:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/28882843/20140214_tcb_sv7_289.0.jpg)
According to media reports, the Orlando Magic appear to be more engaged in trade talks with less than 24 hours remaining until the NBA's trade deadline, set for Thursday at 3 PM Eastern.
Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders wrote Wednesday that Orlando "seems to have changed" its posture with regard to making a deal before the deadline. As recently as All-Star Weekend, Kyler says, the chances of Orlando's making a trade looked remote. But now that dynamic has shifted: "there is an increasing sense that the Magic might make a deal" before Thursday, according to Kyler.
Meanwhile, Sean Deveney of the Sporting News reports that the Charlotte Bobcats have a longstanding "interest" in Magic swingman Arron Afflalo. "[T]he possibility of absorbing his contract before Thursday's deadline is a consideration," Deveney says.
Afflalo leads the Magic in scoring, with 19.4 points per game on 58.1 percent True Shooting. Charlotte has a 1.5-game lead on the Detroit Pistons for the East's final playoff spot, and acquiring a player of Afflalo's caliber could increase that advantage as the Bobcats push for the postseason.
In the West, Minnesota Timberwolves beat writer Jerry Zgoda reports that Orlando point guard Jameer Nelson could be an option for the Timberwolves if they elect to trade backup point guard J.J. Barea.
Coincidentally, Rob Mahoney of Sports Illustrated wrote Monday that Nelson would fit nicely in Minnesota.
