5 Orlando Magic needs missed at the trade deadline and how to fill them in the offseason

The NBA trade deadline has come and gone.

There are still buyout players to sign, but teams have largely settled into the rosters they will take to the end of the season and into the playoffs. The sprint to the end of the season is getting set to begin around the league.

The Orlando Magic opted to stand pat at the trade deadline. No moves seemed to work for the team -- meaningfully advancing the team's long-term goals as much as their short-term ones, as Jeff Weltman put it to Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel.

The Magic are happy with the progress the team has made this season. The team finds itself in the postseason picture and, barring a complete collapse over the final 30 games, playing postseason basketball.

The team has established itself as one of the top defensive teams in the league. They have an All-Star in Paolo Banchero and another budding star in Franz Wagner. Everything is starting to align for the team to find a brighter future.

The team has reached the All-Star Break, meeting their expectations in many ways. They have been better than everyone could have expected in October.

But expectations have changed. Pressure is indeed a privilege, and success only raises the bar. Everyone is eager to see the team be more than a Play-In team or a back-end playoff team. Everyone can more clearly see this team's potential and future.

And despite that solid defensive showing, the Magic also have the worst offense among teams in the postseason picture. There are a lot of holes and weaknesses the Magic need to fill.

That came into sharp relief at the trade deadline when the Magic seemingly had opportunities to expand and grow the roster for the short- and long-term future. But the team opted to save many of those questions for the offseason.

The Magic have committed to their continuity and their roster for this season. This is the group the Magic are rolling with.

But everyone also should realize this is not the group that is likely to win a championship. There are still needs to be addressed. And Orlando will have to begin addressing them this offseason. All of these questions will linger into the Magic's push for the postseason and deep into the offseason.

Just because things went unaddressed at the trade deadline does not mean they are not top of mind.

As the trade deadline goes behind us, it is at least instructive to think about the needs the Magic will have to fill this offseason, what opportunities were missed at the trade deadline, and where the team might turn this offseason to fill them.

5 Orlando Magic Needs Missed at the Deadline, and How To Fill Them

Shooting

The most obvious and important need for the Orlando Magic to address is shooting.

Everyone can see it on the floor even before they get to the numbers. Teams love to pack the paint or go zone against the Magic to try to keep them out of the paint. The next evolution for the Magic is to hit more 3-point shots.

Certainly, when the Magic get to the Playoffs, they are either going to get creative to make space for their drivers to get to the basket, or they are going to have to make shots to make defenses pay for doubling Paolo Banchero (as they are doing in the regular season to excess).

And this team still has far too many showings, like the 9-for-34 performance in a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies or a 2-for-23 showing at Cleveland in December. The Magic have games where they get good looks and do not hit those shots.

Orlando needs shooting.

The Magic are 29th in the league, shooting 34.8 percent from deep and ranking 27th in attempts with 31.3 attempts per game. The low volume is probably by design at the moment, considering the Magic's poor percentages. But that may need to change. Orlando is going to have to transform its shooting.

If that was not clear through the first 52 games of the season, it will become extremely clear when they get to the Playoffs and teams are packing the paint and compressing space for Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner to drive.

With Markelle Fultz currently unwilling to shoot from three -- he has only seven total 3-pointers nearly two-thirds of the way through the season -- the Magic are at a major deficit from deep.

If the Magic want to make life easier for their main star players, it has to start with giving them more space and more outlets to pass out to when they do collapse the defense. The Magic need more shooting.

That was a big focus for the team entering the trade deadline. If there was a big disappointment at the deadline, it was that the Magic did not shore up their shooting. That could have been something big like going after Buddy Hield or something small to add that element back into the team.

Orlando is going to regret not getting some shooting for the playoffs this year and must address the need this offseason.

What Could Have Been

From the moment the Indiana Pacers and Buddy Hield were unable to come to an extension agreement this summer, Orlando Magic fans thought Hield would be a good idea for this team.

Hield is a volume shooter -- averaging 39.0 percent shooting on 7.0 attempts per game. And that may be the biggest thing the Magic need to add to their lineup. Their best 3-point shooters do not take enough of them to be a big enough threat from deep.

When the Philadelphia 76ers made the deal for Hield by giving up only two veterans and three second-round picks, it felt like some opportunity might have been missed. Would Gary Harris (to Indiana), Chuma Okeke (to San Antonio) and some of the Magic's cache of second-round picks get the job done?

That might be a fair question to ask. At some point, the Magic are going to have to spend their draft capital. And holding onto all of those picks might be the thing holding the team back from these in-season deals for now.

