NBA Trade Rumors: Which Magic Players Are 'Untouchable'?
ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic will begin shifting its focus to the offseason after being eliminated from playoff contention Tuesday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Given the fact the team missed the playoffs, the Magic should look into making a trade or two to help improve the team. But which players should Orlando keep its hands on.
Bleacher Report identified Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner as the two most "untouchable" players on the roster.
"Theoretically, that could complicate things on the untouchable front, since Orlando might feel it has more off-limits players than this pair," Bleacher Report writes. "Wendell Carter Jr. and Markelle Fultz could make compelling cases for the label. So could Bol Bol and Gary Harris, for that matter. If the Magic ever aim for a star, though, Banchero and Wagner should be the only two players they flat-out refuse to discuss."
Bleacher Report's analysis of Carter Jr. and Fultz also being untouchable is accurate, considering both are in the starting lineup and have shown considerable growth this past season. The same cannot be said for Bol and Harris, who have one year left on their contracts following the season.
Bol and Harris could be players that teams would be interested in. Bol has fallen out of the rotation in the past month or so but showed a lot of promise early in the season and still has fascinating traits worth developing. Meanwhile, Harris can be an ideal fit for a team looking to add a shooter from distance.
Ideally, the Magic will want to keep majority of its core together considering the team has improved its record by more than 10 games, but with potentially two first-round picks coming in and a desire to take another step next season, Orlando should not be ruled out for any possible deals.
You can follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.
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