The NBA’s 3 p.m. Thursday trade deadline is nearing and a significant move has already been made around the league.
The Nets traded All-Star starter Kyrie Irving and veteran forward Markieff Morris to the Dallas Mavericks just two days after Irving requested a trade out of Brooklyn for Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2029 first-round pick and a pair of second-round picks.
The Orlando Magic (22-32), who’ve turned their season around by going 17-13 in their last 30 games after starting 5-19, aren’t expected to make organization-altering moves ahead of the deadline. But that doesn’t mean they’ll be inactive heading into Thursday, even if they aren’t guaranteed to make a trade.
“You try to explain to them parts of it being the business side of basketball and understanding that’s part of the game,” coach Jamahl Mosley recently said to the Orlando Sentinel when asked about dealing with the trade deadline. “The other side is, you try not to go into the what-ifs and maybes. I really, truly believe you have to stay in the moment. Whatever it may be, you focus on those moments instead of, ‘What if this happens?’ Life has a lot of what ifs, but if you focus on those, you’re never staying present.”
Here are things to know about the Magic ahead of Thursday afternoon’s trade deadline:
Mo Bamba: After being a full-time starter last season, Bamba’s played a different role this year. He was the main backup behind starting big Wendell Carter Jr. to kick off the season, playing in 19 of the first 20 games (18.7 minutes), including five starts while Carter was injured before missing five games because of back pain/spasms. When Bamba returned, he was back to being the backup big behind Moe Wagner, who took over the starting role while Carter was out. And once Carter was no longer playing under a minutes restriction, Bamba’s role fluctuated. This isn’t Bamba’s first time being a part of trade rumors/discussions. He went through them last season, the final year of being on his rookie scale contract before re-signing with the Magic as a free agent. Bamba has shown improvements even in a more limited role compared to last season. His 3-point percentage would be career-high, helping show last year’s 38.1% accuracy wasn’t a fluke. Bamba’s been one of the better shooting big men over the last two seasons. He’s gotten better with finishing around the rim and contesting shots when not blocking them while also maintaining a high block percentage. He can improve as an individual rebounder, but has shown growth in multiple areas since getting more consistent playing time last season. Bamba is in the first season of a 2-year, $20.6 million partially guaranteed contract he signed with the Magic during this past offseason.
R.J. Hampton: Hampton’s spot in the rotation was unpredictable early in the season despite the Magic being down multiple guards because of injuries. He hasn’t been a consistent part of the rotation since Cole Anthony and Markelle Fultz made their returns on Nov. 30, and his role has only been diminished even more since the returns of Gary Harris and Jalen Suggs. Hampton has only played in seven of the Magic’s 32 games since Dec. 1 and played more than 20 minutes once in that span — the Jan. 4 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder when most of the regular guard rotation was sidelined. He’s requested and received multiple assignments with the organization’s G League affiliate, the Lakeland Magic, over the last couple of months to get the playing time he needs to develop and stay in game shape. Hampton’s improved 2-point accuracy and finishing around the rim demonstrate the game is slowing down for him and he’s better weaponizing his speed. He has the size and athleticism to be an impactful defender. His talent and potential are evident, but Hampton needs playing time to develop — which has been hard to come by in a crowded backcourt filled with other young guards. Hampton will become an unrestricted free agent during the offseason after the Magic didn’t exercise Hampton’s rookie scale fourth-year team option for the 2023-24 season.
Terrence Ross: Ross’ role has diminished throughout the season, with the Magic getting healthier as the season progressed. He’s been a healthy scratch the last eight games entering Tuesday’s home game vs. the New York Knicks. This isn’t the first time Ross, an 11-year veteran, has been included in trade talks. Ross has a skill set that’s in demand by contending teams. He’s shown the ability throughout his career to make shots beyond the arc at an above-average clip (36.2% on 5 attempts) and be a spark-plug scorer off the bench. Ross is especially adept at making contested looks and provides value as a movement shooter. He’s in the final season of a 4-year, $54 million ($50 million guaranteed) contract he signed with the Magic during the 2019 offseason.
The Magic likely won’t be operating as a team desperate to make “win-now” or “flashy” moves — or any, for that matter.
They’re prioritizing their younger players’ development and flexibility moving forward, so they’re less inclined to cut into their future financial flexibility by trading for a player whose contract extends past this season, has a higher salary or would disrupt the playing time of one of their younger players.
The Magic could stand pat and continue to roll with their current roster ahead of a crucial offseason where multiple players — Anthony, Bamba, Harris, Fultz, Bol Bol and Chuma Okeke and — will be on expiring deals.
But they could also make more “minor” deals ahead of Thursday to create even more flexibility. If the Magic do make moves, 3-point shooting and a backup big — especially if Bamba is traded — would be needs for them.
This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Khobi Price at khprice@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on Twitter at @khobi_price.
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