Ranking Magic's Top Trade Targets After 2026 NBA Playoff Loss
After yet another early exit from the NBA postseason at the hands of the Detroit Pistons, the Orlando Magic are a candidate for a dramatic summer makeover.
Or rather they would be if they hadn't already tried that tactic last summer when they wagered a huge amount of assets on Desmond Bane being able to correct their imbalanced offense.
The offense was better this season—the defense was also worse—but the shooting struggles that predated Bane's arrival remained. And they feel like the obvious area for the front office to attack this offseason, although this year's upgrades figure to be more subtle and less costly.
3. Isaiah Joe, Oklahoma City Thunder
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Joe can be a bit streaky game to game, but his season-long stats point to consistent excellence from beyond the arc.
This is his fourth consecutive campaign as a rotation regular, and his fourth year in a row as a 40-plus percent shooter from distance. He is offensive oxygen as an off-ball shooting threat, but he's capable of creating his own looks now and again off the dribble.
His contributions don't run much beyond that, so there is constant pressure on him to succeed as a three-point shooter. Because otherwise he's an undersized 6'4" off-guard who's pretty limited on the defensive end. And he is wholly unremarkable as a passer and a rebounder.
All of that said, Orlando's shooting needs are significant enough that a specialist could still make quite an impact. And he just might come available if the Thunder finally start cutting costs in preparation of the big pay raises soon coming for Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
2. Sam Merrill, Cleveland Cavaliers
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Merrill has the surface-level appearance of a shooting specialist. And a pretty freakin' awesome one at that.
Since the Cavaliers started giving him regular run in 2023-24, he has emerged as one of the better quality-plus-quantity shooters around. He really ramped up his volume this season and still had his most accurate effort as a full-time player.
But he brings more than shooting to the mix. He's also a feisty, heady defender. While not enormous nor explosive, he is strong and smart. He never loses defensive plays for a lack of effort. And for being such a high-level shot-maker, he's a pretty savvy ball-mover, too.
If you're wondering why the Cavaliers would consider moving him, that's kind of the reason he doesn't rank any higher. But he'd be such a smooth fit with this group that slotting him any lower would feel silly.
1. Grayson Allen, Phoenix Suns
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If the Magic are in the market for an elite shooter, Allen might be as good as they can get.
Two seasons back, he paced the entire Association in three-point percentage. As a follow up, he splashed 42.6 percent of his long-range looks. His splash rate finally dipped this season, but only because the Suns were so strapped for offense that they skyrocketed his on-ball duties and self-creation tasks.
The Magic wouldn't need to make those same demands, so they could reasonably wager on his ability to bounce back to being a 40-plus percent perimeter shooter. They could, however, benefit from the on-ball reps he received, since he's better equipped at creating shots for himself and his teammates.
Orlando needs a knockdown shooter who can finish the looks he receives and a gravitational force who takes defensive attention away from its stars. Allen is the best bet for checking both boxes.
