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With questions swirling regarding his future after his recent run in with a team employee, Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin could be a trade candidate at next weeks deadline. According to a report from Basketball Insiders Steve Kyler, the Orlando Magic are one team that could be making a call on the Clippers big man.
Trading for Griffin could be tough, through, as one source said it's unlikely the Clippers will trade Griffin, despite the big man most likely missing the balance of the season with a broken hand.
Kyler also went on to add that the Magic are one of the teams looking to "put something big together" ahead of the deadline. As is the case in many major trade rumors or ideas, it takes two to tango.
Should the Magic decide to make a major move, they have some options. As ESPN reported, the Magic could have interest in the Atlanta duo of Jeff Teague and Al Horford. As Kyler reported, they've made a call on Griffin, no matter how hard it may be to acquire him.
Should Griffin be that player, the Magic would likely have to part with multiple talented prospects. To get a player of Griffin's stature, the Magic would likely have to part with two of Victor Oladipo, Mario Hezonja, Aaron Gordon and Tobias Harris, as well as Channing Frye, and potentially draft picks. Would gutting their roster and moving all those assets for one true impact player be worth it? I'm not so sure.
The fact that they're aggressively pursuing a deal shows that they're ready to make a move to improve right now. If they want to make a run at the playoffs -- which based off of their 4-15 record since the turn of the calendar seems farfetched -- they need to make a move and get some veterans to help push their young core in a positive direction.
As we currently sit eight days away from the deadline, one thing seems pretty certain: the Magic will be big players at the deadline. There's a possibility the team could make a blockbuster deal and get someone who can push them over the edge right now. It's also possible that they try, and come up just short, electing to sit on their assets until the summer.
Either way, the Magic will be busy during the deadline trying to do whatever they can to push the team over the top now.