Magic boost offense in proposed mock trade with Conference competition 

The Magic have spent pretty much all of their available cap space this summer already. Bringing in two-time champion and defensive genius Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was the only big move the Magic made. Otherwise, they spent their money on last season's rotational players, re-signing Gary Harris, Moritz Wagner, and Goga Bitadze, and re-negotiating Jonathan Isaac's contract. 

Orlando was already a strong defensive team last season. The addition of Caldwell-Pope and hopes of a healthy season from Isaac make them an even more imposing threat on that end of the floor. Caldwell-Pope and Jalen Suggs could easily be one of the best defensive backcourts in the NBA, competing with Jrue Holiday and Derrick White. 

Offensively, there are still questions, however. Caldwell-Pope adds 3-point shooting and probably around 10 points per game to the mix. He should improve the team's spacing and create more room for Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner to go to work. That alone might improve the Magic's offense. At the same time, they still do not have an offensive creator or an additional scoring force, however. 

Bleacher Report's Andy Buckley proposed a mock trade with the Atlanta Hawks to fix that. 

Magic bring in scoring help in proposed mock trade

Trae Young has long been mocked as a potential target for the Magic. He is a scoring force and a great playmaker. Someone like Young could really transform Orlando's offense, but at what cost? 

In Buckley's proposal, the Magic would have to give up quite a haul of assets: 

Magic receive: Trae Young

Hawks receive: Markelle Fultz (sign-and-trade), Wendell Carter Jr., Jett Howard, 2025 first-round pick, and 2026 first-round pick swap. 

If you want a player like Trae Young, you have to pay. In this case, that would include giving up a starting center for Orlando. The Magic's collection of big men has already caused rumors that a trade is coming, but is Trae Young really the player they should go for? 

Young is a talented offensive player, there is no denying that. He is not a good defender, however, and while the Magic could make up for his shortcomings on that end of the floor, they have made it clear that they do not want to sacrifice too much of their defensive identity. Trading for Trae Young would do just that. 

Besides, Young is a very ball-dominant player, and the Magic seem to want the ball in Paolo Banchero's and Franz Wagner's hands as much as possible. Orlando doesn't seem ready to abandon the idea of utilizing the two as point-forwards quite yet. Otherwise, they could have gone after a traditional point guard, like Tyus Jones, in free agency. Instead, they decided to spend $66 million on Caldwell-Pope. That is not an offer you make to a two-time champion just to bring him off the bench. 

This team is still incredibly young, and Jalen Suggs now has an entire offseason to work on his playmaking. Maybe that plus the playmaking from Banchero and Wagner will be enough. 

It might not be, but the Magic won't know unless they try. The offensive concerns about this team are still warranted, but right now, it just doesn't seem that Young is the right player to go after. 

This might be a very different conversation in a few months. If we reach the trade deadline and the Magic are struggling offensively, a move like this might be worth considering.