Hield's contract future also probably was a deciding point. Orlando could still go after Hield and sign him in the offseason. But with the Sixers in contention with Joel Embiid, they are likely going to re-sign him this offseason if everything goes well.

Where they could go

The shooting need is not going anywhere for the Magic. And it should be a big priority for the team. Orlando cannot add anyone to the roster who is not a capable shooter.

There is already at least one name on the rumor mill connected to the Magic.

Shams Charania of Stadium told the Pat McAfee Show he anticipates both Florida teams will be among the teams registering interest in sharpshooter Klay Thompson.

Color me skeptical that this is anything more than dot-connecting. I would anticipate Thompson staying in Golden State despite the struggles to come to an extension this offseason. Thompson's injury history and downturn in his play this year make it unlikely the Magic would pursue him.

But Orlando is one of the few contending teams with money. If the Magic wanted their "Horace Grant" and get someone with experience on the roster, they could throw a sweetheart two-year deal at Thompson and see whether that helps. That feels a bit too short-term for this team.

The Magic had been linked to Gary Trent Jr. at last year's trade deadline. Trent is shooting 41.8 percent from three this season. He could be a player the Magic turn to for shooting.

The other player to look at is Malik Monk. He is a free agent and due a big payday. The Sacramento Kings are likely going to try to keep their Sixth Man of the Year front-runner. But he would be a good addition because of how much he can score in a hurry.

In a free agent market short on quality players this offseason, that might be as far as the team is willing to go in free agency.

5 Orlando Magic Needs Missed at the Deadline, and How To Fill Them

Point Guard

If there was one long-term need that seemed to get a lot of attention at the trade deadline, it was at point guard.

Orlando Magic fans were focused intently on every point guard on the market. It could have been a veteran like Malcolm Brogdon, an up-and-comer like Tyus Jones or an All-Star like Dejounte Murray.

It seems like the biggest need the Magic will focus on this offseason is finding a point guard, considering Markelle Fultz's shortcomings as a shooter and his history of injuries.

The Magic have the excuse to think about it this offseason with Fultz entering free agency.

Fultz will still get his chance to show he can get himself right and be a bigger factor for the team. But his shooting issues are becoming more challenging for the Magic to overcome and work around despite the positive things he does on the court.

Expect the Magic to put their focus on point guard for any major upgrade this offseason.

The point guard market at the trade deadline proved to be a bit of a dud.

None of the aforementioned guards that many expected to get moved got dealt. It seems like the Atlanta Hawks are waiting for the offseason to figure out their future. The Washington Wizards found no takers for Jones. And Brogdon ended up going out with tendinitis right at the deadline, probably scaring some teams away.

It feels like the point guard market hit a status quo. Nobody was willing to meet whatever price there was. And the Magic did not seem interested in bidding against themselves. Or they know they can address it in a similar market this offseason when they have cap room to wield around.

What Could Have Been

There were only three trades of note where point guards moved.

The first was Monte Morris going from the Detroit Pistons to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Timberwolves needed a backup point guard, and they grabbed a veteran for their playoff push. And the other one was Cory Joseph going from the Golden State Warriors to the Indiana Pacers.

There just was not a lot of action with point guards moving at the deadline.

The most significant move was a smaller-scale deal. The Brooklyn Nets sent out Spencer Dinwiddie for veteran Dennis Schroder. Both of those players would have been short-term moves to shore up the team this year. Schroder or Dinwiddie might have been able to provide some shooting for the Orlando Magic this year. But they are not long-term solutions.

That is what the Magic are looking for. And so there appeared not to be a deal in place this time around.

Where they could go

Not addressing the point guard position at the deadline will put some urgency on the position for the summer. And all the options that were available at the deadline still exist.

With the Magic having some cap room, they could use that room to go after Tyus Jones. He was the favorite among Magic fans when they discussed the trade deadline.

It is still uncertain how interested the Magic were in acquiring Jones. But they had a reason to wait on him rather than giving up some assets to get him now. That proved to be the right move, considering no one came up with a deal to get him from the Washington Wizards.

Or maybe that is a sign that no one saw him as worth using as a starting point guard on a winning team.

Jones should be on the target list for the summer. Despite his size and questionable defense, he is an efficient shooter and passer. He can be a tone-setter and work off the ball offensively. There is a clear fit there. The Magic should be able to cover for him better defensively than the Wizards can.

Expect the Magic to have their eyes on Jones this offseason.

