The Orlando Magic is one franchise that has caught the league by surprise as they have elevated themselves as a playoff contender in the Eastern Conference. They are now in eighth place with a 22-19 record, but they are only three games behind the fourth-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers. Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Jalen Suggs have proven themselves to be a tremendous three-way monster for head coach Jamahl Mosley. Unheralded role players such as Cole Anthony, Goga Bitadze, and rookie Anthony Black have been welcome revelations to the Magic roster and rotation and a major part of their success.

There have been several injuries surrounding their squad, but Mosley has found ways to maximize the healthy bodies he has at his disposal every night. The inexperience will always be an issue for a young team, but this is the perfect timing for the first year of their ascension.

There are still other issues that percolate from time to time like their lack of a floor general or inconsistent outside shooting, but those will be solved as time progresses. One present issue the Magic can solve is their rotation, and there is one player who must see a slight decrease in his playing time: Joe Ingles.

Why Joe Ingles should lose minutes

Orlando Magic Joe Ingles, Wendell Carter Jr. inside Heat arena

The current injury to Franz Wagner and previous absences of guys like Wendell Carter Jr. and Markelle Fultz have caused a ton of Magic rotation changes. Caleb Houstan and Chuma Okeke have been starting the past couple of games, which is the best time to prove themselves if they want to earn continuous rotational minutes even if some guys get back.

Another player who is getting a ton of run because of the current rotation is 36-year-old Joe Ingles. Even if Ingles continues to be an incredible secondary playmaker and reliable spot-up shooter, it does not seem like he fits the vision and timeline that the front office has planned for this organization. He can be a fantastic locker room guy and energy boost off the bench but giving him close to 20 minutes a night is too much.

A healthy Anthony Black or a returning Gary Harris are two individuals who fit more of the system and style of Mosley. Ingles has been contributing at a decent clip, but he may be better off as a trade chip before the deadline, especially because his salary is the perfect filler to acquire a budding star. The Magic do have a plethora of young assets at their disposal, along with a substantial amount of draft capital, so they must push in selling high for Ingles rather than utilizing him until the end of the year.

Even if he continues to maintain his respectable numbers, his value may not elevate to a higher level anymore because he has reached his peak already. Moreover, lessening his minutes and eventually moving him to a better individual situation will open up minutes for guys like Black and Houstan. These two players have much more upside in growing as a player for the Magic specifically rather than keeping Ingles and possibly even re-signing him to a new contract.

If they do want to keep him in their franchise, another approach is to retain Ingles because of his veteran leadership but cut down his minutes to around 12-15 a night. With this plan, it will not hinder the opportunity of their rookies and sophomores to ascend on the NBA stage.