Grade the trade: Magic land All-Star forward in proposed mock trade
After a poor playoff showing from the New Orleans Pelicans, rumor has it that they will be looking to move on from Brandon Ingram this summer and focus on building around the trio of Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy, and Herb Jones.
The Orlando Magic have been mentioned as the favorites to land Ingram in the offseason, just slightly ahead of the Atlanta Hawks. This seems to be based mostly on the fact that the Magic have plenty of cap space and trade assets and are expected to be in the market for a big name this summer.
Since then, mock trades dealing Ingram to Orlando have popped up all over the internet.
Mock trade has Magic send out quite the haul for Pelicans star
Recently, Fadeaway World came up with the following mock trade for the Magic and Pelicans:
Magic receive: Brandon Ingram
Pelicans receive: Jonathan Isaac, Jalen Suggs, Mo Wagner, 2025 first-round pick, 2026 first-round pick
That is quite the haul for a player who struggles with injuries and was just swept and terrorized by Lu Dort and his young Thunder teammates. So, let’s look more into the fit for the Magic.
Grade the trade
For the Pelicans, this looks like a solid haul, especially the picks and Jalen Suggs. Can you imagine Suggs and Herb Jones playing defense in the same backcourt? That would be a terrifying duo to face. Banking on Jonathan Isaac’s health is a risk, however, and the Pelicans are already busy enough trying to keep Zion Williamson healthy long enough to play in the postseason.
From the Magic’s perspective, there is a lot to unpack here. On the one hand, putting Brandon Ingram next to Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner could potentially morph the Magic into a much better offensive team. Ingram can create his own shot and could be a more reliable second scoring option than Wagner when it matters the most—at least until Wagner develops a little more and figures out his shot.
On the other hand, trading for Ingram would not really solve the Magic’s biggest issues. Yes, it would add another talented offensive player but it would not solve the Magic’s three-point shooting or playmaking problems, especially if they have to give up Jalen Suggs in this deal.
Suggs is still a young player. He is still growing but already has shown true two-way potential in this league. The Magic probably do not want to give up on that so early in his career. After all, he is the heart and soul of their defense and could be a huge part of any future success this team has.
Plus, if the Magic shipped out Jonathan Isaac and Mo Wagner their big-man depth would look incredibly sad. Ingram is a good player but he has struggled to stay healthy and did not look good in this year’s playoffs. He just doesn’t seem like the answer to the Magic’s problems or the kind of player to move Jalen Suggs for.
Another problem with this is that Ingram is only under contract for one more season. Giving up one of your recent lottery picks, your big man depth, and two picks just seems too much for one year of Brandon Ingram. The Magic have plenty of cap space to address their roster issues in free agency or with smaller trades. There is no reason to make such a huge deal for Ingram now.
Grade: C-
