How Orlando Magic Could Help Get Lakers, Mavericks the Players They Need
Ask just about anyone what the Orlando Magic need on the roster, and they'll answer, "Shooting, shooting and more shooting."
A healthy Jalen Suggs (knee) might not have gotten Orlando past the Boston Celtics in the first round. Still, the Magic's No. 7 seed and .500 record had much to do with injuries (notably Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner both suffering oblique strains). Add shooting and better health to the mix next year, and the Magic could fight for home-court advantage in the first round of the 2026 playoffs.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks each have specific needs. After the Luka Dončić blockbuster, Dallas fans might not be able to cope if the Mavericks traded Daniel Gafford to the Lakers to fill their massive hole at center. Meanwhile, Dallas needs a lead guard until Kyrie Irving is healthy.
In the following hypothetical, the Magic can serve as a middleman, roping in the Brooklyn Nets to clear enough salary for Orlando to trade for and sign three desperately needed shooters.
Full Details
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Transaction No. 1
- The Orlando Magic receive Daniel Gafford
- The Dallas Mavericks receive Cole Anthony, No. 25 overall pick in 2025 draft (via Denver Nuggets)
Transaction No. 2
- The Magic receive Dalton Knecht, $110,000 (via Brooklyn Nets), $14.4 million trade exception (Gafford), $1.5 million trade exception (Jett Howard)
- The Nets receive Maxi Kleber, Jett Howard, 2027 Boston Celtics second-rounder (via Orlando)
- The Los Angeles Lakers receive Gafford
Transaction Nos. 3-4
- The Magic sign Gary Trent Jr. via the non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($10 million starting range)
- The Magic sign Tyus Jones via the bi-annual exception (projected at $5.1 million starting salary)
Transactions Nos. 5-6
- The Magic decline their team option on Mo Wagner ($11 million)
- The Magic decline their team option on Gary Harris ($7.5 million)
Note: Transaction No. 1 would be executed before the first round of the NBA draft on June 25. The remaining three would be completed on July 6, following the league's annual moratorium.
Brooklyn would use cap room to absorb Kleber and Howard's contracts. The non-taxpayer mid-level exception can pay up to a projected $14.1 million, so pencil in Trent for a three-year, $30 million deal with the third year non-guaranteed. Jones could receive up to a two-year, $10.4 million deal via the bi-annual exception.
Orlando would trigger a first-apron hard cap (projected to be $195.9 million) by taking in Gafford for Anthony. The Lakers would have a second-apron hard cap (estimated at $207.8 million) after aggregating Knecht and Kleber for Gafford. Brooklyn also would have a second-apron hard cap after sending cash to the Magic.
Why the Orlando Magic Do It
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Gary Trent Jr. signed a one-year, minimum-salary deal with the Milwaukee Bucks last offseason, but he might have earned himself a larger contract in the playoffs. He had 37 points on 11-of-16 shooting in the Bucks' Game 3 win over the Indiana Pacers and had 33 points, five rebounds, five steals and two assists in their closeout loss in Game 5.
Across the series, he shot a combined 22-of-44 from three-point range, so he would fill a much-needed hole in Orlando. The Magic wouldn't ask him to carry as heavy of an offensive load, but he'd fit in as a still-young (26), capable two-way veteran with a postseason track record.
Tyus Jones, who turns 29 on May 10, is a low-turnover, ball-handling guard with a reliable outside shot. (He shot 41.4 percent from deep in each of his last two seasons.) Unless the Suns dip under the second apron, they can't offer Jones more than 120 percent of a minimum salary, so the Magic could outbid them by offering him the bi-annual exception.
Finally, Knecht is an upside play. The No. 17 overall pick in the 2024 draft in and out of the Lakers' lineup as a rookie in part due to their roster volatility. He has good size and strength, but he needs to improve defensively. Still, he shot a respectable 37.6 percent over 78 games, including a 37-point outing in November against the Utah Jazz with a rookie-record nine made three-pointers.
