Will Orlando Magic Trade Jett Howard?

The Orlando Magic are going into the season with high hopes, but one young player on the roster is still trying to find his footing in the league.

Jett Howard, the No. 11 pick in the 2023 draft, has failed to show the potential he had coming into the league in the first two years of his career.

ESPN even called his selection the Magic's biggest mistake of the decade so far.

"Two seasons into his career, No. 11 pick Howard is averaging 3.8 points per game and making just 29% of his 3-point attempts. He has played 14 total minutes across two playoff series," ESPN wrote.

"Howard's selection was a fiasco for the Magic for three reasons. First, he was a reach at the time (he went 20th in ESPN's final mock draft), and the gamble hasn't paid off."

This has people wondering if Howard will be traded by the Magic or not.

Howard's contract has a team option for the 2026-27 season that needs to be exercised by Oct. 31, but given how he has performed so far in the NBA, there's a chance that may not get accepted.

If the Magic decline the option, Howard will become a free agent for 2026, making him a likely trade candidate for February's deadline.

That being said, the Magic still very much like Howard's potential in the league, but he will have to start translating that into results early in the season if Orlando is going to keep him around.

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