Ok, so I gathered some trade thoughts and ideas below. It's a bit long, but I've bolded the trade targets and put them all in separate paragraphs. I hope you enjoy reading them and have some thoughts to share like which ones you liked, disliked, which ones could be improved, etc. 

• "That Missing Defensive Swing Man/Glue Guy" 

According to an ESPN article by Chad Ford, 

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insider/columns/story?columnist=ford_chad&page=TradeWatch-100121

Shane Battier is rumored available for the right price, and it is assumed, by Ford and others, the Rockets are after a big man. Let's make the oh so obvious connection here now that we've all already made a billion times hehe. Gortat for Battier.

Now we know they want Gortat. GM Morey and the Rockets organization set up the email account for Rockets fans to email Gortat over the summer to help him convince to sign with Houston. We know Gortat signed with Dallas since then, the Magic matched the offer and kept him, and Gortat got unhappy over play time,

http://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/2009/12/3/1184733/schmitz-orlando-magic-center

declined a bit in advanced stats,

http://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/2009/11/25/1173292/whats-wrong-with-marcin-gortat

and while I think Gortat's unhappy situation has really affected him, he has had many moments and games reminding us he is still a high efficiency big man, and I believe he is rebounding from his poor start to the season,

http://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/2009/12/10/1194142/tracking-hustle-plays-in-the

Gortat's 1st year BYC rules complicate a trade and the Magic would like to utilize him for another playoffs push this year. After that, the Magic are widely assumed to look to deal him this summer because it's unrealistic to pay MLE money to a backup of Dwight. So I can't realistically think of many players that provide defense, leadership, toughness, and three's like Shane Battier. I'm already liking the idea of seeing him and Matt Barnes out there hustling 110% together. I don't like going from young to old in trades, but I have my exceptions (like here), and in my opinion, it would give Orlando the edge in trade power to ask for more like getting Chuck Hayes and a future pick also.

The Trade: 

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=yg8ww5w

1) Part of Turk TPE

for

Chuck Hayes 

2) Anthony Johnson*, Adonal Foyle* (consent needed) or some Free Agent on a minimum deal, Marcin Gortat

for

Shane Battier, Future first round pick 

*: AJ must be bought out so he can go back to Orlando, Foyle must be waived (HOU may do this anyways) so he can go back to Orlando.

Chuck Hayes doesn't have the physique of the tall Marcin Gortat, but he is active and scrappy, rebounds and defends well enough for the minutes he would get behind Dwight. A future, first round pick is always very nice. And the main piece, Battier, will do wonders for our defensive deficient Magic backcourt, fits in with his 3's and high character, and could possibly really improve the team chemistry.  

• "Pullin' an OKC in New Orleans" 

Unfortunately for every team in the league (outside of New Orleans), Chris Paul is as untradeable and untouchable as they come. Fo'get about it, build a FA plan around him 3-4 years from now is about all anyone can hope for. Instead, what could possibly be of big interest to Orlando here is not Chris Paul, but his understudy, the lightning quick Darren Collison.

Before I get to the trade I want to talk about something else because I took what happened there and copied it in making this trade idea.

The Oklahoma City Thunder pulled off a great trade earlier this season. The Jazz agreed to trade Matt Harping and their excellent rookie PG Eric Maynor to the Thunder. The Thunder didn't need to match the salaries of Harpring and Maynor because they had the salary cap room to absorb them. They only sent the draft rights of a player overseas to the Jazz. A bit one-sided and with money in mind (like many trades today), the Jazz did it because they were extremely deep in luxury tax and were able to dump Harpring's 6.5 million contract to save a ton of money. Maynor was playing well for the Jazz, but the Jazz knew Deron Williams is the PG of the future and will always play big minutes every night so Maynor would only do so much for the Jazz in his small backup role. Maybe the Magic can do something eerily similar to this with the Hornets.

The Trade: 

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=yk5mr9a

1) Turk TPE

for

Morris Peterson

2)  Anthony Johnson 

for

Darren Collison

The Hornets are closer to getting under the tax line than the Jazz, but would love to dump Peterson's contract which is even worse than Matt Harpring's contract. Peterson is due 5.8 million this year AND 6.2 million next year. The Turk TPE allows the Magic to take on Peterson for huge immediate and next year cap relief to the Hornets. The Hornets then acquire AJ at his 2 million expiring contract and could even attempt a buyout with AJ if he wants to play for someone else. Peterson is likely buried on the bench if he theoretically played for the Magic, but depth is always nice. 

