Orlando Magic's 2015 Trade-Deadline Shopping List
The Orlando Magic are 14-27 at the NBA's halfway point and reside in the cellar of the Southeast Division. For a team with such young talent, they still rank 27th in scoring and have yet to put together a winning stretch.
Nikola Vucevic, Tobias Harris and Victor Oladipo have been consistent performers all season for Orlando, but as the February 19 trade deadline rapidly approaches, it's time for general manager Rob Hennigan to look elsewhere for help.
In a Q&A with John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com, Hennigan talked about the opportunities the trade deadline presents and how he approaches it:
"We’re always active and looking for opportunities and ways to improve the team. The trade deadline is certainly an opportunity for us to explore different things. It’s all relative to opportunities that exist. We’re not going to sacrifice any long-term vision and long-term planning for any quick-fix kind of move. But we’re always looking for ways to improve the team. So we’ll always look at ways to do that.
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Orlando has assets it can dangle in trade talks and cap space if it needs to take on salary. With so many holes on this roster, don't be surprised if Orlando makes a move or two in the coming weeks.
Here are five types of players the Magic should be looking for and what they can do to get them.
5. Bench Scorer
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When you score 94.2 points per game, you'll take help wherever you can get it. In this case, a backup guard who can come in and provide a spark with the second unit would be ideal.
Nate Robinson is that kind of player, but he's already been traded to the Boston Celtics and subsequently bought out, per USA Today's Sam Amick, so he is free to sign wherever he pleases. Orlando doesn't appear to be near the top of his list, according to NBA Sports' Dan Feldman, but he's the blueprint for the kind of player the Magic should target.
Patty Mills is platooning as the San Antonio Spurs' backup point guard with Cory Joseph. The 26-year-old Aussie was huge off the bench for the Spurs during their title run last season but had to watch Joseph play the lion's share of minutes in his absence while he was recovering from a shoulder injury. Mills is a career 40 percent shooter from three-point range who can get hot at any time.
Dan Woike of the Orange County Register reported last week that the Clippers were after Philadelphia 76ers wrecking ball Tony Wroten, who could also fit into this role.
At just 21 years old, Wroten has an uncanny ability to attack the basket and a wildly inconsistent shot. It's unlikely Philadelphia moves him unless it gets an offer it can't refuse, but Wroten could be a great spark off the bench for Orlando.
Players like Ben Gordon and Evan Fournier, who were brought in this offseason to contribute offensively, haven't been able to give Orlando the support it needs to go along with Vucevic, Harris and Oladipo. Any spark off the bench whatsoever would be appreciated.
4. Rim Protector
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Despite having one of the NBA's best individual rebounders in Vucevic, Orlando is the third-worst rebounding team in the league. It ranks dead last in blocks per game. In other words, Orlando is in dire need of some help around the rim.
Could the Magic make a play for someone like DeAndre Jordan?
A lethal shot-blocker and rebounder, Jordan's a key part of what the Los Angeles Clippers do. His status as an impending free agent might lend him to some trade discussions, but the Magic are not likely to be a factor.
A more realistic scenario would be young players who could carve out reserve roles on this team.
Jeff Withey could be an option. The 7-footer barely plays for the New Orleans Pelicans behind the likes of Omer Asik and Anthony Davis, but his 3.2 blocks per 36 minutes would be welcome in Orlando, regardless of how small the sample size.
There aren't many minutes behind Vucevic, Harris and Channing Frye to begin with up front, but you want someone who can make an impact defensively in the short time he's allotted.
What about the enigmatic Larry Sanders? Would Orlando take the chance?
Once again, not likely. He has all the talent in the world, but the three years and $36 million remaining on his mammoth contract, along with his reported disinterest in basketball, won't endear him to the Magic front office.
3. Backup Point Guard
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Orlando could benefit from an improved backup point guard, and a player like C.J. Watson would be an ideal solution.
Bringing in a veteran point guard is a complicated task when you're in the process of grooming a rookie—Elfrid Payton—who is expected to be the future. You need to bring in someone talented enough to provide an offensive jolt off the bench yet still professional enough to play his part as a backup.
Watson has thrived in this exact scenario with multiple teams and will likely be moving on from the Indiana Pacers once his $2.07 million contract expires at the end of the year.
He's averaging 11.0 points and 4.0 assists while shooting 41.3 percent from three-point range with Indiana this season. He would immediately supplant incumbent backup Luke Ridnour, whose contract is not guaranteed for the 2015-16 season. It's definitely an upgrade.
Watson would be a solid fit. At 30 years old, he still has some good basketball in him. Indiana, a team one year removed from the Eastern Conference Finals that's struggling to replace the injured Paul George, would certainly be willing to deal with teams looking to unload assets. Could a package centering around Maurice Harkless be enough? It certainly can be.
Watson's impending free agency may be the biggest hitch in this potential trade. If he can see that Orlando might be the best place for him to carve out an excellent role for himself, it may be too good for him to turn down.
2. Distressed Assets
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In the financial world, distressed assets are defined as assets put on sale, usually at a cheap price, because the owner is forced to sell them. The same theory applies in the NBA, when teams have talented assets who are simply not working out. Sometimes a change of scenery is the best course of action.
The Magic have their own distressed asset in Harkless, once thought to be a bright spot in the Dwight Howard megadeal years ago. He still has talent, but for whatever reason, it just hasn't clicked in Orlando. He's young and talented enough, though, to be attractive to other teams.
Otto Porter of the Washington Wizards is in the same category. The former No. 3 overall pick has underwhelmed during his first two years in the District, even losing minutes to journeyman Rasual Butler in the Wizards' rotation behind starter Paul Pierce.
After averaging just 8.6 minutes a night in 37 games as a rookie, the 6'9" Porter has improved in his limited opportunities this season, particularly as a shooter. He jumped to a 47.8 field-goal percentage, up from a dismal 36.3 percent as a rookie.
A swap like this could be beneficial to all parties. Both players will have a chance to establish themselves on new teams and leave the past behind them. At the small forward spot, he could slide right in as a backup to Harris in big lineups or fill in alongside him depending on the matchup.
With Porter under team control for the next three seasons, Orlando has the chance to see what it has in him and not be locked in long term should the move not work out. Perhaps a move to Florida could be just what Porter needs to tap into his potential.
1. Versatile Wing
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Wilson Chandler is one of the hot names in trade talks around the league, and the versatile wing would be a great fit in Orlando.
NBA.com's David Aldridge reported that the Denver Nuggets are shopping Chandler hard in an effort to acquire future assets as they rebuild. Chandler is making $6.7 million this season and has a $7.1 million team option for 2015-16.
Harkless again would be an ideal piece to include in any deal for Chandler, as would Andrew Nicholson. In order for the salaries to match, Ben Gordon's $4.5 million contract might have to be included, although there's no way a player like him fits into Denver's long-term plans. He's still a viable NBA player, but he would likely be a buyout candidate. His contract for 2015-16 is not guaranteed.
Chandler can play solid two-way ball and will help ease the pain of missing Gordon. A small-ball lineup of Vucevic, Harris, Chandler, Victor Oladipo and Payton would be fun to watch.
He's still only 27 years old and averaging 14.2 points and 5.9 rebounds this season on a team headed nowhere. It's likely he gets dealt at the deadline, and Orlando wouldn't be a bad spot for him to land. Aside from being a big help this season, he could be another building block going forward as this team continues to retool.
All statistics courtesy of Basketball-Reference. Follow Stephen on Twitter: @S_Albertini
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