3 trade targets the Orlando Magic should avoid

3 trade targets the Orlando Magic should avoid

Anfernee Simons, Portland Trail Blazers

The one thing you should take away from this article is that the Orlando Magic should not pick up if the Portland Trail Blazers call.

Anfernee Simons is another Trail Blazers guard on the market and has been linked to numerous trade rumors with the Magic. Simons is a great young player with great potential, but he would be an absolute disaster for the Magic.

Simons is a player who can only succeed with the ball in his hands. And that is not going to work In Orlando.

The Magic have their young stars in Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. The offense primarily runs through them. Simons, coming in at just 24 years old, will want the ball in his hands. That will either affect the growth of Orlando's young core or stunt his development if he is not getting the ball as much as he wants and needs.

Even if Simons agrees to work off the ball and share touches, his production and efficiency will likely plummet, affecting his confidence.

Simons is a great scorer -- he is averaging 22.9 points per game to lead the young Blazers team. But he can tend to be a black hole. Joining a team like the Magic will ruin either the offense or his own.

As stated previously, the Magic's young stars need someone to take the ball out of their hands and take some of the pressure off. But Simons might take the ball out of their hands too much.

The Magic need a guard who can play a role and be aggressive when needed, not a shot-chucking ball hog who can only play one end of the floor. That part of Simons' game might be a product of playing for a tanking team the last two seasons. But is that an instinct he can turn off as a younger player?

A trend that has continued throughout most of the names who have been rumored with the Magic that also pertains to Simons is that he is another player who is a below-average defender. He has the athleticism to be at least an average defender, but his youth and lack of IQ tend to hurt Simons on the defensive side.

Although he has the tools to do it, there is no telling if the defensive part of his game will develop.

Simons has also had a little injury bug during the past few years. In his last three seasons, the fewest number of games he has missed was 18. He already has only played in 25 of 48 games this year.

Being so young and already having issues staying on the court is not something the Magic should invest in for the future -- he is owed $77.7 million for the next three years -- as he will only get older.

His constant injuries make it hard for him to get a rhythm from deep. Simons is shooting a very efficient 38.4 percent from three, but he either comes with lights-out shooting or the shooting ability of Kendrick Perkins.

He has shot less than 30 percent from three in 10 of his 25 games but better than 40 percent in 14 games. Although it may seem like he makes up for his poor shooting nights with great shooting nights, the Magic should not have someone they rely on who has shown that their shot can disappear at any moment and more often than the average star.

He is also in the top 30 in the NBA in turnovers per game, an area the Magic already struggle with. They should not bring in another young turnover-prone guard who will give away possessions. Paolo Banchero is already 12th in the league in turnovers. They do not need another top-30 player in that category.

Simons is the best player on this list by far and the only one with all-star potential. He is the youngest of the three by seven years. And of the three, he is the only one averaging more than 20.0 points per game at a career-high 22.8 points per game. He has also shown he can be an elite playmaker from the two-guard position.

But, once again, he does not seem to have a team-first mentality, and the skill set he brings to the table is not what the Magic need. Even though he would be an exciting young star to bring to the team -- not to mention a hometown kid returning -- it will not be worth it when the Magic dip in the standings.

The Orlando Magic have the opportunity to have one of the most active trade deadlines in the last decade. They can get a few more pieces for the juggernaut they are creating. There are tons of players to be excited about possibly joining the Magic, such as Zach LaVine, Buddy Hield, Donovan Mitchell or Gary Trent Jr.

All those players fit and fill a need for the Magic and would certainly help them make a playoff push this year.

Regardless, there are still many talented players who the Magic may think will figure something out when, in reality, they will be trying to make something work that is not meant to be.

The Magic must avoid certain players like these to avoid regressing or halting the young team's progress so far. The NBA trade deadline is nearing, and all the drama that comes with it is starting to spice things up.

Will the Magic make the trade that sets them up for years of success, or make another move that will set them back to mediocrity?