NBA Trade Deadline 2018: 5 trades to put the Magic back in the Orlando Magic

2. Detroit Pistons

Detroit gets: Mario Hezonja

Orlando gets: Stanley Johnson

This good, old-fashioned one-for-one swap gives Detroit the shooting they need while freeing Stanley Johnson from his Motor City prison cell. It helps Detroit get a little bit better and adds a young, athletic talent to the Magic on a two year trial period, without ruining their tanking for a top pick in this year’s loaded draft.

Hezonja’s on the last year of his contract, and sending him to Detroit could instill the Pistons with some energy, long-range shooting, and brash confidence they need for their potential playoff run.

Stanley Johnson is lost in Detroit. His talents are being wasted on the bench, and a change of scenery to sunny Florida may be just what the third-year player out of Arizona needs to kick some life back into his career.

With the trades Orlando has already made (thanks to these great suggestions by us) there’s plenty of playing time at the wing for the Magic to let Johnson find his stride. They’d have the rest of this season, and all next year to figure it out before Johnson becomes a free agent.

With these four moves, the Magic have freed themselves of Evan Fournier, Bismack Biyombo, Nikola Vucevic, Jonathan Simmons, and Shelvin Mack and received two first-round picks, a second-round pick, some expiring contracts, other potential trade chips, and one flier on a young, athletic talent.

Add this to Aaron Gordon and Jonathan Isaac and the Magic have the start of something exciting.

We’ve got one more trade to bring it all home.