The Magic really cover up their PG spot now and in the future with this move. This is a rookie who did very well when Chris Paul was out from an injury for about 3 weeks or so. He is a really quick guard who uses his speed to get anywhere on the floor to score and pass from. He has a great understanding of the game and has been rated as a good defender by David Thorpe from ESPN. He hasn't had a good 3P% during his rookie season, but he shot 52% from 3-land in college and shot the 3's well when he was starting. If he came to Orlando he would be an excellent backup PG for now, but he may be able to easily wrestle the starting job from Jameer Nelson soon if Nelson can't consistently deliver and Collison can keep improving and developing with the team (Dwight, Ryan, etc. etc.).

• "Welcome Back!" 

New Jersey has a pretty bare bones team. There's only a few good starters and role players. They are aiming towards the 2010 FA Summer for salvation, but addressing one of their weakest spots right now could really help them play better for the rest of the season and look more attractive to FA's in the summer.

I don't know if the Nets have any interest in Brandon Bass, but they have no good big men outside of Brook and maybe Yi. I reason they would love to do this deal. The frontcourt rotation is horrible. Humphries, Battie, and Boone have not played well enough and are all likely gone this summer as they are all expiring contracts. Brandon Bass is much better than all three of those guys, and even Yi in my own opinion. Bass brings toughness, a hard worker ethic, and a lot of highly efficient offense. The Nets will address their weak frontcourt, Brook will have some big help finally, and Bass' offense will be greatly, greatly loved in the worst offensively rated team in the league, which should in turn relieve the pressure for the other players who must score. 

The Trade: 

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=yfpnss6

1)  Brandon Bass

for 

Trenton Hassell

2) Part of Turk TPE

for

Courtney Lee

It's very rare to re-trade a young player less than a full season into his new team, making this trade idea all the more unlikely. But NJ and Orlando could theoretically want this deal done.

For the Nets; in the NBA, quality big men are more valued than guards, especially when they are shooting 39% from the floor like CLee in what was supposed to be a better offensive season for him. Moving Hassell and Lee for Bass saves about 1.5 million this year for the Nets, and because they are still cost-cutting everything in the organization the Nets would like this. 

For the Magic, it's as simple as Rashard and Ryan. Two very good stretch forwards who make Bass only a situational player. SVG would've tried Rashard at SF by now with that monster slump going on, so I'm basically sure it will never happen and Bass will remain situational for a long time. It's tough to lose a big man for a guard, but the Magic already know how effective CLee can be for the team and that his defense and play within the system is great. He seemed to have a lot of potential within Orlando's system, as he started showing it in the 76ers playoffs series last season. Lee is still on a rookie scale contract which is huge, and incase JJ leaves for whatever reason as he is expiring this year. Picks and cash can be thrown around to accommodate the side that feels it deserves more, which could be Orlando potentially. 

• "Getting in on the Mayhem"

Many sources have said the 76ers would like to move Samuel Dalembert and Elton Brand. Both have horrendous contracts, would give the 76ers huge cap relief/room if traded, but no one wants to bite. The 76ers are playing for the lottery right now. There is reportedly growing desperation in Philly to trade even Andre Iguodala with Dalembert for major cap relief and cap room for the beginning of a rebuilding/transition period. Marc Stein reports such sentiments:

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/12467/nets-pulling-brakes-on-harris-trade-talk

This following trade idea is tough to do, I suspect Young is close to untouchable to Philly. But, no one has shown serious interest on taking Dalembert even with Iguodala included (or can accommodate such a trade because of how much cap relief contracts is needed) . The only team linked so far that I know are the Rockets, by trading Tracy McGrady, and his mega expiring deal, for Samuel Dalembert and Andre Iguodala. But supposedly the Rockets are not liking the cap space lost this summer, and even scoff at Iguodala's long term contract a little bit. This is where the Magic enter. 

