There were a lot of rumors running wild at the NBA trade deadline.
One national reporter claimed the Orlando Magic were not making any calls at the trade deadline. Fans had the Magic connected to just about every guard that was available on the trade market. Everyone was eager to see the Magic do something.
Orlando ultimately sat tight at the trade deadline, though. President of basketball operations Jeff Weltman explained both after the trade deadline and at exit interviews that the cost of doing the kind of deals the Magic were looking for simply became too high.
Nobody had a sense of what that price was or who the Magic were hunting.
Ultimately, Orlando holding onto its assets proved to be a fine decision. It enabled the Magic to trade for Desmond Bane last week, giving the Magic an elite shooting guard to add to the lineup.
There is still that alternate universe where they made that big move at the trade deadline and added another key player. According to Locked On Bulls, the Magic were indeed going after Coby White.
Locked On Bulls reports the Magic offered Cole Anthony, Jonathan Isaac, two first-round picks and a pick swap further down the road.
They report it is unclear how seriously either side considered the offer or how far it got. Under salary cap rules, the Bulls would likely have had to send out more salary, like Kevin Huerter or maybe even Lonzo Ball.
But that was reportedly on the table for the Bulls.
To the hosts, it seemed like the Bulls waited too long to make a deal. Perhaps they had confidence in what White would do to end the season -- he averaged 23.3 points per game and 4.2 assists per game and 36.1 percent shooting from three. Chicago did earn the 9-seed in the Play-In Tournament.
There is an alternate universe where this deal gets done and the Magic end up with White in their starting lineup and the decision to re-sign him next summer.
Orlando ultimately used all of those assets to acquire Bane, a deal that has been widely praised, even at the extreme cost the team spent.
The only piece that the Magic have not yet dealt from this proposed trade offer is Jonathan Isaac. That may be something they revisit again this offseason.
Jonathan Isaac is the Magic's most tradeable player
As the Orlando Magic try to figure out what they are going to do next, Jonathan Isaac is again in the crosshairs.
He may be the most valuable trade chip the team has left to shop around. And like the Chicago Bulls deciding whether to part with Coby White, the Orlando Magic may be reaching a point where they need to let go of their longest-tenured players.
Without a doubt, last year was a rough one for Isaac. He opted to put on more weight to prepare to play more center. That had the negative effect of slowing him down. Isaac said after the season he felt like he was struggling to maintain his stamina, and he was a step slow.
Isaac was still a positive defensive player, but hardly the devastating defender that made him so coveted throughout his career and made him a player the Magic wanted to continue investing in.
Isaac finished the season averaging 5.4 points per game, 4.4 rebounds per game and 2.0 "stocks per game" (up from 2024) but in just 15.4 minutes per game. Isaac has not played 20 minutes per game since suffering his original knee injury in the 2020 season. Getting through a second season healthy was a victory.
But the Magic are thinking about other things now too. Their move to acquire Desmond Bane was a clear win-now move. And the Magic have to think about ways to maximize their roster.
That includes financially.
Moving Jonathan Isaac helps alleviate cap pressure
The Orlando Magic likely will slip under the luxury tax line by declining team options on Moe Wagner and Caleb Houstan (they reportedly already have declined team options on Gary Harris and Cory Joseph). But even gaining access to the non-taxpayer MLE gives them a limited window to spend.
To improve their roster, the Magic simply need more from Jonathan Isaac and his $15 million salary slot. It is a big hole burning space in their pocket. Especially considering who else makes about that much and could benefit the Magic.
That salary slot could net the Magic players like Austin Reaves, Daniel Gafford, P.J. Washington, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Grayson Allen, Corey Kispert, Jordan Clarkson or Isaac Okoro. Those are potentially valuable role players to boost the offense or solidify the team's depth and rotation. But like the proposed deal with the Bulls, there are more details to fill out.
Considering Isaac is still an elite defender, he could still have some value. And trading Isaac could be the biggest piece the Magic have yet to move to greatly improve the roster and add needed depth now.
There is still a lot to consider. Much like the Bulls considering what they want for White, the Magic need to understand what they want for Isaac and how best to use that space on their cap sheet.
But Isaac is very much in the crosshairs for a potential trade this offseason. Orlando, at least by this report, seemed willing to move Isaac at the trade deadline. Whether that means they could move him this summer will be something to consider.