At 18-28, with the NBA’s second-worst offense, more than 4 games off the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot, the Orlando Magic’s 2016-17 campaign is not going according to plan.
And general manager Rob Hennigan sounds like someone who’s prepared to try doing something about it ahead of the Feb. 23 trade deadline.
As he told the Orlando Sentinel‘s Josh Robbins:
OS: Does the team need to make a trade before the deadline to get back into the playoff hunt?
Hennigan: The simple answer to that is we need to explore every and all options to improve the team, and so we’re going to be aggressive. We’re going to be active in our discussions and in the opportunities we seek out. So we’re going to look to be active. I’m not sure it’s a “necessity,” but it’s certainly something that’s in our best interests to explore.
The Magic have an array of needs—most notably floor spacing and, perhaps, an upgrade at point guard. The problem is they have too many uneven assets.
Nikola Vucevic is clearly the odd man out of the big-man tricycle that also includes Serge Ibaka and Bismack Biyombo, but the market for bigs who aren’t exceptional rim protectors or three-point shooters is weird. Elfrid Payton and Mario Hezonja won’t bring back anyone substantial even when they’re paired with Jeff Green’s expiring salary, and it’s not totally clear if Aaron Gordon can headline a blockbuster offer, given how much he has fallen off on offense after being moved to small forward.
Don’t be surprised if the Magic stand relatively pat. After all, if there was a way for them to make waves in their favor, they probably would have pulled the trigger before now. They’re likely just waiting, hoping, for something to materialize before Feb. 23.
