Why the Magic should only consider one of two recently proposed trade targets 

The Orlando Magic are entering the 2024-25 season with one crucial roster issue: they do not have an actual point guard in the starting lineup and the only traditional point guard on the roster is Cory Joseph, who will likely be more of a veteran presence than a factor on the court. 

Every other guard on the roster comes with questions. Jalen Suggs has not been asked to play the point guard during his NBA career so far, Anthony Black may not be ready for another season or two, and Cole Anthony does not have a 3-point shot and is not a great defender. He is one of the few players on the team who can just go get a bucket, though. 

That is another issue. Orlando struggled to score last season, especially if the other team was defending well. And yet, they did not add a dynamic go-to scorer who can help Banchero carry the offensive load over the summer. It may have been in part because of who was available in free agency. Malik Monk and D’Angelo Russell fit the description, but both decided to stay with their respective teams, and the Magic were not ready for a big trade yet. 

So, they did what they could—bringing back most of their free agents and signing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to strengthen the defense, improve the spacing, and give this young roster a championship veteran to learn from. 

And yet, the addition of Caldwell-Pope combined with internal improvement might not be enough for the Magic to achieve their goals and become one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. After all, the top of the east is incredibly strong. The Boston Celtics are still the team to beat, the Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks have plenty of star power, the New York Knicks made big moves over the summer, and the Indiana Pacers just went to the Eastern Conference Finals. 

Thus, one of Bleacher Report’s bold predictions is that the Magic will trade for either Anfernee Simons or LaMelo Ball during the season to improve the team’s offense. 

The Magic should only truly consider one of those two options, however. 

LaMelo Ball’s injury history makes him a risky trade target

Anfernee Simons has been connected to the Magic for a while now. Not only did he grow up in the Orlando area, but he is also the kind of offensive player the Magic could really use. Simons averaged 22.6 points on 43 percent shooting from the field and 38.5 percent from three, 3.6 rebounds, and 5.5 assists. 

He can space the floor, add a scoring punch to the offense, and create for himself as well as for his teammates. That is the kind of play that could take the Magic’s offense to the next level. On top of that, he might even be available. Portland has a bunch of interesting young guards with overlapping skill sets. Out of that group, Simons is the oldest player and was the lowest draft pick. 

And yet, there are concerns. Simons is not the kind of defender the Magic usually like to go after and the team would have to be willing to make up for his shortcomings on that end of the floor. Plus, Simons has not played close to a full season in recent years. He has not had any serious, reoccurring injuries that appear to be a long-term concern, however. Some of his missed games might even have to do with the fact that the Trail Blazers were trying to tank in recent seasons. 

Meanwhile, LaMelo Ball’s recent ankle injuries have been more serious and frequent. Over the last two seasons, he only played 58 games. When he plays, he looks like an All-Star and one of the best passers in the game. During his last largely healthy season (2021-22), he averaged 7.6 assists per game. Ball could be the answer to most of the Magic’s offensive struggles, even if there are defensive concerns. 

And yet, it just seems too risky for the Magic to make a big splash for someone who might not even be available to play. Orlando already has several players who struggle to stay healthy and need to be treated carefully. They do not want to add another bigger and more expensive name to that list. Ball would not come cheap, so the Magic would have to be 100 percent sure that he is the missing piece to the puzzle.

Plus, Ball may not even be available. The Hornets might surprise people and look much improved. Chasing someone who might not even be available is not the answer to the Magic’s problems. 

It just seems that out of the two, Anfernee Simons is the safer bet. He is the better 3-point shooter and better suited to be a second or third option on a team. LaMelo Ball has already been an All-Star and might not want to be the second or third option behind Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, depending on Wagner’s development. Meanwhile, Simons still has to establish himself as a star-level player and Orlando could be a better spot for him to do that than Portland.