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

1. Jett Howard 

Moving on from young players you are trying to develop is never an easy thing to do. Jett Howard may not have played many meaningful NBA minutes yet, but the Magic seem to expect him to contribute sooner or later. He played well in Summer League and should get a chance to earn rotational minutes for the 2024-25 season. 

And yet, if the Magic want to trade for a big name, he might be one of the players they will have to move. Most teams moving on from a high-level player are rebuilding or retooling and like to receive young players in return. Howard would be an interesting piece for teams like that, especially if they can offer him significantly more playing time than the Magic. 

It is always important to have young players in the system—guys to step up when the veterans become too expensive or age out of their roles—but the Magic should not be afraid to trade Howard in a deal that could turn them into a real contender. The Magic are still so young that they do not have to worry about keeping developmental projects around as much as some of the older teams in the league. 

Plus, Howard has not contributed much to winning basketball at the NBA level yet. While that might change soon, his contribution won't be equivalent to adding a third star or high-level veteran contributor to the team. Parting ways with young players you drafted is never easy, but moving Howard in the right deal should be an easier decision for the Magic to make than losing Anthony Black. 

That is not to say that the Magic should absolutely move Howard—this only applies if the right deal comes around—or that they will never trade Black. The thing with Black is just that he is exactly the kind of player the Magic love, and he could grow into one of the team's building blocks. Moving on from Howard just seems easier to stomach, especially if it turns the Magic into true contenders.