Friday, Dec. 15 marked the unofficial start of trade season in the NBA.
The reason for this is two-fold. First, teams above the salary cap that received a player in a trade cannot move that player/contract for two months.
Most contracts signed in the offseason also cannot be moved until two months after they are acquired or Dec. 15, whichever is later. This is the time when most players around the league are now available for trades (there are a few more that will have to wait for Jan. 15).
That is now for any player traded for in the offseason.
Second, the G-League Showcase is coming up on Dec. 19 in Orlando, bringing together NBA front offices with this newly realized contract flexibility. It is a prime time for the foundation of deals to be laid.
With the season passing the quarter mark, everyone is starting to better understand where they sit in the conference pecking order and how realistic their postseason chances might be. Front offices everywhere are more realistically evaluating their roster and its team needs.
Everyone is starting to set things up and look ahead to the Feb. 7 trade deadline.
In the trade market, the largest need and the loudest refrain from Orlando Magic fans has been the same for years now: shooting.
While the Magic have seen impressive increases in 3-point field goal percentage from some individual players, Paolo Banchero and Jalen Suggs most notably, the Magic as a team have maintained the exact same 3-point percentage from last year at 34.6 percent. That rate ranks them 27th in the NBA.
The team does not even take a ton of threes, taking the second-fewest attempts in the league at 29.8 attempts per game. Everyone sees this as such a clear weakness and something that could easily hold the Magic back as they prepare for the Playoff.
The team also recently achieved, if achieved is the right verb, one of the worst 3-point shooting efforts in NBA history. The Orlando Magic shot 2 for 23 from beyond the arc in their Dec. 6 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Sometimes, in the wake of those tough losses, when the Magic shoot poorly from 3, the only warmth is the thought of what could be. The comfort of the fantasy of some shooter on another team that could be available.
Add to all this that the Magic's foundational stars, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner do most of their damage in the mid-range and at the hoop, the acquisition of a consistent and respected shooter would be a boon for their ascensions and the trajectory of the team.
Everyone is already thinking about how to acquire shooting one way or another for this team.
Now is the time that those thoughts and that pursuit have a chance at coming to fruition. All that remains to be seen is what the Jeff Weltman-led front office will do. Weltman's history would certainly suggest temperance. The team is not likely to make hugely splashy moves at the deadline.
The Magic are in a new position though.
They are a team in playoff position and looking to get better. For the first time in a long time, the team might well be buyers as they get to the market rather than being viewed as potential sellers trying to get off bad contracts or send players to contending teams.
This is a new position for the franchise for sure.
The team will be reviewing the rosters from teams near the bottom of the standings looking for potential bargains to add underrated players to the roster for their playoff run.
Here are some players on bottom dwelling teams that may be available and would push the Magic towards a more open offensive floor plan.
6 early Orlando Magic trade targets from struggling teams
Corey Kispert, Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are awful this season and have struggled out of the gates. It is safe to say they are sellers during trade season. So why not reunite Gonzaga teammates Jalen Suggs and Corey Kispert.
Kispert, the 15th overall pick in the 2021 draft, is shooting 37.6 percent from three on 5.2 attempts per game. He is under contract through 2025 when he will become a restricted free agent at the end of his rookie contract.
Kispert entered the league as an ace shooter and has continued to develop as such in the NBA. He has steadily improved his scoring as his role increased and shot 42.4 percent from deep. As a volume shooter -- the Magic's highest-volume shooter is Franz Wagner at 5.0 attempts per game -- Kispert is just good at one thing.
That is all he needs to do. And all anybody expects from him. And he has burned the Magic in the past. In the two games against the Magic in Orlando a few weeks ago he scored 13 and 15 points respectively, making 7 of 11 3-pointers across both games.
When Kispert is on fire, he is tough to slow down.
And at 24 years old, he is close to the timeline of the Magic’s stars. he already has some built-in chemistry with a core player in Suggs.
