NBA Trade Rumors: Magic Could Send Aaron Gordon And Mo Bamba To Spurs For DeMar DeRozan
Though they managed to bring Nikola Vucevic back in the 2019 NBA free agency, the Orlando Magic obviously need more help in order to have a realistic chance of fully dominating the Eastern Conference and contending for the NBA championship title in the 2019-20 NBA season. According to a previous article from The Inquisitr, the Magic are souring the trade market for scoring help and have already expressed interest in trading for DeMar DeRozan of the San Antonio Spurs.
In his recent article, Dylan Carter of Fansided’s Air Alamo suggested a way on how the Spurs and the Magic could facilitate a deal involving DeRozan. In the proposed trade deal by Carter, the Magic would be sending a trade package including Aaron Gordon and Mo Bamba to the Spurs in exchange for DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, and a future second-round pick. The deal works on ESPN‘s NBA Trade Machine.
“For the Magic, they’ll have their best wing of this decade in DeRozan and a hard-working backup center to help relegate the loss of Bamba. Poeltl has been a more effective player than Bamba in most cases through their young careers, and Poeltl is ready to compete now for a Magic team hoping to build off of its playoff bid last season. The addition of a future second-round pick is to sweeten the deal and entice Orlando with an additional asset.”
Trading Gordon and Bamba would definitely be a tough decision for the Magic, but it’s something that they should consider if they want to become a more competitive team in the Eastern Conference this season. The potential arrival of DeRozan in Orlando would help the Magic improve their offensive efficiency which currently ranks 25th in the league, scoring 102.7 points per 100 possessions, according to ESPN. This season, the 30-year-old shooting guard is averaging 19.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.8 assists while shooting 50.0 percent from the field.
Aside from DeRozan, the Magic would also be acquiring an immediate replacement for Bamba as Vucevic’s primary backup. Though he’s only 24, Poeltl is more experienced than Bamba, and he won’t definitely mind accepting a role in their second unit. Meanwhile, the future second-round pick would allow the Magic to add another young and promising talent or they could use it as a trade chip to further improve their roster.
If they don’t see DeRozan as the man who would lead them back to title contention, trading him to the Magic in exchange for Gordon and Bamba makes a lot of sense for the Spurs. The potential deal with the Magic would enable the Spurs to remain competitive while acquiring two young and promising talents who fit the timeline of their core of Dejounte Murray. Derrick White, Lonnie Walker, and Bryn Forbes.