With the Golden State Warriors officially winning the 2022 NBA Finals over the Boston Celtics, endless off-season rumors regarding the NBA have already begun. From Russell Westbrook ($41.3 million Player Option) to Bradley Beal ($35 million Player Option) to Deandre Ayton (Restricted Free Agent), there will be plenty of big decisions to be made by the 2022 NBA Free Agency class. Free Agency isn’t the only major event occurring this offseason, as the 2022 NBA Draft is on June 24th, where the Orlando Magic own the No. 1 overall pick. In spite of Free Agency and the Draft, many teams will also look to improve their rosters by making trades with fellow teams. In fact, the NBA has already seen Dallas acquire Christan Wood from Houston and Oklahoma City add another first-round pick, but expect more trades to follow in the coming months.
One of these hypothetical trades may include Orlando’s Terrence Ross, whom the Magic have been reportedly shopping since the 2022 Trade Deadline. According to HoopsHype’s Michael Sotto, Orlando was asking to acquire a first-round pick in exchange for Ross, but interested teams saw it as an overpay based on Ross’ statistical decline. Although Ross averaged a respectable 10.0 PPG, 2.6 RPG, and 1.8 APG in 63 games this season, Ross’ shooting took a hit, as he went 39.7% from the field and 29.2% from three-point range, which were the worst marks of his ten-year career.
Despite his efficiency issues this season, Ross can easily bounce back with a change of scenery, as he’s averaged 11.2 PPG and shot 41.7% from the field and 36.1% from downtown in his career. If Orlando were to move Ross this offseason, they would likely receive similar compensation from trading Evan Fournier to Boston. At 30 years old, Ross would be a welcome addition to many contending teams as a role player off the bench, while likely only needing to give up multiple second-round picks.
If the Magic keep Ross and see his stock rise during the 2022-2023 NBA season, they may be able to net a first-round pick in return. Most NBA teams would be thrilled to have Ross, a 6’6″ and 206-pound wing who can shoot and defend on their roster, especially before entering the playoffs. At this season’s past trade deadline, the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics were frequently mentioned as potential landing spots for Ross, and both are still plausible destinations this offseason. Boston was even preparing to offer Orlando a trade package consisting of Dennis Schroder, another player and “likely a draft pick” for Ross, but the deal fell through. Other teams that may be interested in Ross include Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, and Detroit.
With this said, there is a strong possibility that Ross will be traded by Orlando this off-season. Even Ross himself expected to be traded by Orlando after the Magic traded Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon, and Fournier at the 2021 trade deadline:
“They kind of were making that move already when they started trading the other guys,” Ross told Orlando Sentinel’s Khobi Price. “They just didn’t get around to me. They told me that’s what they were planning to do with me.”
Furthermore, Ross would have a limited role in Orlando next season. With the breakout seasons of all-rookie first-team forward Franz Wagner and Wendell Carter Jr., along with the future No. 1 pick, Ross isn’t guaranteed to receive any playing time in Orlando. Due to this, Orlando will continue to shop Ross throughout the 2022 off-season until they receive adequate compensation from a fellow NBA franchise.