The NBA trade rumors are only heating up as the deadline draws closer, and the Orlando Magic are reportedly attempting to make a major trade with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Until February 18 is over and the NBA trade deadline passes, the rumors won’t slow down at all. Teams like the Atlanta Hawks have been at the forefront of discussions as they seem to be considering major changes, but even after the rumor ended of the Denver Nuggets trying (and utterly failing) to trade for Blake Griffin, the Los Angeles Clippers have still appeared in trade discussions.
They have hardly any assets they can move, so it’s almost impossible to see the Clippers and Doc Rivers pursuing anything other than a minor trade to tweak the bench. At the very least, a blockbuster trade is out of the question.
That didn’t stop the Nuggets making a call, though, and they aren’t the only ones. According to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, the Orlando Magic are trying to get the Clippers to bite on a trade.
You can add the Magic to the list of teams trying to get the Clippers to engage on a trade... they are swinging for the fences
— Steve Kyler (@stevekylerNBA) February 9, 2016
As Kyler added, the Magic are looking to make a major deal, with other teams taking their interest as possible parters, too.
Magic have kept no secret that they are looking for a major trade. Atlanta, Boston, Milwaukee, Clippers all in the mix.
— Steve Kyler (@stevekylerNBA) February 9, 2016
Unless the Magic are trying to take a step backwards with the talented young players they already have, the only player that springs to mind as someone they’ll want is Griffin. Yes, J.J. Redick returning to Orlando would be nice for the team and its fans, but he’s far too important to the Clippers and the Magic already have shooters. There’s just no real need for them to pursue this and there’s no way L.A. would let Redick go.
So, unless the Magic are getting incredibly creative to make a run at Chris Paul (surely they wouldn’t waste their time with that anyway), the player this “major” rumor comes straight back to is Griffin.
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The Magic have a host of talented wings, with Victor Oladipo and Tobias Harris being the most likely players to bring them significant return in a trade. Plus, those are names appearing in trade discussions if you’ve been checking Twitter and scouring the rumors popping up around the Internet. Orlando already have a talented center in Nikola Vucevic as well, who has a great mid-range game for a 7’0″ center and well-rounded ability in the post.
In comparison to Griffin, though, his athleticism (this isn’t even comparable), passing and overall impact on the game doesn’t come close. After all, Griffin is a five-time All-Star for a reason. So, if the Magic are pursuing a major trade with the Clippers, they’ve likely been encouraged by the punching incident and the Clips’ strong record without Griffin.
Next: Clippers' NBA trade deadline targets
It’s interesting to see other teams looking to the Clippers for a major deal, as they have such an elite set of players and it isn’t time for them to start blowing up their All-NBA trio yet. Unfortunately for the Magic or anyone else that calls L.A. looking for something this big, though, they won’t have much luck.