A 3-Team Trade Idea Involving Trae Young, Michael Porter Jr. and a Looming Powerhouse | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
William Burgess Magic Receive: Trae Young and Michael Porter Jr.
Magic Lose: Jonathan Isaac, Cole Anthony, Anthony Black, a 2025 first-round pick, a 2027 first-round pick and a 2029 first-round pick
Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner make up one of the most exciting young duos in the NBA. They're 21 and 22 years old, respectively. Both can create for themselves and a bit for others. Both create plenty of issues for opponents with their length and switchability on defense.
And in spite of their age and inexperience, they took the Magic to the playoffs this year, where they pushed the Cleveland Cavaliers to a Game 7.
In the regular season, though, Orlando was 22nd in points per 100 possessions, 30th in threes per game and 23rd in three-point percentage.
The Magic need more shooting. And they need additional playmaking to create open shots.
They could probably get there by merely staying the course, banking on internal development and trusting the talent of Banchero and Wagner, but with those two on rookie deals, they have an opportunity to step closer to contention now.
Orlando can get to over $60 million in cap space this summer, and that's enough to absorb the excess salary coming in with Trae Young and Michael Porter Jr.
However, the financial or technical side of this deal is far from the most important. There's been plenty of criticism of Young, particularly on defense, but he's still one of the best playmakers and pick-and-roll ball-handlers in the league. He'd create more open shots for Banchero and Wagner than they've ever had before.
Porter comes with similar concerns, but he's one of the best high-volume outside shooters in the NBA.
A starting lineup with those four and Wendell Carter Jr. has a good balance of playmaking, size, shooting and even defense.
Giving up one of the best defenders in the league in Jonathan Isaac, a Sixth Man of the Year candidate in Cole Anthony, a promising prospect in Anthony Black and three picks is a lot, but this could give Banchero and Wagner a taste of a deep playoff run before they're even off their rookie contracts.