The cost would be Cole Anthony, a reliable veteran who stepped up when injuries to others required him to drive the offense. However, he doesn't have a vital role when the Magic are fully healthy. Orlando would also give up a late first-round pick (No. 25), a future Boston second-rounder, and Jett Howard, who hasn't emerged as an impact player.
Orlando still has the No. 16 pick in June. It also has team options on Cory Joseph ($3.5 million) and Caleb Houstan ($2.2 million). With extensions for Wagner and Suggs starting in July and Paolo Banchero likely to receive a maximum extension this summer that starts in July 2026, the Magic must be diligent about managing their finances. Their roster improvements cannot come without also shedding salary, which is why they'd loop in the Mavericks and Nets here.
Heading into the 2025-26 season, Orlando would have 15 players (including Joseph and Houstan) and would be about $2.1 million under the luxury tax. However, it could negotiate Trent to a lower starting salary to gain more flexibility.
Finally, once Mo Wagner (brother of Franz Wagner) is healthy enough to return from a severe knee injury, the Magic could consider bringing him back while minding the tax. Orlando would retain his rights if he doesn't sign with a different team.
Why the Dallas Mavericks Do It
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The Mavericks may hope to get Kyrie Irving back from his ACL tear around January, but it's often a nine-to-18-month injury with varying degrees of success. The 33-year-old Irving may not be himself until closer to March, leaving Dallas without enough ball-handling support for most of next season.
Cole Anthony gave the Magic tremendous stretches of play, including a 35-point outing in December against the Miami Heat. Orlando's best players need the ball in their hands, but Dallas is built around a more traditional point guard. Anthony could fill that role until Irving is healthy and then become a combo-guard bench scorer.
Daniel Gafford provides insurance for the Mavericks at center, but with Anthony Davis and Dereck Lively II already in place, he is unlikely to stay in Dallas beyond this season. The Mavericks would also pick up a late first-round pick in this deal.
Why the Los Angeles Lakers Do It
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The Lakers, who were just ousted from the first round of the playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves, are bereft at center. They already attempted to trade Knecht to solve that problem ahead of the trade deadline, but Mark Williams didn't pass his physical, which scuttled their deal with the Charlotte Hornets.
Gafford, who turns 27 at the beginning of October, played with Dončić in Dallas. The two remain close, and Gafford is looking for a new long-term home. With his next payday unlikely in Dallas and the Lakers desperate to pair Dončić with a lob threat, pairing them back up together would make a lot of sense.
The challenge may be getting Dallas to even pick up the phone if the Lakers call after the massive local backlash to the Dončić blockbuster. The Lakers also don't have a clear solution for the Mavericks' point guard void with Irving sidelined.
To avoid the conflict of interest, Dallas and Los Angeles would get what they both need from Orlando (with some help from the Nets) separately.
Why the Brooklyn Nets Do It
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Brooklyn has more cap room than any other team in the NBA this summer. It could have nearly $80 million if it moves on from free agents like Cam Thomas, Ziaire Williams, D'Angelo Russell, Day'Ron Sharpe, etc.
Under the new rules of the 2023 collective bargaining agreement, teams must reach the minimum team salary (projected at $139.2 million) before the start of the regular season. The Nets could use their cap room to chase other teams' restricted free agents, such as Jonathan Kuminga (Golden State Warriors), Quentin Grimes (Philadelphia 76ers), and/or Josh Giddey (Chicago Bulls).
But since the Nets are a long way away from contending, they might be better off using their cap room to take on shorter-term, unwanted contracts in return for young players and draft compensation. In this scenario, the Nets would add Jett Howard and a second-round pick for $110,000. Maxi Kleber's expiring salary helps Brooklyn reach the minimum team salary, and he could be flipped at a later date.
The Charlotte Hornets, Detroit Pistons and other teams made similar moves this past offseason, at a price similar to what the Magic would have to give up to reroute Kleber to Brooklyn. That what would enable Orlando to use its salary-cap exceptions on Trent and Jones.
Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on X @EricPincus and Bluesky.
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