Magic president Jeff Weltman explains trade deadline inactivity

Orlando made just one cost-cutting move to duck luxury tax.

Apr 11, 2023; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman speaks during a press conference for the new Orlando Magic G-League stadium at Osceola Heritage Park. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Orlando Magic had a relatively quiet trade deadline.

They successfully salary dumped guard Tyus Jones on the Charlotte Hornets -- who was later re-routed to the Dallas Mavericks. Jones helped the Magic get below the luxury tax while freeing up rookie Jase Richardson.

However, the Magic, currently at 25-24, failed to make any additional moves -- let alone upgrades -- at the deadline. As we explained here, there weren't a ton of avenues for them to improve at the deadline, though any big moves would've required a break-up of the Magic's core, led by Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Desmond Bane.

Magic president Jeff Weltman told reporters shortly after the deadline that, while the team was aggressive, they didn't feel comfortable breaking up said core.

"We're aggressive 365 days a year," Weltman said. "We're not afraid to make bold moves, as I think last summer showed (that). But the answer to frustration isn't just to make a move for the sake of making a move.

"I think one thing to understand is the way that our team is set up right now, with the contracts and timing, for us to make a significant move, means we have to break into the core. ... That core has been excellent when it's been on the court together."

Magic's core has been injury-riddled this season:

Unfortunately for Orlando, their core has not been available all that often this season.

The Bane-Banchero-Wagner-Jalen Suggs quartet has seen the floor just 11 times together this season. They are just 5-6 in those games, but they collectively own a plus-15.7 NET Rating across 125 minutes.

You add Wendell Carter Jr. to that mix, and the Magic have a plus-18.5 NET in 117 minutes.

"Most importantly, our starting lineup of Suggs, Bane, Wagner, Banchero and Carter has, still, among five-man units that have played over 250 possessions, the third-best NET Rating of any five-man group in the NBA. That's what predicts playoff success -- our best five against your best five. And I don't even think we were playing that great then."

Weltman revealed that, while they didn't decide to break up the aforementioned core, the idea wasn't out of the realm of possibility.

"For us to break up that core, it's going to have to be a significant move," he said. "And I will tell you that we had some substantive talks that I thought could've gone somewhere. Obviously, they did not, they didn't materialize.

"But it wasn't for a lack of pushing. It wasn't for a lack of urgency. Our mission is to improve this team and we're never taking a day off from that. It's just that we're not going to do something for the sake of doing it."

The Magic will have a lot of work to do the rest of the season, which could result in some tough decisions to make this summer. We'll see if this core can get healthy before it's too late.