If the season were to end today, the Orlando Magic would be in the playoffs for the second straight year. However, even though the Magic currently hold the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference, the team is just 21-27 and could use a few more pieces if they want to actually start competing in the conference.
Orlando has a ton of young, promising talent. Markelle Fultz is having a resurgent season. Jonathan Isaac looks like he could be a two-way star in the future. Furthermore, Mo Bamba is still just 21 years old and Aaron Gordon is only 24. That's not even including 2019 first-round pick Chuma Okeke is still recovering from injury.
Not all those players will turn out to be future stars, but the more young talent you stockpile, the better chance you have for one of them to develop into a franchise-changing talent. I'm not sure whether or not Orlando is looking to either sell or buy at the upcoming trade deadline. But it wouldn't hurt to add additional young talent.
After a promising rookie season in 2017 where he made the All-Rookie team, Dennis Smith Jr. has regressed. The uber-athletic point guard was drafted ninth overall by the Dallas Mavericks just a few years ago. After just a one-and-a-half seasons in Dallas, Smith was traded to the New York Knicks in the Kristaps Porzingis deal.
So far in New York, Smith has struggled with consistency, a lack of role and various injuries. Just three seasons into his NBA career, this once electrifying young guard has been all but forgotten in most NBA circles.
This season for the Knicks, the 6-foot-2 point guard is playing 15.4 minutes per game (by far a career-low). He's also averaging 5.2 points, 2.6 assists and 2.1 rebounds per game while shooting just 33.6 percent from the field and 30.2 percent from deep.
There's no doubt that Smith has had an awful season so far. He's inefficient and turns it over too many times for a guy that's not a natural playmaker. However, in Smith's defense, the Knicks are an absolute dumpster fire and Smith's previous seasons were much better.
Similar to what they accomplished last season with Fultz, the Magic should take a flier on an underperforming point guard. Smith could desperately use a change of scenery. I'm not expecting Smith to ever become a star in this league, but he does deserve more opportunity to develop.
The former NC State star just turned 22 years old in November and is still a few years away from a supposed prime. Additionally, , his trade value is at an absolute low point and if the Knicks aren't going to use him, someone else should.
With his low value, it shouldn't take much to acquire the young point guard. There's a chance the experiment doesn't work out and Smith doesn't fit with the other young prospects in Orlando. With that said, the team likely wouldn't have had to give much up to begin with.
DJ Augustin will be a free agent for Orlando this offseason. Meanwhile, Smith is still on his rookie contract and won't hit the open market until at least 2021.
Like Fultz, the chance to acquire Smith is a major low-risk, high-reward move for a team that has a lot of young talent. If Smith does work out in Orlando, the Magic could have a scary core of players. The fact that would be on the same timeline and would help the team compete in the future just makes matters even more intriguing.
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