5 Orlando Magic Needs Missed at the Deadline, and How To Fill Them

Rim Protecting Big

Wendell Carter is the team's Rorschach Test right now.

You either see him as the versatile, shooting big man who can defend the paint well and fit in with the team's overall versatility vibe, or you see him as someone who falls short of what the Magic need for success. His lack of size and explosiveness hurt him around the basket. And his injuries and inconsistency hurt.

Carter is all of those things. And the Magic are still probably figuring out what they will need for the Playoffs. Carter has earned the right to get into a playoff series and see what works and what does not.

For that point, then, Carter is not a strong shot-blocker with 0.5 blocks per game this season (he has only averaged more than 1.0 blocks per game once in his rookie season). But opponents shoot 60.2 percent at the rim against him this season, according to data from Second Spectrum.

It has been a down year for Carter as a rim protector. Injuries have played a role in that. But there are concerns about Carter as a rim protector in general. And this season has brought that into some sharp relief.

The Magic are going to find out what they need in the postseason. And rim protection might be one of those needs. The team as a whole is 12th in the league, giving up 63.9 percent shooting at the rim. Jonathan Isaac is a big part of that.

The Magic may not need rim protection as the most immediate need to fill. But it might be something they have to consider as they grow their roster and evolve in the next few years.

What Could Have Been

The one deal that saw an impact center go from one team to another was the one deal the Washington Wizards actually made.

It already seems to be having a real impact for the Dallas Mavericks as they bolstered their defense in a meaningful way, adding Daniel Gafford and Charlotte Hornets forward P.J. Washington to the lineup.

Gafford might be a bit limited offensively (he is a dunks and roll man almost exclusively). But he has done well as a starter for the Wizards and is a high-level backup center at the least.

His defense is very real.

This season, opponents are shooting 58.6 percent at the rim against Gafford, according to data from Second Spectrum. In his three games with the Mavericks, they have a 106.5 defensive rating with Gafford on the floor. Even with the Wizards, they had a 120.0 defensive rating but a -6.9 net rating. It shows how skewed the Wizards' mess of a season has been.

That uncertainty is probably why the Magic were hesitant to dive into any deal with the Wizards. Nobody knew how much of the problems were because of that environment and how quickly those players could ramp up their focus to be in a playoff race. Gafford, so far, has been able to.

But is he an upgrade over Carter? Probably not with Carter's offensive skill. Would he be an upgrade over Moe Wagner and Goga Bitadze? Probably. But Jonathan Isaac does so much work to cover for them defensively that maybe the team did not feel the need to find rim protection immediately.

Where they could go

But this is still an area the Orlando Magic need to go searching for some help. Or at least they should be window shopping to see what is out there and evaluate it over what they have.

They still like Wendell Carter. And they are not going to move him just because they do not believe he is the answer at center for when they compete for a title. Carter does well for what the team needs now.

So what is there to window shop in free agency this summer? There is not a lot.

Jonas Valanciunas is on the high end of things. Isaiah Hartenstein is also a solid option who has been a big defensive presence for the New York Knicks this year.

The free agent pool is very shallow. But the reality the trade deadline might have revealed is that for the Magic to make a significant move, the market wants them to trade Carter and his team-friendly contract.

So how things play out this summer might well be the Magic trade Carter to fill one of these needs and then hit free agency or another trade to replace Carter.

5 Orlando Magic Needs Missed at the Deadline, and How To Fill Them

Veteran Help

I subscribe to the Horace Grant Theory.

That is my self-stylized way of saying that every young team on the rise needs a veteran -- preferably one who has been deep in the playoffs -- in the starting lineup or in the deep rotation to help keep young players focused and impart wisdom in real-time in a way a coach cannot.

You cannot convince me that the 1995 Magic would have reached the NBA Finals so surprisingly and suddenly without Horace Grant's presence in the locker room and on the court (even if Shaquille O'Neal and Anfernee Hardaway were inevitable).

This year's team is the fourth-youngest in the league. Joe Ingles and Gary Harris have helped this team a ton in ways seen and unseen. They have been important contributors to this team.

But this is still a young team. And they give into youthful exuberance and poor decision-making. The Magic should be thinking about long-term additions to build a team for several years. But they also have a lot of those players already in place. What they may need is a good veteran point guard to settle the team down.

That might be why the Magic are finding it difficult to quit Markelle Fultz. He is a steady hand for a team that does not have a lot of game managers and point guards to slow the team down. Paolo Banchero is not quite there yet, and the playoffs should reveal this need.

