Grade the trade: mock trade sends Western Conference sharpshooter to Orlando 

With only four teams remaining in the playoffs, we have reached that time of year when mock trades appear everywhere. It is certainly fun to speculate where players will end up or what teams will do over the summer to improve, and the Magic have been involved in plenty of that fun recently. 

Orlando has a young, talented core that just got its first taste of playoff basketball. Now is the time to start building a possible contender around them. The pieces the Magic need most to reach that goal are players who can shoot the three. 

Jamahl Mosley's squad finished the regular season 24th in three-point percentage and did not fare much better in the playoffs. 

As a result, many mock trades sent capable outside shooters to Orlando. 

Bleacher Report mock trade sends Western Conference sharpshooter to the Magic

The Magic were recently featured in Bleacher Report's article "10 Potential NBA Trade Ideas Nobody is Talking About", landing some much-needed shooting help in a deal with the Denver Nuggets. 

The basic idea behind the mock trade is that the Nuggets are struggling with cap space, and the Magic need proven three-point shooters. Thus, Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey penned the following mock trade to move Michael Porter Jr.:

Magic receive: Michael Porter Jr. 

Nuggets receive: Jonathan Isaac, Cole Anthony, 2025 first-round pick. 

Grade the trade

Let's look at this mock trade in a little more detail. The Magic need shooting—we have already established that—and Michael Porter Jr. would bring just that. 

He finished the 2023-24 regular season shooting 39.7 percent from three on 6.8 attempts per game. That was his worst shooting percentage of his career if you exclude the 2021-22 season in which he only played nine games. 

Porter Jr. is a proven volume shooter and would be able to stretch the floor next to Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. He is also a good rebounder and fits the Magic's timeline as well as their type of tall, lengthy players. A lineup of Wagner, Porter Jr., and Banchero would be absolutely massive and pretty switchable on defense, as Bailey points out. 

The one issue Porter Jr. does not address is playmaking, however. Orlando also desperately needs a table-setter—someone other than Banchero to run the offense. Adding the Nuggets's sharpshooter to the starting lineup would not leave much room for that unless they move Banchero to the five or someone else comes off the bench. 

Otherwise, there is not much to complain, however. If the Magic were interested in Porter, giving up Isaac, Anthony, and a first-round pick is not all that much. Isaac has great defensive potential, but the Magic have not been able to rely on him to consistently be healthy so far. 

For Anthony, the 2023-24 season was the first time in his career he played more than 65 regular season games. He offered the Magic some solid bench play but struggled to stretch the floor. Anthony is not irreplaceable. The Magic have Anthony Black and Jett Howard just waiting to get some minutes. 

Overall, the cost of the mock trade is not too bad, and the Magic could use a proven three-point shooter like Porter. He also comes with quite a big contract, however, making between $35 million and $41 million over the next three seasons. The Magic have to keep in mind that they will soon have extensions for Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs, and Paolo Banchero to deal with. 

Orlando also has no pressure to chase a big name this summer. There should either be cheaper players available to address their shooting struggles or someone who can bring some playmaking to Orlando as well. 

Grade: C+