the case for the Magic, Carter Jr. should still have plenty of trade value. Many teams would love to have a 25-year-old center who rebounds well and can space the floor a bit. The Lakers were rumored to be interested in Carter Jr., for example. While the Magic don't seem ready to move on from him quite yet, they should not be afraid to trade him if the right deal to make them a potential contender comes around.