Why The Orlando Magic Do The Deal
Let’s get one thing straight. Yes, the Orlando Magic have a strong young core, and sure, winning games in 2022-23 would have an obvious benefit to them.
Drafting Victor Wembanyama won’t kill them, either.
In fact, the Magic should be intrigued by plenty of the targets we listed in the next draft. In particular, Nick Smith would be a nice fit as a ball-handling guard who, unlike most of the guards on this roster, spaces the floor.
With that said, the Magic don’t even have to tank here. They’re still retaining all of the most exciting young players on their team. In a hypothetical world where they make this deal and remain a surprisingly competitive team, the Magic just added two first-round picks.
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With Carter Jr. having usurped Bamba in the rotation anyway, they’re giving up very little in terms of players that matter to their future for such a large return.
If they use those picks to trade for a star, nobody will mention them in the same breath as “tanking” for much longer.
