Hypothetical NBA Trades, Part I: Magic Need Shooters; Could They Afford Michael Porter Jr.?

Could the Orlando Magic right their wrong from the 2018 draft by trading for Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr.?

Nov 22, 2023; Orlando, Florida, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. (1) shoots the ball against Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) during the second quarter at Amway Center. / Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

ORLANDO — Could the Orlando Magic's path to improve their shooting lead them to a player they could have drafted six years ago?

In the spirit of offseason speculation, Bleacher Report has proposed 10 NBA trades that "no one is talking about," and among them is a proposition that the Magic acquire Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. for Jonathan Isaac, Cole Anthony, and a 2025 first-round pick.

Orlando bypassed Porter Jr. with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft in favor of Mo Bamba, paving the way for Denver to land the 6-foot-10 forward with the No. 14 overall pick. (The Magic, among other teams, also passed on first-team All-NBA guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but that's another story for another day.)

"The Orlando Magic would be a logical suitor for the 6-foot-10, 25-year-old sharpshooter. They had the league's second-best defense this past season but finished 30th in threes per game and 24th in three-point percentage," Bleacher Report writes of Porter Jr. "Having MPJ's shooting to space the floor around Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner would make Orlando's offense significantly more difficult to defend."

Porter Jr.'s shooting prowess would be more than welcome for a Magic team that was 24th in points per game in the regular season (110.5) and was held under 100 points three times in their first-round playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. MPJ has shot better than 40 percent from 3 in three of his five seasons as a pro. This season, he averaged 16.7 points per game and fell a few tenths shy of making 40 percent of his 3s again.

But such a move wouldn't come without questions.

Porter has three years left on a five-year, $179.29 million contract that would pay him $35.86 million next season. Such a deal could be problematic with Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner eligible to sign their rookie-scale contract extensions this offseason and All-Star forward Paolo Banchero looking at a pay raise the next year.

MPJ's physical history is also a concern. A back injury was a primary reason why he fell to Denver in the first place. He missed all of his first season and played in only nine games in 2021-22 before needing surgery. This season, he played in 81 games — which is reassuring, but is Porter worth the suggested cost?

Finally, how much of Porter's success is attributable to playing with the greatest passing big man the NBA has ever seen — league most valuable player Nikola Jokic? Can Porter get the same looks and lobs in the Magic's offense?

Orlando has reached the point where it should be willing to give up draft picks for players who can help them win right away, but parting with some of their most influential players can chemistry on and off the floor.

Isaac led the NBA in defensive rating and was vital to Orlando having one of the best defenses in the league. Isaac, who played limited minutes last season after losing nearly three years to injuries, figures to have a larger workload next year.

Anthony is set to enter the first year of a three-year, $39 million contract extension that he signed before this season. Trading Anthony right before his new contract kicks in feels unlikely unless it's for a player the Magic knows will turn them into a contender.

At 6-foot-10 and 25 years old, Porter Jr. would fit the Magic's timeline and add a long-range shooting skill that they desperately need. Such a deal wouldn't come without risk though, and Orlando would have to decide if MPJ is the piece that can elevate it from playoff team to contender.

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