NBA Trade Deadline: 5 teams now relying on free agency

By Tom West | Feb 20, 2016

HOUSTON, TX - DECEMBER 25: Members of the Houston Rockets huddle on the court during their game against the San Antonio Spurs at the Toyota Center on December 25, 2015 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images) /

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ORLANDO, FL – JANUARY 22: Tobias Harris (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) /

Orlando Magic

When considering the status of every team around the NBA after the trade deadline, it’s a popular opinion that the Magic came out as losers. Now, with fans scratching their heads and plenty of questions on the horizon as they close out the 2015-16 season, the team’s future lacks a clear direction.

There’s no doubt they have talent. With Victor Oladipo, Elfrid Payton, Nikola Vucevic, Evan Fournier and the dynamic dunk contestant Aaron Gordon, they have pieces to build around across the board. Although, after trading Tobias Harris for two players who won’t have a long-term impact in Brandon Jennings (coming back from an Achilles injury on an expiring contract) and Ersan Ilysova, what’s the plan in Orlando?

It’s hard to answer that question right now. The Harris trade was essentially to dump his $16 million salary, but while that motive would be questionable by itself, the acquisition of Jennings and Ilyasova makes the Magic’s thought process look even more bizarre.

Next, they continued on deadline day with another salary dump. In a three-team deal that sent Channing Frye ($8.1 million this season) to the Cleveland Cavaliers for a second-round pick and Jared Cunningham, the Magic received little in return for a valuable role player like Frye. Cunningham, an unproven guard with only 550 minutes playing time since entering the NBA in 2012, will struggle to find a role and a second-round pick is hardly an exciting reward for Frye, who the Magic signed to a four-year, $32 million deal in 2014.

After these moves, it’s clear the Magic want to starting restructuring the team. The way in which they plan to do this, though, is creating frustration from fans and question from everyone else.

If they fail to sign a big player in free agency, they’ll have lost Harris and Frye’s combined $24 million salary for nothing of significant value. After such a confusing deadline week that gives the Magic’s front office little purpose other than looking for cap space, they now look to free agency with the need to pull off an important signing to make these deals look worthwhile.

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