The Orlando Magic had an injury-plagued season in 2024-25, however, they were able to reach the postseason after claiming the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference. Their season came to an underwhelming end in the first-round, however, as they were eliminated by the Boston Celtics in five games.
Meanwhile, the Memphis Grizzlies finished eighth in the Western Conference and were also bounced in the first round of the postseason as the Oklahoma City Thunder swept them. While the Grizzlies have insisted that they are not planning to trade star point guard Ja Morant, reports have emerged that he could be made available for the right price.
A recent trade proposal suggested that the Magic could look to pair the two-time All-Star with Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner.
"Magic receive: Ja Morant Grizzlies receive: Anthony Black, Jonathan Isaac, Cole Anthony, Jett Howard, a 2025 first-round pick (via Denver Nuggets), a 2026 first-round pick (top-four protected) and a 2028 first-round pick (top-two protected)," Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley wrote on Wednesday. "If they ever hope to be more than a pesky first-round opponent, they have to address their offensive issues. While Morant wouldn't help with their shooting shortage, his creation, passing and downhill attacking would all help resuscitate their 27th-ranked offense. It might take a minute to find the right distribution of touches for Morant, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, but the end result could be a steady stream of pick-your-poison scenarios for opponents. Orlando would have to prioritize spacing with its other spots, but bounce-back years from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Jalen Suggs along with a healthy Mo Wagner could make that much more manageable."
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Buckley added that the package would be the lowest potential win-now return for the Grizzlies. He noted that making such a move, however, would allow Memphis to kickstart a rebuild while acquiring several strong assets.
The Magic will reportedly be in the market for shooting in the offseason. While Morant would not provide much of a lift in that department, he would help make their offense one of the best in the league. He averaged 23.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.2 blocks per game this season, while shooting 45.4% from the field, 30.9% from three-point range and 82.4% from the free-throw line.
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