5 Orlando Magic players at risk of being traded this summer
5 Orlando Magic players at risk of being traded this summer
Jett Howard
The 11th selection in last year's draft has had difficulty finding playing time for this ascending Orlando Magic team. He has great size as a scorer at 6-foot-8, 210 pounds but has had trouble on the defensive side of the floor in his college days.
The Magic have given him the season to improve and gain experience in the G-League with the Osceola Magic. He is averaging 18.7 points per game and shooting 38.1 percent from three for the playoff-bound Magic in the G-League. That is encouraging.
But it is unclear what his role is moving forward. He is going to have to show his improvements in Summer League and then earn a rotation spot in training camp. Being a first-round pick is not a guarantee for playing time with this team anymore.
Howard can score but he needs time to prove himself on the court. This might prove to be difficult in Orlando.
Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero also play on the wing so there will be little playing time moving forward in Jett Howard's primary position. And the team is developing quickly into a winning team. There is not much time to develop players.
The team might determine they can trade Howard for a win-now veteran at a different position of need. Opposing teams who have rotation spots would probably give up some solid trade assets for a 20-year-old former lottery pick.
President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman has shown he likes developing his talent within the Magic facility. But he might find a deal that is too good to turn down.
Orlando is clearly in a stage within the rebuild where specific trades can accelerate their contention among the league's elite.
If Howard is the final piece of a deal that results in complementary players for Orlando's core, president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman might pull the trigger.
I see Howard as a solid NBA scorer, he just needs an opportunity. Teams might trade good players to the Magic to give him that opportunity. It is usually a bad idea to give up on players so young, especially when they have not gotten their chance. Orlando still seems to be willing to be patient with young players, but Howard should still have some value for his unknown talent.