Injuries to Paolo Banchero and Jalen Suggs have the Orlando Magic's hopes of securing a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference in jeopardy. If Orlando's front office wants to boost their odds of making the postseason they need to make an early season trade to reinforce their roster.
The best plan forward for the Magic would be to call up the Grizzlies to see if another trade between the two teams is possible. Orlando already paid a heavy price to pry Desmond Bane away from Memphis. The next call they should make is to see what it might take to bring Ty Jerome into the fold.
Jerome is off to a blistering start to his 2026-27 campaign, but his age does not fit Memphis' timeline for playoff contention. The Grizzlies are not desperate to offload him this early in the year, but he does project to be moved at some point. The challenge for Orlando is making an offer good enough to tempt the Grizzlies to accept it before a true bidding war ensues.
Jerome's potential fit with the Magic makes a ton of sense. The team's inability to shoot the ball effectively from behind the 3-point arc is arguably their biggest weakness. Jerome's calling card is getting up a lot of deep shots and making them at an impressive clip. He is shooting 37 percent from 3 this year on 7.8 attempts per 36 minutes. That type of perimeter shooting would give Orlando's half-court offense a major boost without Banchero and Suggs on the floor. Perhaps more importantly, Jerome is also the sort of player who can continue to play alongside Orlando's stars once they return to full health.
Losing Jerome would cost Memphis their primary offensive engine. It would also effectively end their hopes of crashing the postseason in the Western Conference this year. That might be a tough pill to swallow for their front office and fan base, but a deal is possible if they can get another young player to build around and additional draft capital.
What would it take for the Magic to get Ty Jerome?
Giving up on Anthony Black would sting the Magic, but their inability to agree to terms with him on a contract extension makes it obvious they aren't totally committed to him as a part of their core. He's made quality progress as a shooter, but it's not a plus skill. That makes him an akward fit for the big-name players Orlando has already committed to for the long-term.
Black makes a lot of sense for an addition in Memphis They might prefer to add more perimeter shooting to their backcourt, but Black is a young prospect who can grow with the likes of Cam Boozer and Zach Edey over the next few years. The Grizzlies future salary structure can comfortably fit him into a reasonable extension if he peforms well for the rest of the season.
The tricky aspect of this deal is that Memphis will feel like Jerome is clearly a more valuable player than Black is right now. They will feel justified to ask for a premium draft asset to be included in the deal as a result. The number of teams with potential interest in Jerome will only increase their potential asking price.
The Magic would need to push the potential first round pick out to 2032 due to other draft obligations they've already incurred. That includes their lack of a 2030 first rounder which is already headed to Memphis as a part of the Bane trade.
This deal represents a heavy price for Orland to pay, but they need to go all-in on this group if they want to turn into anything more than a fringe playoff team. The Grizzlies can accept this framework because they can be more patient. It's not a no-brainer move for either side, but both sides can recognize the potential upside of a Jerome-Black swap.
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