With the trade deadline now in the rearview mirror, the Orlando Magic are officially locked in for the stretch run - and they’re doing it with the roster they’ve got.
Orlando stood pat at this year’s deadline, a move that raised some eyebrows across the league. The Magic didn’t make any splashy additions, and their only transaction was sending Tyus Jones and his $7 million expiring contract to the Charlotte Hornets - a deal that ultimately landed Jones in Dallas.
In return, Orlando shed some salary and ducked under the luxury tax, but it came at the cost of two second-round picks. For a team sitting at 25-24 and trying to take that next step in the Eastern Conference, that’s not exactly the kind of move that screams “we’re going for it.”
And that’s where the frustration comes in for some observers. The Magic have been knocking on the door of contention for a while now.
They’ve built a strong young core, made a bold offseason swing to acquire Desmond Bane - a move that cost them four first-round picks - and looked poised to make some noise in a wide-open East. But when the deadline came, they chose to stand still.
It’s not hard to see why they didn’t have much flexibility. That Bane trade left the Magic short on future first-rounders, and in a market where those picks were flying around, Orlando didn’t have the same firepower as other teams. There were certainly players available - and some of Orlando’s young talent could’ve been used to bring in a reliable veteran or rotation piece - but the front office decided against it.
Tyus Jones had struggled to find his rhythm in Orlando, so moving on made sense. But using draft capital just to clear his salary, without bringing in a player who could help right away, felt like a missed opportunity - especially when the East is as unpredictable as it’s been in years.
The Magic did have other potential trade chips. Moritz Wagner, who’s finally back in the rotation after a long layoff, is on an expiring deal and could’ve drawn interest.
Veteran forward Jonathan Isaac was another name floated in trade conversations. He’s the longest-tenured player on the roster and still brings elite-level defense when healthy, but his injury history made him a question mark.
In the end, Orlando kept both Wagner and Isaac, choosing continuity over change.
Now, the focus shifts to the rest of the season. This is a group that hasn’t been fully healthy for much of the year, and the hope is that better health down the stretch can help them make a real playoff push.
The Magic didn’t make a move at the deadline - but that doesn’t mean they’re out of the fight. If this team can stay on the court and find its rhythm, they’ve still got the talent to make some noise come April.