• The 3-Way Trade:

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=yjf6t2m

1) Magic essentially trade; 

Brandon Bass and Marcin Gortat

for 

Thaddeus Young and Chuck Hayes

Rockets essentially trade; 

Tracy McGrady and Chuck Hayes

for 

Andre Iguodala, Marcin Gortat, and Samuel Dalembert

76ers essentially trade;

Samuel Dalembert, Andre Iguodala, and Thaddeus Young

for 

Tracy McGrady and Brandon Bass

In short, 76ers get huge cap relief and Brandon Bass, a young promising big man. I suspect they may want more from Orlando or Houston. Orlando can upgrade the offer by adding cash or picks. If they wanted more, Orlando can upgrade it hugely by making a separate trade for Jason Kapono (2 years left on ugly MLE- like contract) using the Turk TPE, AND add a somewhat similar but younger player in JJ Redick (thru the 3-way trade) who has an expiring deal where the 76ers can let expire or utilize bird rights after using up their cap space first. 

Rockets lose cap space, but Andre Iguodala is an All Star level player.. Magic trade them Gortat for Hayes which helps ease them on doing the 76ers deal. Dalembert and Gortat make a great center combo. Then Yao returns next season where Gortat plays behind Yao but still sees a lot of minutes because Yao will rest his body whenever possible, and Dalembert will become center insurance and a big expiring trade chip for the market.

Magic add Thaddeus Young. He's 21 years old and he has a really bright future. He's down a little bit in stats this year, at the tune of an impressive 14.1 PPG, 5.3 RPG, and 33 3PT%. He plays at SF, can defend well, has a great inside and attacking game, and can shoot from long range. He also played very solid in the Magic-76ers series including when he hit a game winner layup in one of the games. All at 21 yrs old, this is why I don't know if Philly will part easily with him. I suspect it could maybe theoretically take absorbing Kapono's 2 yr contract and giving up JJ. 

• "Just Makes Sense"

Portland has gone through a ton of injuries everywhere. Their two centers, Oden and Przybilla are out for the season. They wanted to acquire Paul Millsap over the summer to strengthen the frontcourt, but Utah matched. Then according to Bass' agent, Portland was on his shortlist to sign with (which signifies good interest from both sides), but he signed with Orlando instead.

http://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/2009/7/8/942061/weve-narrowed-it-down-to-about-two

A lot of people have made some connections that Portland would love to still acquire Bass. The most sensible thing for them is to trade Outlaw as he is an expiring contract and Portland has a plethora of younger wing men already according to some, but if I were the Magic, I wouldn't budge at all unless I could also get Nicolas Batum and/or Jerryd Bayless. Rudy Fernandez is another favorite target, but I don't like him with the players Orlando already has. Bayless can be a great bench force and possibly the PG of the future, but I personally don't like his potential fit with the team very much either, and I highly doubt Portland trades both Bayless and Batum for just Bass. 

• The Trade:

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=yk9etlx 

1)  Brandon Bass

for

Nicolas Batum and Travis Outlaw

Travis Outlaw can score well I believe, but I don't think he'd be used too much. He is an expiring deal tho if that is so. 

Nicolas Batum is the real prize. He can truly defend well, replacing what Courtney Lee did and being another defender to have out there with Mickael Pietrus. He has a good 3 point % and plays his role on offense well. His length, athleticism and age of 21 bode well for improving much more in the future too. 

Those above trade ideas I would do in a heartbeat honestly, as well as the trade idea I made a while back for Tayshaun Prince;

http://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/2009/12/21/1210950/trade-idea-for-the-magic

Three shorter trade thoughts.

• After the season is over, Gortat is able to be traded to Dallas. Perhaps something along the lines of Eduardo Najera and Rodrigue Beaubois gets a deal done. Beaubois is an excellent PG prospect, and already showed some great promise earlier in the season with his speed and knack of the game. If Beaubois is too much, JJ Barea may be a good replacement idea. 
• Kevin Martin and Rudy Gay are some potential trade targets that could be had down the line this season. Do one of them fit the Magic and could be had with the Magic's assets?
• Craziest idea, but I was giving it a thought. Vince Carter for Rip Hamilton. A straight up version is obviously one-sided because VC is better and has a shorter contract, but Rip's contract ends with Dwight's and Rashard's and other Magic players, so it's not risking that cap space, and I suspect the Magic can command almost any other piece(s) without adding much more, if anything to the deal; anything from like Tayshaun Prince, Will Bynum, Austin Daye, their 2011 pick which should be a great lottery pick, etc. Rip is a pretty dang good player still, he has championship experience, and adding Prince would make for a very, very interesting starting lineup. Two starting players from the earlier Pistons team that always beat the Magic!