Orlando Magic guard Tyus Jones drives to the basket against the Golden State Warriors. Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Magic Trade Deadline Grades Signal Missed Opportunities

Originally posted on Orlando Magic on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Feb 6, 2026 3:15 PM ET

The Orlando Magic are moving past the trade deadline, disappointed after sending away a locker room favorite in veteran point guard Tyus Jones.

While Jones was well liked in the locker room, the Magic made it their mission to get under the luxury tax and did so by sending Jones' $7 million contract to the Charlotte Hornets. Some members of the Orlando Magic On SI staff graded the Jones trade and the overall performance at the deadline.

Grade: B-

The Magic accomplished their main goal by trading Tyus Jones and getting under the tax, but they could have been a little more ambitious. The team did a good job valuing Goga Bitadze as there was interest from him around the league, so Orlando was asking rivals for a first-round pick. Nobody budged, but Bitadze is on a cheap deal and adds positive depth to the Magic.

The Magic could have looked to trade third-year pro Jett Howard, who becomes an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. Howard has not played much for the Magic and appears destined to walk in free agency. Perhaps the Magic could have gotten a second-round pick for him, which would have helped supplement the package that Orlando had to give up to get off of Jones' contract. — Jeremy Brener

Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Grade: C

Orlando made its move in the summer, trading four first-rounders for Desmond Bane, so there wasn't much expected here. The issue is that while Bane has played well, he alone hasn't solved the Magic's shooting problem. It's understandable that the organization will just bank on better health getting the defense back to prior levels, so the shooting won't matter much. But there were shooters to be had, and the Lakers' acquisition of Luke Kennard speaks to it. We may look at the deadline as a missed opportunity to improve a core weakness. — Ethan J. Skolnick

Grade: C-

The Orlando Magic are about to become quite expensive, so ducking the luxury tax made some sense. However, while carving out an avenue was always going to be tough due to their lack of avenues, Orlando needed to improve. And they didn’t, minus Jones’ “addition by subtraction.” Thus, it was a painfully average deadline for Orlando. This is the bed it made, now it must lie in it. — Matt Hanifan

The Magic play their next game against the Utah Jazz tomorrow at 7 p.m. ET inside the Kia Center.