Kispert's biggest weakness is his defense. On one of the worst defensive teams in the league, the Wizards have a 122.0 defensive rating with Kispert on the floor.
But that probably says more about the Wizards' overall struggles on defense. The Magic would have the ability to cover for his defensive weaknesses with one of the best defensive teams in the league behind him.
Shooting is the Magic's focus at the trade deadline. And Kispert's perceived defensive weaknesses might be a reason why he could be had at a bargain price, even considering he is still on a rookie contract that will pay him $3.7 and $5.7 million this year and next.
6 early Orlando Magic trade targets from struggling teams
Luke Kennard, Memphis Grizzlies
Luke Kennard is a little further along in his career and a more respected three-point shooter. He may be the shooter on this list with the most gravity at the three-point line. Teams simply cannot leave him open at any time and he can score a bunch of threes in a hurry.
He is a 27-year-old 43-percent career three-point shooter who takes close to six attempts per game this year, averaging 8.3 points per game.
Kennard though has struggled with injuries. He has made only eight appearances this year and played in only 59 games last year. He has been dealing with a bone bruise in his left knee that has kept him out since mid-November.
Without Ja Morant, the Memphis Grizzlies have been in a free fall. They may look to be bad this year, add a lottery pick to put next to Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., and get some assets in exchange for some of their current pieces.
An injured Kennard probably does not help any of those plans. They could be looking to get a bit younger to spread the floor. It makes Kennard seem very gettable to give a team like the Magic a shooting boost, provided he is ehalthy.
Kennard has one more year on his contract after this season worth $14.8 million. He has a team option for next year too, so the Magic maintain their supreme cap flexibility with this experiment.
6 early Orlando Magic trade targets from struggling teams
Bojan Bogdanovic, Detroit Pistons
The Orlando Magic are still thinking about their long-term future. They are not likely going to make a move only to improve this season. They are not looking to "save" this season or make a quick jump into the playoff picture. The team is going to look for long-term players that help grow the team beyond this year.
Still, it would not hurt to have a few players who can help take the team up a level this year -- perhaps to secure home-court advantage in the first round or ensure a competitive playoff series.
The Magic are still one of the youngest teams in the league. They could use veteran players who know how to play and can support the team in intangible ways. And, yes, shoot the ball.
The Magic still need veteran players who would serve as a bridge and provide the younger players the supporting cast they need to develop most advantageously.
Bojan Bogdanovic is a name who is starting to make the rounds around he trade market. Currently playing for the tragically bad Detroit Pistons, who have lost a franchise record 22 straight games entering Monday's game. If they are not in sell mode, who is?!
A ninth-year, 34-year-old player who certainly is not on the main timeline of the Magic, Bogdanovic gives the team exactly what it needs: A professional scorer.
Since returning from injury, Bogdanovic has averaged 20 points per game on 7.5 3-point attempts per game at a 36.7-percent clip. He's a career 39.4% shooter from beyond the arc.
Bogdanovic brings a team shooting variety. He can score off the dribble, in transition, in pull-up situations, and as a spot-up guy.
His return has not provided the boost the Pistons hoped offensively. And his defense has always been a bit suspect.
With both Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner manning the forward spots, Bojan Bogdanovic would slide into a bench role for this team. But he would undoubtedly be a reliable floor spacer.
His salary next year is $19 million, partially guaranteed, and then he becomes an unrestricted free agent. That gives the front office the chance for a short-term audition to see how he performs and determine whether he would fit in with the team.
6 early Orlando Magic trade targets from struggling teams
Malcolm Brogdon, Portland Trail Blazers
If part of the rebuild plan for the Portland Trail Blazers was to be bad this season, they are succeeding. The Blazers pulled the trigger on the Damian Lillard deal just before the season started and that left Malcolm Brogdon as something of an odd-man-out as the veteran on a young team.
