8 Draft Night trade targets for the Orlando Magic
2. Paul George
This would be fun. It is fun that this is even a rumor. The 9-time All-Star would have the best resume to suit up for the Magic since Dwight Howard. Paul George just turned 34 but is showing no signs of slowing down. His acquisition would show that Orlando is not afraid to win the Eastern Conference.
He is the best shooter out of this list and has averaged 7.9 threes attempted per game as a Los Angeles Clipper and scored over 20 points per game in the last 9 seasons. He is the real deal and would move Orlando up the power rankings overnight.
The Magic would need to be comfortable bringing George into a team that has an established pecking order. The team would not want to hinder the growth of Banchero but also want George to play to his strengths. George is one of the stars who seemingly would be willing to play alongside budding stars in Banchero and Franz Wagner.
George has played on star-studded rosters the last several seasons and has shown the ability to contribute without the ball in his hands. His usage rate went down last season because he shared the court with James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, and Russell Westbrook. Before Harden joined the Clippers, George averaged 5.1 assists per game. He can distribute.
He is not only the best offensive player on this list, but he can defend at a high level. At 6'8, he would complete a super-sized starting lineup. He could move the needle for this roster as a lethal shooting threat implanted on a team without one.
Orlando would have to give up a significant amount of assets to outbid competing teams wanting to bring George to town, but he is a great fit. $48.8 million for one season is quite the price tag, while PG is also rumored to be looking for a four-year extension after he is traded. This could deter the Magic from trading away their assets for an aging veteran. The team would probably prefer him to decline his player option and move into free agency, but this does not look to be the case.
If Paul George ends up in Magic pinstripes, the national media might start to acknowledge this team as a legitimate contender.