With Paolo Banchero Coming In, Will Magic Trade Jonathan Isaac?
ORLANDO - With Paolo Banchero joining the Orlando Magic as the No. 1 pick in the draft, questions arise between how he and fellow power forward Jonathan Isaac will coexist.
The frontcourt has created a bit of a logjam and a competition for minutes will take place throughout the season.
It's hard not to start Banchero out of the gate after choosing him with the No. 1 pick in the draft. It's also hard to not keep promising second-year players Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs out of the starting lineup.
Assuming Markelle Fultz or Cole Anthony takes the starting point guard spot, that leaves the center spot up for debate. But given the fact that Wendell Carter Jr. has also made a strong case to start, it could make Isaac, the team's highest-paid player the first guy off the bench.
It's very rare for the player who makes the most money not to start, but that might be the case for Isaac. The former Florida State Seminole hasn't played in each of the past two seasons after a torn ACL, but is expected to be healthy for the start of training camp in a few months.
With all of these prospects who need development and minutes, could it be time to trade Isaac?
It's hard to gauge what Isaac's trade value would be given that he hasn't played since August 2020. Maybe the plan for the Magic is to have him play so he can boost his value and be moved at the trade deadline or next season.
However, with free agency creeping up on the league, teams could be interested in trading for Isaac now while other teams try and make moves to advance themselves in playoff contention.
A lot of teams could use a 6-10 defensive-minded power forward, but the question remains whether Isaac is the player with that archetype that other teams will covet this offseason.
