Magic Should Make a Trade 

Orlando, FL— The Orlando Magic are watching their playoff lives slowly slip away having lost nine of their last ten contests, and the time is now for the team to make a move at the deadline if they want to salvage their season.

Jeff Weltman and the entire Magic front office have done an incredible job (for the most part) of drafting, bringing in, and developing young talent. We’ve seen on the flipside Jamahl Mosley and the coaching staff do a great job of establishing a culture built around chemistry, continuity, and having a defensive mindset first and foremost.

Although all of those things are great from a coaching and management perspective, it’s unfortunately not translating to wins as their offense is arguably the worst in the league, and their two young superstars Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner are struggling to get the requisite help around them. 

Orlando’s offensive woes continue to be this team’s Achilles heel as they rank 30th in points per game, 28th in field goal percentage, 30th in three-point shooting, and 29th in offensive efficiency. Simply, it’s not good enough. 

I’ve talked about the possibilities of landing players such as Anfernee Simons, Collin Sexton, and others but as the days progress it becomes more and more apparent that Orlando needs to make a move for Bulls guard Coby White.

Chicago Bulls guard Coby White showcasing his ballhandling and playmaking abilities

Bulls Front Office Active on the Trade Market

Chicago recently traded guard Zach Lavine to the Sacramento Kings in a three-team trade as the Bulls are now looking to aim for a full rebuild. For the Bulls front office, “everything is fluid but the optimism for more moves” reported by K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network.

That means players like Lonzo Ball, Coby White, and former Magic man Nikola Vučević could all be on the move by Thursday afternoon. Coby White was asked by reporters if he feels as if he’s untouchable in trade talks after the shocking Luka Doncic trade, and if he believes he will be in Chicago after the deadline. 

“For myself, I already know, like I’m not untouchable,” White said of trade rumors. “I don’t know, I hope so. I like being in Chicago, but like I said it’s out of my control — That’s up to the front office and how they view me.” 


How Coby White Would Help Orlando

After being selected with the seventh overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, Coby White has had an up-and-down start to his career, but he’s had a resurgence in his play the last two seasons. In the 2023-24 season we saw Coby White put together a career season averaging 19.1 points, 5.1 assists, shooting 37.6% from deep, and it got him to finish second in voting for the Most Improved Player of the Year Award last year.

White comes in at 6 ‘5, 195 lbs, and is an athletic combo guard who would tremendously bolster this roster on day one. White’s ability to score on all three levels, push the ball in transition, collapse the defense when getting downhill, and make plays for others would help alleviate a lot of pressure off of Banchero and Wagner.

Adding White to this group not only makes a ton of sense with his playing style and the Magic’s inefficiencies, but at 24-years-old he fits the core’s timeline and his contract is very team-friendly. White is currently in the second season of his three-year $36 million contract and will be under contract until the end of the 2025-26 season. 

White is putting together another impressive season for the Bulls as he’s averaging 18.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and is shooting 37.0% from behind the arch. Here’s my proposed trade idea for the Magic to land Coby White.

Mock Trade for White

Bulls receive: Guard Gary Harris, a 2025 first-round pick via Denver (top-five protected), and a 2025 first-round pick via Orlando (top-ten protected).

Magic receive: Guard Coby White.

This trade makes sense for both teams as Orlando has a plethora of young talent and the mindset should be that both of their first-round picks that they hold this year should be used to acquire proven talent that is ascending. Orlando not only acquires a young guard who can help this team now, but he won’t handicap the front office in terms of cap space.

Secondly, Chicago is aiming for a full rebuild and if they can acquire two more first-round picks, it will allow them to have four first-round picks in the 2025 NBA Draft. The Bulls front office will now have their first-round pick, and first-round picks from the Trail Blazers (top 1-14 protected), Denver (top-five protected), and Orlando (top-ten protected) all in 2025.

When the Magic are back to being fully healthy and can run a lineup featuring Suggs, White, Wagner, Banchero, and Bitadze that would be scary and make a lot of noise in the East. The clock is ticking for the Magic to make a move and I believe Coby White would be a perfect fit in Orlando.