One trade idea for every member of the Orlando Magic Core-4

The Orlando Magic are coming off a disappointing season in which they were supposed to be a top contender in the Eastern Conference of the NBA. Instead, they were the eighth seed and were bounced in the first round after holding a 3-1 lead. The good news is that the franchise has already taken steps to correct this problem by firing head coach Jamal Mosley, but there are more options they need to consider.

There's no doubt that the Magic have a talented Core-4; but their core is a bit of a clunky fit, to say the least. Let's start with their two best players, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. Both are wing players who excel with the ball in their hands but can't spread the floor well or play off the ball in general and be effective. It should also be noted that neither wing has been able to consistently stay healthy.

Then there's the guard duo of Jalen Suggs and Desmond Bane. Both are great defenders, but Suggs isn't a traditional point guard despite being slotted into that role. He's only shot 33.1 percent from the 3-point line in his career, and out of five seasons, he's only played over 60 games once, so health is a problem for him as well. Bane has no major flaws except being asked to do too much for whichever team he's on.

All this is to say that while the Magic are trying to mix things up with adding a new head coach eventually, they might want to move off this core by looking at potential trades for each of these players due to the clunky fit and more so the fincial impact it has. Heading into the 2026-27 season, this group of four players makes up roughly $158.1 million of the salary cap.

That's just too much money going into four players for a team that made the play-in tournament to invest. The following are potential trades for each of the players listed above in order to either improve the team or to save money.

Trading the franchise player — Paolo Banchero

Let's start with Banchero. The 23-year-old is coming off of a solid season in which he averaged 22.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 5.2 assists. He has the tools to be a star, however, one thing he is lacking is a 3-point shot. The 6-foot-10 power forward only converted 30.5 percent of his 3-pointers last season.

If the Magic are fearful of him never developing that and plateauing as a player, then trading him now, right before his massive extension kicks in, might be the right move. Luckily for them, there's plenty of franchises that want a player of his size and skill who has already made an All-Star Game.

In this potential deal, the Magic get to add more perimeter depth with a young prospect like Jalen Green, who still has upside. Ryan Dunn is a good rotational player at the wing spot, which the Magic are in need of. Also, recouping two unprotected picks for Banchero is a big consideration, considering they exhausted most of their future picks in the Desmond Bane trade.

Let's be clear, this isn't the path the franchise should take. Banchero is still a young prospect who hasn't hit his prime yet, so giving up on him just to balance the roster seems like an unnecessary move at this time. Still, it's an option to consider.

Trading the co-star — Franz Wagner

Franz Wanger is arguably one of the best forwards in the NBA who hasn't made an All-Star appearance yet. Despite having a career-season two years ago, averaging 24.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists, he's one of the two players on this list that is most likely to be traded.

Health was a major factor for Wagner this season, after he only played in 34 regular-season games. He was also injured during the first round playoff series against the Detroit Pistons, which most would argue led to Orlando's eventual playoff exit. The best ability is availability, and if the Magic don't think that he can get healthy again, then trading him this offseason would be the right call.

This proposed trade makes sense for both sides, despite the Magic taking on a much older Paul George. PG is a more natural fit next to the rest of Magic's core due to his defense and 3-point shooting. His contract is up in two seasons, so there's salary cap relief in sight. On top of that, the Magic get to re-coup a lot of draft picks in this hypothetical deal.

The Sixers do this hypothetical trade to get off the PG contract despite his better play this season. However, more importantly, this potential deal to pair a young point forward with their dynamic guard combo of Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe.

Trading the defensive point guard — Jalen Suggs

Jalen Suggs would be a pretty good starter on most teams due to his defense and leadership. He's a pretty solid player despite shooting 33.9 percent from deep this past season. However, the $32.4 million that he is owed makes him overpriced for his skill set.

The most important reason the franchise should be willing to shop Suggs isn't his money owed or his inconsistent 3-point shooting. It's the fact that they have his replacement ready in the wings in with Anthony Black. The third-year guard Black had a breakout season, averaging a career-high 15.0 points per game.

Orlando Magic Daily Site Expert Philip Rossman-Reich made some great points about why Suggs is more important than Black to this current iteration of the Magic. However, the Magic will have a new head coach and a new system, which could change how Black and Suggs impact the team.

Suggs would be an ideal fit next to the Cooper Flagg of the Dallas Mavericks in this hypothetical deal. The Magic would receive salary cap relief as both players come in are on expiring contracts. Klay Thompson is still a pretty good 3-point shooter, and Naji Marshall can score 20 points any given night. On top of that, Orlando gets another draft pick as a result as well.

Trading the sharpshooter — Desmond Bane

This is the least likely of the potential trade candidates to actually be moved, considering the draft capital Orlando used to acquire Desmond Bane from the Memphis Grizzlies. In his first season with the Magic, Bane averaged 20.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.1 assists, while shooting 39.1 percent from behind the arc.

Bane's best utilized as a third star, and in theory, that's what he was supposed to be in Orlando; however, in practice, he was usually the second-best player on the roster and arguably didn't live up to the part. Investing $39.4 million in their third star is a bit of an overpay. He should still have very high value in the NBA and could help the Magic recoup the draft capital spent to acquire him.

The Portland Trail Blazers are aiming to contend with the return of Damian Lillard from a torn Achilles tendon, and due to the fact that they made the playoffs this past season with an incomplete roster. Adding a sharp shooter like Bane in this fake trade to the mix would make them a more serious threat in the Western Conference.

The Magic come out of this hypothetical deal pretty good, too. Scoot Henderson has shown real flashes of real potential in Portland, and the same could be said about Shaedon Sharpe. However, the Magic get their own 2028 first round pick back, as well as a Milwaukee Bucks 2030 pick in this proposed deal as well.

If the Orlando Magic feel like making a coaching change isn't enough to change their fortunes, then trading a member of their Core-4 should be on the table. If it becomes a real option, there should be trades out there for each of these talented players.

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