Orlando, FL – With the trade deadline approaching fast and just a few weeks to go before teams around the league go into a frenzy moving players around, the Orlando Magic find themselves in an awkward situation. They are in playoff contention and have been flirting with a top-four seed in the Eastern Conference all season long despite all the injuries they have endured throughout the year. They have found some surprising success in what many thought was still a rebuilding or a gap year, which calls for some tough decisions to be made within the Magic organization.
The obvious issue lies within the injuries themselves. The team had stretches of games where they looked great with Anthony Black starting in place of the injured Markelle Fultz, and fans thought of Fultz as an expendable asset and that his replacement has been found already in the rookie. In a similar scenario is Wendell Carter Jr., who got replaced by Goga Bitadze in the starting five when he went down for several weeks, and he stepped up big time, becoming a key factor to the run of games the Magic were on not too long ago.
Even when Franz Wagner, Joe Ingles, and Cole Anthony all were out for a handful of games, some players who barely played earlier in the season, such as Trevelin Queen, Chuma Okeke, and Caleb Houstan all elevated their game big time and played with such intensity that they seemed like they could not be benched. Coach Mosley made some very tough decisions, especially in recent games to try and get everyone the minutes that they have earned and most definitely deserve, running a 13-man rotation at times simply because too many players were playing at an elite level and cutting someone out of the rotation simply did not seem like the right answer.
A very obvious question arises out of this: do the Magic decide to capitalize on trade value while it’s high for some players or do they attempt to make things work with the group of players that they currently have? The team of course isn’t perfect, with the second-to-last three-point shooting in the league, bottom five in free throw percentage, bottom five in points per game, bottom four in assists per game, top six in turnovers per game, and top four in personal fouls per game.
With those metrics in mind, the Magic needs to address a handful of these issues at the trade deadline, most notably the shooting and playmaking concerns. At the beginning of the season with Carter Jr and Fultz being starters versus the recent lineups that have Black and Bitadze starting, the style of play has been drastically different, and in turn, so have the numbers. The Magic fanbase seems to be split on which group of players can get the most out of Orlando’s superstars Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner.
Contracts are another thing to keep in mind when listening to trade rumors. Markelle Fultz and Gary Harris will be unrestricted free agents at the end of the season, with Okeke will be joining them as a restricted free agent. With the Magic having that carousel of players that could potentially be on their way out of the team, it could put some strain on them to let certain players go to capitalize on their value while they can before they could potentially lose them for nothing in a few months. To add spice to the mix, the Magic have 18 total picks that they can move (6 first-rounders and 12 second-rounders), they are $34.3 million under the tax threshold, and they currently have $5 million in cap space.
Let’s take a look at some trade ideas that the Mafic could or should explore in the days leading to the NBA Trade Deadline:
Trade 1:
Magic Receive:
- Caris Levert
Cavaliers Receive:
- Markelle Fultz
- 2026 second-round pick (via DEN)
Note: This trade would allow the Magic to move on from the Fultz experiment before his contract runs out and they take a shot at Caris Levert, who has been streaky this season but can be an elite scorer who will provide spacing for the team if he can find his shot. Fultz can help the Cavs solve their bench playmaking woes.
Trade 2:
Magic Receive:
- Quentin Grimes
- Evan Fournier
- 2024 second-round pick (via MIA)
Knicks Receive:
- Chuma Okeke
- Gary Harris
Note: Evan Fournier returns to Orlando with the addition of the disgruntled young sharpshooter in Grimes who will fit the Magic’s timeline better than Harris would and can add to the much-needed shooting. Harris and Okeke can both be a good fit for New York’s bench, something they are looking to improve. It will also allow them to finally dump off Fournier’s contract and free up money for another potential move.
Trade 3
Magic Receive:
- Buddy Hield
Pacers Receive:
- Chuma Okeke
- Gary Harris
- 2027 second-round pick (via BOS)
Note: Very similar to the previous trade, Orlando wants shooters, and with this trade they acquire someone more proven in the league and don’t take on any extra salary all the while giving up a very similar package. Indiana still get a good shooter and a better defender in Harris, but they have the depth to deal with his injury history.
Trade 4
Magic Receive:
- Gary Trent Jr.
