The Golden State Warriors are keeping a close eye on Orlando, and for good reason.
The Magic have already been floated as a team worth watching for possible trade action, and ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported that Orlando had considered major changes this summer after its first-round playoff exit. Windhorst also said the team hopes Sean Sweeney can help turn things around, but that doesn’t take the Magic off Golden State’s radar.
That’s especially true after Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints reported in July that the Warriors have interest in both Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero. With that in mind, Orlando remains a team to monitor as the season gets going.
The situation gets even more interesting because the Magic pushed chips in to land Desmond Bane, sending multiple first-round picks going back to last offseason. That move was supposed to help them build into a real Eastern Conference contender. Instead, they could be staring at the Play-In Tournament again, even as the East has gotten tougher this offseason.
If Orlando lands in that spot once more, the midseason trade deadline could become a real pivot point. Jalen Suggs would seem like the most obvious name to move in that scenario, but Banchero and Wagner would be the players who could bring back the biggest return if the Magic decided to reshape the roster.
Golden State, meanwhile, has its own reasons to look back at the 2021 NBA Draft with regret. The Warriors took Jonathan Kuminga seventh overall, then watched Wagner go to Orlando at No. 8.
Wagner has developed into more of a complementary star, and he still hasn’t made an All-Star team in his first five seasons. Banchero is a different level of player. He looks like the kind of franchise centerpiece Golden State could have targeted as a long-term answer after Stephen Curry, while also giving the team a major short-term lift.
Still, there’s a reason a true blockbuster feels unlikely. If Banchero is the kind of player who can lead a deep playoff team and is already just 23 years old, why would Orlando move him now? That’s the tension hanging over all of this - enough uncertainty to keep the Warriors watching, but not enough to make a huge deal feel close.
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