The Orland Magic have been one of the most quiet teams in the NBA this offseason and after drafting Victor Oladipo and putting him to work in the summer league, the team has signed Jason Maxiell and they could be in the market for Gerald Henderson as the Bobcats look to trade.
The Magic were thrilled to get Oladipo in the draft and now after adding Maxiell on a two-year deal, the team could make a splash and get Henderson in a sign and trade. According to Pro Basketball Talk and Yahoo Sports, the Bobcats have been looking at sign and trade deals with other teams after not being able to come to a contract agreement and some options that were reported included the Bucks, Pistons as well as the Houston Rockets.
The Rockets signed Dwight Howard and already have James Harden and Chandler Parsons, but the team wants one more star and while Henderson isn't the big name they may have hoped for, he could be a very solid addition to an already deep team. The money would be the toughest thing to work out and so far the Bobcats have had issues getting a deal with Henderson because of that. Henderson reportedly wants $9 million per season on his new deal, but that could be out of the price range for the Bobcats, who now will become the Hornets as the NBA votes to make that official.
Henderson received a qualifying offer from the Bobcats to get things started as a restricted free agent for $4.2 million and now that the team can't get him in on a deal, they may feel that a trade is the best option for both sides. Henderson looks strong after scoring a career-best 15.5 points with 3.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists and one steal in 31.4 minutes per game last year and he could end up being a huge addition to either the Pistons, Bucks or Rockets. The Bucks are an option because their own guard Brandon Jennings is a restricted free agent as well, but he has had problems with the team over money and that could end up keeping him out of this transaction.
The Magic could also look to add Drew Gooden after he was released by the Bucks, as he previously played there and could be a solid addition to the bench with Maxiell. The Magic are looking to play their young guys more than the vets, but that could work out for Gooden as he gets older and he could be a minutes eater at the end of games and in garbage time. Gooden played almost 100 games for the magic and he likely will get interest from other teams as well.
Maxiell should be a solid addition to the Magic as they try to rebuild after the Dwight Howard debacle from two years ago and at 30-years-old, his veteran presence will be good for stars like Oladipo. Maxiell played with the Pistons for eight years and was a solid player for many of them, including last year when he averaged 6.9 points and 5.7 rebounds in 72 games played before getting hurt. The contract is for $2.5 million each season and that will give the Magic some flexibility later on.
