The Orlando Magic made a 13-win improvement and snapped a three-year playoff drought this season. They are a young team on the rise but need upgrades to take the next step. Orlando projects to have cap space this summer and has rumored interest in several guards.
With Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner on rookie contracts, now is the time to upgrade.
Wagner is extension-eligible before the season and will get a massive raise in 2025. The pressure is on for the franchise to find their missing pieces. Adding in free agency will help, but the Magic also must explore the trade market.
Orlando has all of their future draft picks plus a 2025 first-rounder from the Nuggets to use in acquiring upgrades. There will be no shortage of activity on the market this summer. But the Magic must give to get.
These players are the most likely to be moved if the franchise finds the right deal.
5. Jett Howard
The 11th overall pick in 2023 barely played as a rookie. He averaged just 3.7 minutes per game and never appeared in more than three consecutive contests (he spent the majority of his season in the G-League). The 20-year-old was not NBA-ready, but finding a 6-foot-8 wing capable of blossoming into a plus shooter is not easy.
If the Orlando Magic are going to trade for an upgrade, the opposing team is likely searching for young talent and draft picks. The Magic are not trading Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner or Jalen Suggs. That leaves just young talent and salary matching to part with in any deal.
4. Anthony Black
Anthony Black was the sixth overall pick in 2023, but he struggled to get minutes in the Orlando Magic’s jumbled backcourt.
Orlando has a playmaking need and lacks a lead option on their current roster. Black averaged 4.6 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game in 16.9 minutes per game. He got just 11 minutes in the playoffs, but there is still plenty to be excited about.
3. Markelle Fultz
Markelle Fultz is an unrestricted free agent this summer and figures to be searching for a new team.
2. Wendell Carter
The Orlando Magic will need to trade salary to get a significant upgrade in return.
1. Cole Anthony
The 15th overall pick in 2020 has settled into a reserve role, but the Orlando Magic will have to decide who to prioritize moving forward. If they land a starting guard in free agency, the backup minutes will be a fight between Anthony Black, Jett Howard and Cole Anthony if Gary Harris does not return. Bringing back Harris likely means trading one of the young guards.
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