Orlando Magic Actually Won In Tobias Harris Trade

It’s easy to see why NBA pundits are a bit perplexed at the move by the Orlando Magic to send Tobias Harris to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Brandon Jennings and Ersan Ilyasova. The Magic basically traded a future All-Star for two rotational players.

If you look at this trade from that sense, then yes, this was a head-scratching move for the Magic. But as with all things in life, you have to look behind the curtain for the real reasons, and if you do that, you will see that the Magic did the right thing by jumping off the Tobias Harris bandwagon.

Harris’ numbers had taken a huge dip this season after signing a four-year, $64 million deal, and he just wasn’t working out in Scott Skiles’ system. It was always a foregone conclusion throughout the first-half of the season that the first player from Orlando’s core youth group to be handed their walking papers would be Harris, and it worked out that way on Tuesday.

The Harris trade actually works for the Magic in two ways. First, it opens up the salary cap for the Magic, as they will be rid of Harris’ contract and Jennings’ deal expires after this season. It’s safe to say that Jennings will not be back in a Magic uniform for the 2016-17 season. This opens up Orlando to make a move in free agency this summer.

Second, it opens the door for the Magic to develop their two young star forwards in waiting. With Harris gone, Aaron Gordon figures to be the permanent starter at the power forward spot, with Mario Hezonja moving into the vacated small forward spot, bringing with him a much-needed consistent deep threat in the starting lineup. Let’s look at the Magic’s starting lineup: Elfrid Payton and Victor Oladipo at the guard spots, with Gordon, Hezonja and Nikola Vucevic anchoring the frontcourt.

That’s not a bad starting five if you ask me.

And if Jennings can be a spark off the bench, he could be a benefit to a second-unit that already boasts Evan Fournier — who is having a breakout season — Andrew Nicholson and Jason Smith. All of a sudden you have a Magic squad that not only keeps its talented core but is also deeper.

So while Detroit on the surface came out the winner by acquiring a potential star, the Magic didn’t really lose anything either. Orlando needed to make a move before the trade deadline, and they did. And in the end, the Magic are actually a better team than they were before the All-Star break.