Over the last year, Orlando’s ‘Franchise Cornerstones’ Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac have been continuing their rehab from their serious injuries. Both Fultz and Isaac have made “great, steady progress” throughout this process, according to Jeff Weltman, the President of Basketball Operations for the Magic. With Fultz (January 6th, 2021) and Isaac (August 2nd, 2020) both being sidelined for the past twelve months, many of Orlando’s role players have stepped up and seized bigger roles in their absences. So far, we’ve seen a sensational rookie season from Franz Wagner, an All-Star caliber jump by Cole Anthony, and breakout seasons from Wendell Carter Jr. and Mo Bamba. Orlando’s also received solid play from their younger players who are poised to take statistical jumps of their own in the future, such as Jalen Suggs, R.J. Hampton, and Chuma Okeke.
The Magic are also one of the NBA’s youngest teams, with an average age of 25 years old, and have just five players that are 30 years of age or older. Even Head Coach Jamahl Mosley is considered ‘young’ as an NBA Head Coach, at just 43 years old. With all of this being said, what does this have to do with Isaac? He’s just 24 years old, and has thrived on the court for the Magic. Over the three short years that Isaac has played for Orlando, the former FSU standout has averaged 9.3 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.1 APG, and has shot 43.5% from the field and 33.0% from downtown. Isaac has been a defensive anchor for Orlando, averaging 1.5 BPG and 1.1 SPG. This is why Orlando should capitalize on the opportunity to gain future assets by trading Isaac to a struggling, but contending team before the Trade Deadline.
What’s Jonathan Isaac’s Current Trade Value?
When trying to understand what Isaac’s trade value is, it’s important to note which players at which positions have been floated around in ‘trade talks’ most often. Currently, Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons, Atlanta’s Danilo Gallinari, Detriot’s Jerami Grant, and Boston’s Jaylen Brown are the top five players that have been ‘traded’, according to Fanspo. It’s important to note that all four players are in the Eastern Conference and are Forwards. Both of these trends make sense, since many Western Conference teams are trying to catch up to the 30-8 Suns and 29-9 Warriors and need frontcourt help. This is why trading Isaac to a Western Conference contending team makes the most sense if Orlando decides to part with him.
The Statistical Similarities of Jonathan Isaac and Ben Simmons
While Isaac hasn’t played in an NBA game since August 2nd of the 2019-2020 season, his career statistics provide tremendous value. The two players listed below are both Eastern Conference Forwards who are known for their exceptional defense and are being shopped by their respected teams.
Player A’s Advanced Defensive Stats: 17.8% Defensive Rebound Percentage, 11.4% Total Rebound Percentage, 2.0% Steal Percentage, 5.0% Block Percentage, 11.2% Turnover Percentage: 16.6% Usuage Percentage, 1.8 Defensive Box/Plus Minus.
Player B’s Advanced Defensive Stats: 19.2% Defensive Rebound Percentage, 12.9% Total Rebound Percentage, 2.4% Steal Percentage, 1.8% Block Percentage, 19.6% Turnover Percentage, 21.5% Usage Percentage, 2.0 Defensive Box/Plus Minus.
It may sound outlandish, but Player A is Isaac, and Player B is Simmons, who is a two-time All-Defensive Team and three-time All-Star. With the continuous news of more and more teams being considered as ‘potential suitors’ for Simmons, a massive trade is all but certain to happen. While this is exciting for the teams that are in contention for Simmons, it’s obvious that only one team will get Simmons, or zero, depending on what Philadelphia decides to do. According to league-wide sources, Cleveland, Sacramento, San Antonio, Indiana, Minnesota, and Atlanta are the main suitors for Simmons, but most teams would jump at the idea of adding a young, developable forward with great defensive skills.
The Financial Benefit of Trading for Isaac Instead of Simmons
So, why isn’t Isaac being floated around in more trade rumors? In fact, it would make more sense for cap-strapped contending teams to go after Isaac than Simmons due to their contracts. Over the next five seasons, Simmons is set to earn $177.2 million, including $40.3 in 2024. Compared to Isaac’s $69.6 million over the next four seasons, finding any team to take Simmons’ contract on is near impossible, let alone matching salaries. To further explain this, imagine if Philadelphia sends Simmons to Sacramento. Since Sacramento is right at their $130.3 Total Cap Space, they need to send $33.0 million back to Philadelphia for the trade to financially work. There are three main player packages that Sacramento could put together to acquire Simmons from a financial standpoint:
- Player Package One: De’Aaron Fox and Davion Mitchell/Tyrese Haliburton/Maurice Harkless/Terrence Davis/Alex Len
- Player Package Two: Buddy Hield and Marvin Bagley III/Richaun Holmes/Tristan Thompson
- Player Package Three: Harrison Barnes, Tyrese Haliburton/Davion Mitchell and Maurice Harkless
This level of compensation would likely not be enough for Philadelphia, however. Philadelphia would likely ask for Sacramento to include at least one of their seven future first-round picks. If Sacramento would be willing to acquire Isaac instead, however, they’d only need to send out $17.4 million back to Orlando, making the likelihood of the trade much more.