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With the NBA's trade deadline just days away, teams are scrambling to make their last-second deals to finish out the 2017-18 NBA season. Among the notable names on the trading block is Orlando Magic point guard Elfrid Payton.
It is clear the Magic need a change of personnel amidst their disastrous season. As a result, everyone but power forwards Aaron Gordon and Jonathan Issac have reportedly been made available.
Meanwhile, Payton is not expected to be in Orlando beyond this season, according to ESPN's Zach Lowe:
Speaking of Orlando: Everyone but Gordon and Isaac is readily available, per sources around the league. Most expect Elfrid Payton, a free agent this summer, to be elsewhere by next season, and I'd agree.
Payton had been one of the more promising young point guards in the league coming into the season. However, the Magic have seen little progression from the former 10th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft over the past four years.
That said, he does not seem to be part of Orlando's long-term plans in their current rebuild. That could be why they are hoping to get a solid return for Payton, who is putting up career-highs in points and three-point percentage. The young point guard is currently averaging 13.2 points, 6.2 assists, and 4.0 rebounds.
Meanwhile, it also looks as if the Magic have found two valued members of their frontcourt in Gordon and Issac. The two promising young big men have been the lone bright spots in a nightmare year. Although Gordon could command a pretty lucrative contract in the near future, Orlando may be willing to do just that in order to keep him around for the long-haul.
