Magic 'Welcoming' Trades for Veterans, NBA Insider Says
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ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic could be in for a busy 11 days as the NBA Trade Deadline approaches.
At 19-31 appears to be in no-man's land in the standings. The team is too good to be in the bottom three for the best odds at the No. 1 pick, but not strong enough to reach the play-in tournament.
The team currently sits 4.5 games behind the 10-seed in the Eastern Conference. While that goal is attainable with a strong end to the season, it likely places the Magic as sellers going into the Feb. 9 trade deadline.
And according to NBA insider Marc Stein, the team is listening to offers on some veteran players.
“The Magic are welcoming trade inquiries for Mo Bamba, Gary Harris, Terrence Ross and R.J. Hampton ahead of the deadline, league sources say,” Stein said. “Ross is a player, sources say, rival teams are monitoring as a potential buyout candidate if no trade materializes.”
None of the four players listed above have guaranteed money tied to next season. Ross and Hampton are unrestricted free agents at season's end, while Bamba and Harris have non-guaranteed money for the 2023-24 campaign.
Harris will probably command the highest price considering he has entered the starting lineup and is one of the team's best three-point shooters. Meanwhile, Bamba, Ross and Hampton have all fallen out of the rotation with the team improving its health. Therefore, any calls the Magic receives on those three should be worth listening to if the price is right.
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