NBA Trade Rumors: Magic Conservative or 'Aggressive'?
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ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic finds itself in a very precarious position.
While the team wants to contend as soon as possible, Orlando has a very promising young core that is soon about to hit its stride. This gives the Magic two paths it can take this offseason ... play it conservative or roll the dice and take a chance.
If Orlando plays it safe, keeps relatively the same core of young prospects and allows it to grow organically, the Magic may come out on top, especially given how last season ended.
"This team is closer to arrival than the age and experience of its nucleus suggests. The Magic played over .500 basketball for more than half of the season, going 29-24 after starting the year 5-20 before closing out the schedule on a four-game losing streak. Their defense also ranked 11th in points allowed per possession," Bleacher Report writes.
However, there is no guarantee that Orlando will move up the ranks in a crowded Eastern Conference, especially if the team stays relatively the same. Other teams in the East will look to make moves to improve, and if the Magic doesn't evolve, it could find itself falling behind.
The Magic has a bevy of assets it can trade, including the Nos. 6 & 11 picks in this month's draft. If a team is looking to blow it up and part ways with a key contributor, Orlando could be a team looking to buy given its current makeup.
"Infusing the rotation with a proven offensive organizer, scorer, floor-spacer, whatever will go a looong way," Bleacher Report writes. "Cap space can help. Orlando is slated for over $22 million in spending power. That's not enough to bid on everyone, and inflating this number will require tough calls. But the Magic do have the assets to scope out the trade—or sign-and-trade—market."
Cashing in on an elite player to team up with Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner -- the two most untouchable assets in Orlando -- makes sense for the Magic, if the player fits what the team is trying to do. Orlando is very high on all of its players, and for good reason. The team has several players at each position who have yet to prove that they won't be part of the next great Magic team.
Parting ways with any of the young players on the roster is a big risk, especially if the team trades for someone closer to their prime and making a lot more money. However, if the goal is to raise the ceiling of the team, making a trade has to be an option.
Ultimately, this offseason and the moves the Magic makes and does not make comes down to patience. How patient is the front office willing to be? Do Jeff Weltman and Co. choose to keep riding the road they're on in hopes of eventually getting to where they think they can be ... or do they take a gamble and put their foot on the gas, knowing they might crash if it doesn't go well?
You can follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.
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