Magic Starting 5: LaMelo Ball Trade to Orlando?

The Magic Insider lists five of the biggest NBA storylines in addition to relevant Orlando Magic news and analysis.

Jeremy Brener | May 14, 2023

Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

In this story:

Orlando Magic

"What if the Charlotte Hornets simply saw no hope to build a winning team around LaMelo Ball before his eyes wandered elsewhere? Could they be swayed into swapping out their 21-year-old floor general for a pile of rebuilding assets? Probably not, but the Magic have enough picks and prospects to maybe make them think about it, at least," Bleacher Report writes.

2. STARTING LINEUP CHANGES?

"They will most likely be content rolling along with Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Markelle Fultz, Gary Harris, Wendell Carter Jr. and this year's two projected lotto picks. If there's even a singular change to their preferred starting group, it's probably because they won the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes," Bleacher Report writes.

3. DON'T SLEEP ON MAGIC THIS OFFSEASON

"Orlando has the infrastructure in place to angle for immediacy," Bleacher Report writes. "It finished 11th in points allowed per possession this season and seems one bold-text shooter away from really uncorking the offense. The Magic are also ticketed for over $20 million in cap space, with the bandwidth to create more. They're a sleeper to make headlines in both the trade and free-agency markets—at the expense of pretty much anyone not named Paolo or Franz."

4. 76ERS VS. CELTICS GAME 7

"In what has been arguably the most back-and-forth series in the 2023 NBA playoffs, fans now get to enjoy a Game 7 between the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics. After the Celtics came back in Game 6, they now get to head back home to TD Garden for Sunday’s Game 7. The winner will advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, just four wins away from the eventual NBA Finals."

Game 7 tipoff between Philadelphia and Boston is set for 3:30 p.m. on ABC.

5. NBA DRAFT LOTTERY COUNTDOWN

The Magic is two days away from the NBA Draft Lottery, where it will be revealed if Orlando will have the opportunity to take Victor Wembanyama with the No. 1 overall pick.

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Published May 14, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.