The Orlando Magic and Denver Nuggets find themselves in a financial tango as the 2026 offseason kicks off. Both teams are navigating the tricky waters of the salary cap, with the Magic recently freeing up $6.5 million by parting ways with Jonathan Isaac.
This move places them $2.8 million above the first luxury tax apron. Meanwhile, the Nuggets are in deeper waters, sitting $10.4 million above the first apron and a mere $2.6 million shy of the second, more punitive threshold, just as free agency looms.
The pressure is particularly intense for the Nuggets, who are eyeing cost-cutting measures to keep Peyton Watson and maintain their competitive edge in the fiercely contested Western Conference. Orlando, on the other hand, has set its sights on a Nuggets veteran, according to reports from HoopsHype's Michael Scotto.
Cam Johnson, a sharpshooting forward, has piqued the interest of several teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Clippers, and the Orlando Magic. Johnson joined the Nuggets last offseason in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets, which saw Michael Porter Jr. and a future first-round pick head to Brooklyn.
Despite the high hopes, Johnson's season in Denver was less than stellar, averaging 12.2 points and 3.8 rebounds. However, his shooting was a bright spot, with career-best percentages of 48.0 from the floor and 43.0 from beyond the arc, though on limited attempts.
Johnson's skill set as a 3-and-D wing, along with his off-ball movement and defensive capabilities, makes him an attractive target. At 30, he could provide the Magic with some much-needed salary relief. He's entering the final year of a $95 million contract, carrying a $23.1 million cap hit.
Orlando sees Johnson as a potential buy-low opportunity, but financial hurdles are significant. Both the Magic and Nuggets are above the first apron, which complicates trade logistics.
They cannot aggregate salaries or take back more salary than they send out in a single deal. A straightforward player-for-player swap isn't feasible, necessitating a third team to facilitate any potential trade.
However, both squads are limited in assets to entice a third party, adding another layer of complexity.
Trades are most likely when all parties feel a sense of urgency. Johnson is sure to attract a host of suitors if he's made available, but any deal involving the Magic is bound to be intricate. For now, other interested teams might have a clearer path to acquiring him.
In Other News...
Magic Suddenly Have A Frontcourt Decision Fans Will Feel Next Season
The center market is already starting to move around the league, and Orlando has a clear reason to keep an eye on it. Mitchell Robinson has been mentioned as a target for Sacramento, while that club also has to work through money concerns that could limit how aggressive it can be. For the Magic, any ripple in that part of the market matters because the frontcourt picture can shift quickly once teams begin sorting out their own priorities.
Across the league, the bigger names are drawing most of the attention, with Toronto still viewed as a leading landing spot for Kawhi Leonard if he is willing to sign an extension there. But the trickle-down effect can matter just as much for a team like Orlando, especially if another club is looking at Robinson as a viable veteran anchor. The Magic are watching a center situation that could get tight fast, and the next move on that board may end up shaping how the front office thinks about its own front line going into next season. [Read more 🡒]
Clippers Search For A Real Answer In The Middle Just Got Tense
The Clippers are still hunting for help in the middle after dealing Ivica Zubac to the Indiana Pacers, and that search has put a familiar Orlando reserve in the conversation. Goga Bitadze has become a player to watch because the Magic have valued his role as they try to maintain depth at center, especially with Moritz Wagner expected to reach free agency.
Orlandos reluctance makes sense from a roster-building standpoint, since losing one big man could leave the frontcourt thinner than it already is. Bitadze has given the Magic usable minutes and steady protection around the rim, which is exactly the kind of stability teams tend to protect when the market starts circling, so the question now is whether Los Angeles can find a path that changes Orlandos stance. [Read more 🡒]
The Tracy McGrady Trade Changed Everything For The Rockets
Two decades later, the Tracy McGrady deal still reads like the kind of move that can redirect a franchise. On June 29, 2004, Houston landed McGrady from Orlando in a seven-player trade, and the Rockets instantly had the kind of perimeter star who could change a game every night. McGradys arrival gave them a marquee scorer to pair with Yao Ming, and the fit pushed Houston back into the playoff picture in a way that felt sustainable at the time.
For Orlando, the trade was part of a longer search for a new direction after the promise around McGrady and Grant Hill never fully materialized. Hills injury struggles left that partnership short of its ceiling, while McGrady went on to put up big production in Houston and help lead the Rockets to multiple postseason trips. The intriguing part of the story is how close that era came to becoming something bigger, only to keep running into the same wall when the stakes got highest. [Read more 🡒]