- Dennis Schroder
Raptors Receive:
- Markelle Fultz
- Gary Harris
- 2026 second-round pick (via DEN)
Note: The Raptors continue to make moves and get Trent Jr., who isn’t in the best stretch in his career, a fresh start to become the young sniper the Magic want. Toronto can continue to experiment with building around Barnes with some better defending and playmaking and capitalize on Schroder’s trade value and give Orlando a floor general who can shoot the ball. If it doesn’t work out for Toronto the two players they acquired are on expiring deals anyway.
Trade 5
Magic Receive:
- Tyus Jones
- Cory Kispert
Wizards Receive:
- Markelle Fultz
- 2025 Denver first-round pick and a lottery protected future Orlando first-round pick.
Notes: The Magic keep their draft capital and get one of the most efficient backup guards in the league and a young sharpshooter in exchange for Fultz who can help Washington control their lackluster offense and give the former #1 overall pick a place where he can find himself again in a very low-pressure environment.
Trade 6
Magic Receive:
- Tim Hardaway Jr.
- Grant Williams
- 2026 first-round pick (via DAL)
- 2028 second-round pick (via MIA)
Mavericks Receive:
- Wendell Carter Jr.
- Jonathan Isaac
Notes: This trade makes a big impact and plugs holes in both teams drastically. The Magic get a creator and a player who can get to their spots or be a spot-up shooter when needed in Hardaway Jr., while not losing too much defense and still getting a threat from the corner in Willams. Dallas addresses their defensive woes and gets a stretch 5 who can protect the rim and hit the 3 ball, which is exactly what they are in the market for, which incentivizes them to give up some draft capital for this match made in heaven.
Trade 7
Magic Receive:
- Malcolm Brogdon
Trail Blazers Receive:
- Gary Harris
- Chuma Okeke
- 2028 second-round pick (via LAL or WAS)
- 2026 second-round pick (via DET and/or MIL)
Note: This low-cost move gets the Magic a point guard who can start alongside Suggs for some excellent defense, and add some great shooting and disciplined playmaking. The Blazers, who are in rebuild mode can get some draft capital while still getting some pieces that can help them during their transition phase and allow their young players to develop. Getting to keep Fultz is a huge plus for Orlando as well
Trade 8
Magic Receive:
- Doug McDermott
- Cedi Osman
- 2024 second-round pick (via LAL)
- 2025 first-round pick (via ATL)
Spurs Receive:
- Markelle Fultz
Notes: Wemanyama gets his point guard for the foreseeable future and Fultz can play his usual game rather than going to a team that doesn’t benefit his playstyle. The Magic get some valuable picks in return to get some value out of Fultz before he potentially leaves in a few months. They also get two veteran shooters who can be flipped again or can be used to help come playoff time.
Trade 9
Magic Receive:
- Zach Lavine
Bulls Receive:
- Markelle Fultz
- Gary Harris
- Chuma Okeke
- 2026 first-round pick (via PHX or WAS)
- 2027 second-round pick (via ORL)
- 2028 second-round pick (via LAL or WAS)
Notes: The Magic make a real splash and roll the dice on a max contract player to try to make some noise in the playoffs. Lavine provides it all; a roll man, a 3-point shooter, a natural scorer, the clutch gene. Chicago gets a good return back with a handful of picks and a player who can hold down the playmaking in Ball’s absence without hindering White’s development.
Trade 10
Magic Receive:
- Trae Young
Hawks Receive:
- Wendell Carter Jr.
- Chuma Okeke
- Gary Harris
- Caleb Houstan
- 2028 first-round pick (via ORL)
- 2030 first-round pick (via ORL)
Notes: The Magic go for a max player again, but this time is a much younger player who has proven himself in the playoffs before. Young fits Orlando’s timeline much better and his elite gameplay can elevate this team to a whole new level. The Magic lose a lot of depth with this trade to keep Fultz so that he can be flipped over to another team to seek more assets in return and shape out the roster to be playoff-ready (like in Trade #6 or Trade #9). The picks far down the line are a gamble for Orlando in hopes that they don’t become anything great later down the line and they are winning for years to come with a huge move like this one.
These trade ideas are based on the Magic’s needs in terms of where they have been struggling this season, where they stand in terms of contract situations, certain narratives on player availability, and the various directions the front office can take the team during the deadline.
As we move closer to the February 8th NBA Trade Deadline, there may be more movement around the Association that the Magic can keep tabs on and move accordingly.