NBA Rumors: Magic's Wendell Carter 'No Longer Being Considered a Trade Candidate'

The Orlando Magic are not interested in moving center Wendell Carter Jr. ahead of the Feb. 8 trade deadline.

According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, Carter Jr. "is likewise no longer being considered a trade candidate" despite a "vast" amount of interest in acquiring him. This is partially due to the unexpected success of Goga Bitadze, who excelled as Orlando's starting center in the wake of a hand injury to Carter Jr.

However, the former first-round pick joined the starting lineup once again on Jan. 21 and has remained there ever since.

It makes sense that Orlando isn't ready to give up on the 24-year-old, as his skillset fits perfectly alongside rising stars Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner in the team's frontcourt. Carter Jr. possesses the size to defend larger centers in the post while also having enough lateral quickness to stick with smaller players on the perimeter.

He's helped space the floor which has been crucial for a Magic team that makes just 10.8 three-pointers each night on 34.4 percent shooting, with both representing the worst marks in the association. Despite the squad's overall struggles, Carter Jr. has developed his jumper in Orlando and is currently hitting 41.7 percent of his triples this season. With Banchero preferring to operate in the post, the offensive fit next to the young center is clear to see.

Carter Jr. was acquired by the Magic in a March 2021 trade that sent Nikola Vučević to the Chicago Bulls. Despite his absence during Orlando's season-long nine-game winning streak, he's been an important part of the team's turnaround. The Magic currently sit at 25-23 after a relatively difficult schedule, good enough for the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference.

It's likely that his contract is also a factor in Orlando's reported unwillingness to trade him, as Carter Jr. is only playing on the second season of a four-year, $50 million contract (via Spotrac). It also declines in value, meaning that his deal will account for just seven percent of the salary cap the year before he's slated to hit free agency in 2026.