NBA Trade Rumors: Magic Deal For Former Top-5 Pick?

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic could be valuable trade partners during deadline season.

Jeremy Brener | Jan 14, 2023

NBA Trade Rumors: Magic Deal For Former Top-5 Pick? /

The Orlando Magic could be looking to make some small adjustments to the roster as the NBA Trade Deadline draws near.

The Magic has several veterans that could provide leadership and specific skills necessary for contending teams, including Gary Harris.

Harris, 28, is averaging 8.6 points per game while shooting just over 39 percent from beyond the three-point line. For teams looking for a distance-shooting threat, Harris is one of the best names on the market.

Bleacher Report suggests that the Cleveland Cavaliers could be looking at Harris as a potential trade target. The Cavs shoot 36.2 percent from distance, which ranks 13th in the league.

If the Magic deal Harris, the team could want a young player with upside in return, and that could be third-year pro Isaac Okoro.

Okoro, 21, was drafted fifth overall in the 2020 NBA Draft. He has gotten a little lost in the Cavs' scheme with the addition of Donovan Mitchell, and he has come off the bench for majority of the season after primarily starting in his first two years in Cleveland. He's also averaging a career-low 5.3 points per game.

In a potential deal, Harris would go to Cleveland, while Okoro would come to Orlando.

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To match salaries, the Cavs would also send Dylan Windler, who hasn't played yet this season, to the Magic.

Okoro provides athleticism, youth and potential to the second unit, and it would be interesting to see how a change of scenery would work for a player who was a top-5 pick just three years ago.

The Magic try and hope for some upside while trading away a player in Harris who is valuable, but probably wouldn't yield such a haul if he were to be traded in the offseason.

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Published Jan 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.