ORLANDO — The Orlando Magic reportedly have been offered a trade for a notable veteran scorer.
According to a report from NBC Sports Chicago, the Chicago Bulls have floated “as many as 15 (trade) proposals” involving Zach LaVine to the Magic, Sacramento Kings, and Philadelphia 76ers.
No offers have been made public, but what would the Magic be getting with LaVine?
He is 29 years old and is a two-time NBA All-Star but is coming off a season in which he played in just 25 games due to a foot injury.
In the five seasons before last year, LaVine played in 79 percent of the team’s regular-season games and averaged 25.1 points per game, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists while shooting 38.8 percent from deep and 47.7 percent from the field.
On June 12, LaVine posted a workout video on his Instagram account with the caption “Just a Glimpse.” According to Sports Illustrated’s Bulls News, LaVine can seen shooting jumpers, boxing, jump-roping, and golfing. It then escalates to LaVine shooting stepbacks, three-pointers, and even dunking the ball. The video received 30,000 likes and over 330,000 views in 24 hours.
Simply put, LaVine has proven himself to be a dominant scorer in his 10 NBA seasons, with a career average of 20 points a game.
LaVine remains under contract through the 2024-25 season. Orlando would need to pay him around $49 million.
According to Spotrac, the Magic have roughly $50 million in salary cap space to make moves this offseason. Acquiring LaVine would be a significant commitment that could limit the team’s activity in free agency.
The Magic need more offensive firepower, especially from beyond the 3-point line, but is one year of LaVine worth the investment?