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The Orlando Magic fell to the Boston Celtics in Game 4 of their opening-round playoff matchup on Sunday by a score of 107-98, with the upstart, defensive-minded group now facing a daunting 3-1 series deficit.
The overarching story of Orlando’s season has revolved around their inability to score the ball outside of their young superstar duo of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, as the group’s No. 27 ranked 108.9 offensive rating in the regular season effectively held the team back from exceeding expectations in 2024-25.
This offseason, the Magic’s general manager Anthony Parker will surely be looking to add a superb tertiary scoring option that can knock down outside shots at a respectable rate while being able to handle the pressure of orchestrating an offense in certain actions.
Fortunately, a suitable candidate that could help to bring the team back to status as true title contenders in the Eastern Conference may become available in this summer’s trade market, as recent reports have indicated that the Washington Wizards might look to ship their ball-dominant combo-guard and NBA champion Jordan Poole to another franchise in the coming months.
“Looking around at their books, finding a taker for Jordan Poole could end up being one of those necessary moves for the Wizards this offseason,” FanSided’s Michael Saenz wrote Saturday.
“However, that could end up being easier said than done. But if there's one team willing to take a risk on Poole, who has just two years left on his contract after this season, it could truly free up the Wizards to make more noise during the offseason”
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“Trading Poole could be one of those underrated moves that unlocks so much more for the Wizards moving forward.”
In a hypothetical scenario, it’s possible that the Magic could approach the Wizards with the idea of offering a package consisting of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Wendell Carter Jr. along with draft capital to land the shifty shot-maker.
Poole’s resurgent season with the Wizards could lead to the Magic taking interest in the 25-year-old, as the ex-Golden State Warriors star averaged 20.5 points and 4.5 assists while knocking down a career-best 37.8% of his 9.1 attempts from three-point range in 68 appearances.
As a member of the Warriors’ title-winning 2022 team, Poole proved to be a fantastic complimentary offensive weapon when paired with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins, and Orlando’s front office may view the flashy guard as a necessary trade target if they want to take a leap in 2025-26.
If paired with the Magic’s defensive stud point guard Jalen Suggs in the backcourt while being given the chance to run the show on offense alongside Banchero and Wagner, there’s a chance that the developing collection of young talent could finally break through as a top seed in the East next year.
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