Banged up at the end of last year, Brogdon is healthy, doing good things for a bad team, and is sure to have some suitors in the trade market. He may be one of the most sought-after players on this year's trade market.
The 31 year old is averaging 16.5 points per game with nearly 6 assists per game, shooting 39 percent from 3 on 5.3 attempts per game.
More than any player on this list, Brogdon can run the offense as a primary guard. He is a patient player who sees the game fast, and as a result, slows it down for those with whom he shares the court.
More than that for the Magic, he has the reputation as a strong defender and is big for his size. He fits the size profile the Magic are looking for for sure.
On top of this, while he is a point guard, he is not a traditional ball-dominant poitn guard. He can play off the ball as a shooter and floor-spacer too. That would keep the ball in the hands of the Magic's two young players while keeping a veteran who can direct traffic and keep players in the right spot.
Brogdon is making $22.5 million next year on the final year of his contract which the Magic can easily make work, currently sitting $38 million under next year's projected cap. They have enough salary to match too if they want to try to make a deal this year.
The question with Brogdon is how much are the Magic willing to give up to get them. Brogdon, along with the next player on this list, will be highly sought-after players in the trade market.
6 early Orlando Magic trade targets from struggling teams
Bogdon Bogdanovic, Atlanta Hawks
Bogdan Bogdanovic might be the best player on this list in terms of fit with the Orlando Magic's current roster and fit with this roster long-term.
He recently signed a four-year deal with the now 10-14 Atlanta Hawks, who may be looking to rebuild their roster if they continue losing.
Bogdanovic is averaging 17.5 points per game this season while shooting 41.0 percent from the floor on 8.3 3-point attempts per game. Bogdanovic has shot 40 percent or better from beyond the arc in two of the past three seasons. He is just a sharpshooter in every sense of the word.
And this was mostly coming off the bench. Bogdanovic has been a big factor for the Hawks. On an already strong offensive team in Atlanta, the team has a 120.1 offensive rating with Bogdanovic on the floor entering Monday's game. That is second behind only Saddiq Bey, another sharpshooter.
Even last year, the Hawks had a 117.3 offensive rating with Bogdanovic on the floor, third-best mark on the team and 1.8 points per 100 possessions better than the team's average for the season.
If Bogdanovic is indeed available, the best part about him is that he is under contract for some time. As long as he is healthy, he is clearly very productive as a shooter.
His deal has an average value of $17 million with a club option in 2027, the year Paolo Banchero's likely max rookie extension will kick in.
That price tag for a player who recently exploded for 40 points against the Denver Nuggets, netting 10 of 17 3-point attempts would be nice to have on the Magic’s sometimes anemic offense.
6 early Orlando Magic trade targets from struggling teams
Anfernee Simons, Portland Trail Blazers
Finally, the crown jewel that many Orlando natives and Orlando Magic fans are salivating for is guard Anfernee Simons. At age 24, he certainly jives with the youth movement of Orlando’s roster, and has already shown himself to be a dynamic scorer.
The long, bouncy guard, who played his high school ball at Edgewater High School in Orlando and was named for Anfernee Hardaway, possesses the fearlessness that is requisite to be a dominant scoring threat in the NBA.
He has stepped up too with some big scoring games in Damian Lillard's absence in the past. He averaged 21.7 points per game last year on a 54.8 percent effective field goal percentage and 37.7 percent shooting from three.
This year, acting as one of Portland's primary scorers after the team's big trade, he is averaging 25.7 points per game while maintaining some efficiency at a 53.0 percent effective field goal percentage. He is hitting 35.6 percent of his 8.4 3-point attempts per game so far this year.
Simons is in the second year of a four-year contract with an average annual value of $25 million. The last year of the deal, 2026 will equate to 17 percent of the salary cap.
Simons could quickly become a bargain. Especially if he is able to fit his scoring into the team the Magic are building. And they would know they have another potential primary scorer if needed.