Magic 'Murky Fit' for Anthony Black, Jett Howard; Trade Coming?

Do the Orlando Magic need to trade Cole Anthony and Jalen Suggs in order for their rookies Anthony Black and Jett Howard to develop?

In the NBA Draft, the Orlando Magic selected guards Anthony Black and Jett Howard, but in an already crowded backcourt. 

As it currently stands, Orlando has nine of the 15 men on its roster listed as guards. With that many players competing for minutes, it could serve as a roadblock to the development of the Jett Black rookie duo, something that many have noticed.

"Their exact fit is a bit murky, but the Magic took a swing on upside with both as they are still in the mode of adding talent and seeing what sticks at the guard spots," UPROXX writes.

If Anthony and Suggs could combine their skill sets into one player, they'd be a franchise pillar for the Magic. Anthony is a flashing scoring guard that talks trash and is highly entertaining in his sixth-man role as a microwave scorer at times off the bench. Suggs, on the other hand, is a resilient defender that makes it difficult for opponents to score but is a liability offensively. 

I wonder how much the front office values his defense versus developing their rookies https://t.co/vWeGljohQm

— Isaiah De Anda Delgado (@IsaiahDDelgado) July 29, 2023

Both names have been floated in trade rumors as Orlando seems to be trying to get larger as a team. The older guards are around 6-4, whereas Howard and Black are each at least 6-7.

For the Magic rookies to succeed, they'll need minutes. Howard shot the ball well in the Summer League, hitting 40 percent of his 3-pointers, and Black showed that he has a well-rounded game but isn't much of a shooter at this point in his career, so for now, he'll be coming off the bench while former No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz continues to facilitate with the first team.

Although the fit may be murky on paper for Orlando's rookies, don't rule out a potential trade so that their frontcourt can develop and unlock the upside they possess in the near future and keep last year's Rookie of The Year, Paolo Banchero, happy.

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