Oklahoma City Thunder Receive: C Wendell Carter Jr., ORL 2023 2nd Round Pick
Orlando Magic Receive: G Ty Jerome, F Kenrich Williams, LAC 2022 1st Round Pick, PHI 2026 1st Round Pick (Protected Top-6)
Ty Jerome and Kenrich Williams do not present a lot of value for the Orlando Magic to bring back in a trade involving Wendell Carter Jr., but they would also be getting two first-round picks from the Thunder. This Clippers pick in 2022 would come with no protections on it, but the 76ers’ draft pick in 2026 is protected Top-6.
The Magic are going to be focusing on developing their young talents already on their roster, which is why they could use two guys like Jerome and Williams as “stabilizers” for their rotations. Neither guy possesses a ton of potential, but they can both play key roles on the offensive end of the floor, giving the Magic some stability and reliability in their rotations.
Oklahoma City does not trade first-round picks often, as they are normally trading for these picks, but Wendell Carter Jr. is definitely an intriguing young player for them to invest in. Through his first three seasons in the league, Carter Jr. has averaged 11.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.0 blocks, and has shot 50.6% from the floor.
Wendell Carter Jr. has also been improving as a pick-and-roll big man who can knock down shots from the perimeter, which is why the Thunder could want to pair him with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
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Entering his fourth season in the NBA, Gilgeous-Alexander has a chance to not only win Most Improved Player, but breakout as a potential first-time All-Star since he will be the main contributor on this Thunder roster.
SGA is the future of the Oklahoma City Thunder and they will be building around him for the next few years, which is why they need a young big man to pair with him. Carter Jr. has the potential to continue growing on both ends of the floor and he could actually learn a lot from veterans like Favors and Muscala on the Thunder’s roster this year.
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Orlando may be looking to exclusively move on from older guys like Gary Harris and Terrence Ross on their roster, as well as Michael Carter-Williams in their backcourt, but they could possibly entertain the idea of taking trade offers for Wendell Carter Jr., that is if they can get a ton of future value in return.
