Jimmy Butler
One of the more controversial NBA trade rumors last summer was the one involving Jimmy Butler going to the Orlando Magic.
Currently, the Magic are being pushed to make a choice as some players like Nikola Vucevic are already disgruntled, as shown in this feature from Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders.
"I've been asking myself that every day and I have no idea why we can't do the right things," Nikola Vucevic said. "Basketball is a very simple game and if you keep it simple, it works. The best teams play simple. They don't complicate stuff. Yet, we don't play that way. We try to play pick-up. That's what we're doing: playing pick-up."
Kyler stated that the team was built to win now. "After investing over $100 million into the roster, the expectations for the Magic this season were understandably high. But with a roster that is underperforming, it might be time for the franchise to look itself in the mirror and realize that this group may not be the answer moving forward."
The solution could be revisiting a trade. They already mentioned the need for a scorer and they were rumored to be in the Rudy Gay sweepstakes. Gay is a scorer but his torn Achilles has placed him off the market.
Thus, they may have to make more drastic moves, possibly sacrificing their future for to make moves for the present.
In a trade proposal from Hoops Habit, Jimmy Butler was named as a target again. This time the proposal involved Aaron Gordon, a high price to pay but you are taking a legitimate top 20 player in return.
Aaron Gordon, Elfrid Payton and Nikola Vucevic are three good pieces but they just won't work in Orlando under the current set up. Trading them all for Butler (a first round draft pick could be disputed) seems steep but they should make a move.
Serge Ibaka was their big acquisition piece and they traded a high price for him. It did not work so well for them and that might force them to hesitate on trading pieces for Butler. But they can't stay put as Ibaka could just leave them in free agency if they don't make the playoffs.
These are decisions that make a GM's job difficult, but then again it's never an easy position (and it usually pays well). The Magic are on the line now-they have accumulated young assets but now they need returns.
