Magic Land Rising Former First-Round Pick In Trade Proposal

Despite maintaining a conservative approach during their lengthy rebuild, Orlando Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman abandoned patience this offseason trading major draft capital and two veterans for Desmond Bane to form a long-term “core four.” The front office also added Tyus Jones and rookie Jase Richardson, giving coach Jamahl Mosley more firepower. With an Eastern Conference weakened by injuries, Orlando is poised to contend for a top seed. Still, if health issues once again derail the season, several key trade candidates could determine the franchise’s next step.

Although the Magic take pride in their defensive identity, their new offensive pieces may still fall short of pushing them over the hump after nearly a decade of scoring struggles. That imbalance could force the front office to consider a defense-for-offense swap.

Bleacher Report proposed the Magic trade guard Anthony Black to the Miami Heat for Nikola Jović, adding perimeter scoring to bolster Orlando’s offense.

Orlando Magic receive: Nikola Jović

Miami Heat receive: Anthony Black

If the Magic still lack spacing and secondary scoring, Black may not be the answer. The 6-foot-7 playmaker offers elite defensive tools, but as a non-shooter he limits his own offense. Some teams can work around that, but for a shooting-starved Magic squad, the fit feels tougher.

"The Magic paid a fortune to add Desmond Bane this offseason," Bleacher Report wrote. "It remains to be seen whether they did enough to get their offense ready to contend. If they're still a bit short on spacing and support scoring, Black probably isn't helping with that. The 6'7" playmaker has enviable physical tools and tons of defensive value, but he's also the kind of lead guard who squeezes his own offense as a non-shooter. Some teams can work around that, but the shooting-starved Magic probably aren't one of them."

Despite setting a career-high with 9.4 points last season, Black’s three-point accuracy dipped from 39.4 percent to 31.8 percent. By contrast, Jović owns a career 37 percent mark from deep and adds size as a stretch big.

"Jović, on the other hand, wouldn't have trouble finding the floor in Orlando," the article added. "He's a 6'10" sharpshooter who flashes some high-end creation and three-level scoring. These Southeast Division rivals may not want to help the other, but this feels like a win-win swap with both teams directly addressing some of their most glaring needs."

Orlando Magic receive: Nikola Jović

Miami Heat receive: Anthony Black

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