This is why the Magic were linked to Chris Paul and Kyle Lowry at one point during the trade season too. Everyone can see the Magic need a point guard and need a veteran.

Those deals did not work out -- Paul was injured and stayed in Golden State, and Lowry signed with the Philadelphia 76ers as a buyout free agent. But that need still exists.

What Could Have Been

We went over the other big point guard swap of Dennis Schroder and Spencer Dinwiddie. The other one was Patrick Beverley moving from the Philadelphia 76ers to the Milwaukee Bucks (and seemingly burning the boats on the way out).

The Orlando Magic did not miss anything here. Beverley's antics this year, specifically involving the Magic, are not what this team is about. And while Beverley has an outward reputation around the league, he also does not meaningfully impact a team anymore. He barks a lot for a guy that has been passed around easily from contender to contender.

The Magic, after all, acquired Patrick Beverley at last year's trade deadline in the Mo Bamba deal and then let him go to the buyout market (he signed with the Chicago Bulls). There just were not a lot of veteran point guards available to chase this trade deadline.

Where They Could Go

Like everything else, a lot of the options from the trade deadline will be available in the offseason.

Kyle Lowry will be a free agent if that is the direction the Orlando Magic want to go. They should not go that way. Lowry is averaging 8.2 points per game, although his 38.5 percent shooting would be nice. Lowry is starting to get long in the tooth and looks like he is in his age 37 season.

Chris Paul will also be available in trade again, assumedly. He has one more year at $30 million on his contract. So, he is an extremely short-term fix. The Magic could absorb him into their cap room and give the Golden State Warriors some financial relief. But it still does not feel like the right move for this team.

Other veterans available in free agency include Klay Thompson and Mike Conley. It is hard to see either of those players leaving their current teams.

The struggle for the Magic this offseason is that they are going to have to make a trade to spin this team forward. There just is not a lot available in free agency.

5 Orlando Magic Needs Missed at the Deadline, and How To Fill Them

Size, Versatility

At the end of the day, a lot of the Orlando Magic's roster decisions go back to their core philosophy.

They want size and versatility. They want players who can be point guards and work off the ball. They want players who can switch on and off the ball.

At this stage of the team's development, the team seemed less willing to compromise on that. They were not going to grab a player that fit this ideal. It is why the team picked Trevelin Queen over Mac McClung in training camp. It is why the Magic probably passed on Tyus Jones.

The Magic have an ideal version of the players they want. They want to be able to switch on defense and be amorphous on that end. For this season, at least, they wanted to stick to that identity as they set their foundation.

At some point, Orlando is going to have to compromise these values to fill important needs for this team.

This team's ideal, though, remains to play its five best players at all times. They love being able to throw big lineups with Jonathan Isaac, Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero on the floor together. They can shift those either to go big or small, as the game calls for.

No matter who the Magic add or what skills they need, they are going to look to live to this ideal. They want bigger players for their defense and to create advantages on offense.

What Could Have Been

There were not a lot of these versatile players swapped at the trade deadline. Maybe Harrison Barnes of the Sacramento Kings was on the market. But he did not make a lot of sense.

The best out there was the Dallas Mavericks' acquisition of P.J. Washington, giving up on defensive big Grant Williams and bench shooter Seth Curry. None of those players fit what the Orlando Magic want to do or the versatility they tend to seek.

Washington would have at least been interesting because he is a versatile defender. But he does not solve the Magic's lack of size at center. Maybe that is something worth thinking about and just fully embracing a small, quick, versatile team.

Wendell Carter is probably better for now. And the Mavericks paid a lot to get Washington. Certainly, more than the Magic want to spend on someone who is not a clear upgrade for them.

Where They Could Go

So, what is out there in terms of size and versatility? That is a hard thing to find. And teams tend to try to hold onto them.

It does not seem likely the Orlando Magic are interested in D'Angelo Russell because of his poor defense -- the Orlando Magic were tossed around as a third team in the Dejounte Murray-to-the-Los-Angeles-Lakers rumors because nobody wanted him.

But there is something there. Russell is a bigger point guard who can play off-ball effectively. There is value in that, and with his ability to shoot and score in bunches, that would boost the Magic offense. It is not as wild as it seems.

Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk also could be a fit there. He runs some point guard for the Kings. He is an improving passer and playmaker. That might help his case to join the Magic despite his lack of size.

The other option to look at is Kyle Anderson. But Anderson plays forward and the Magic do not really need more of those.