The Orlando Magic have been one of the most pleasant surprises in all of the NBA. The Magic are 19-15 on the season with a +1.8 point differential that ranks 12th in the NBA and a +2 net rating that also ranks 12th. Paolo Banchero looks like an All-Star already and Franz Wagner has taken a step up as well.
Though the Magic are a young team, they are squarely in the playoff conversation as things stand. They currently occupy the sixth-seed and are 4.5 games ahead of the ninth-seeded Brooklyn Nets.
With that being the case, it will be interesting to see what the Magic do ahead of the trade deadline. Orlando has taken a patient approach in regards to their team-building and that approach has largely paid off for them. But the Magic also have a lot of talented players that overlap and play similar positions. They could afford a consolidation trade or two and fortify their roster for a playoff push.
Will they do that? That remains to be seen. But that can't stop anyone from making predictions as to what the Magic will do before the trade deadline.
The Orlando Magic will trade Jonathan Isaac
Jonathan Isaac's career has been topsy-turvy, to say the least. Isaac at one point looked like a potential defensive player of the year candidate, but injuries quickly derailed that optimism for him and his career.
He has played only 32 games since suffering a devastating knee back in the bubble in 2020. Even in those games, Isaac has not played much at all. He averaged 11.3 minutes per game in 11 games in the 2022-23 season and is averaging 13.6 minutes per game this season in 21 games.
Isaac is currently sitting because of a hamstring injury, but there might not be a role for him when he is able to return. Wendell Carter Jr. has returned from his knee injury he suffered at the beginning of the season, but has been eased back into the fold and is coming off the bench in favor of Goga Bitadze.
Bitadze, Carter Jr. and Moritz Wagner currently fill Orlando's center minutes, Paolo Banchero starts at the four, and both Mortiz and Franz Wanger play the four.
There is a logjam in Orlando's frontcourt, and Isaac might be the odd man out. If that's the case, the Magic should explore what they can get in return for him. Only $7.6 million of the $17.4 million Isaac is owed this season has been guaranteed so far; the rest is slated to be guaranteed on January 10th.
But the $17.4 million Isaac is owed is fully nonguaranteed next season. Orlando, or whoever acquires him in a trade, can get out of the Isaac business without any financial repercussions very easily. Orlando can use that contract to acquire draft capital or a player that can help them make a playoff run. It would make a lot of sense for them to go that route.
The Magic trade for a shooter
It would especially make sense for the Magic to trade Isaac for a shooter. The Magic badly could use one of those. They are shooting 34.4% from three as a team, which ranks 28th in the NBA. That's a big reason why Orlando currently ranks 22nd in the NBA in offensive rating.
The Magic could look to swing back to boost their shooting and offense; they're one of the few teams that would make a lot of sense to acquire Zach LaVine. But they haven't been mentioned as a suitor for him. A more minor move for a shooter like Doug McDermott might make more sense for the Magic. McDermott would fill a big need and could help the Magic make some noise in April if they were able to acquire him.
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