NBA Trade Window: 3 players the Orlando Magic should keep out of trade talks

Since Dwight Howard left for Los Angeles back in 2012, the Orlando Magic have been one of the worst performing NBA teams. The team has failed to reach the playoffs in each of the last six seasons, and during this time, the Magic have only won more than 30 games once (15-16 season).

While the Magic have successfully amassed a talented young core of players over the last 18 months, expectations were still low coming into the 18/19 season. Nevertheless, the team has benefited from a historically weak Eastern Conference, and the Magic's current record of 19-24 leaves the team just one game back from the playoff places.

Orlando also picked up an impressive win over the Boston Celtics last week, and the team could still make the 2019 postseason. Despite this, a number of Magic players are being linked with a trade away this month, and here we will assess three players that the franchise should look to retain.

#3 Evan Fournier

After playing three years of professional basketball in his native France, Evan Fournier entered the NBA draft back in 2012. During the draft, Fournier was selected with the 20th overall pick by the Denver Nugget's, although the Frenchman struggled to make an impact with the team, and was traded to the Magic two years later.

In his time in Orlando, Fournier has emerged as a bright spot in an otherwise dark time in Magic history. The 26-year-old has improved in each of his four seasons with the Magic, and last year, Fournier averaged 17.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. While Fournier's stats have taken a slight hit this season, the versatile Frenchman continues to contribute at both ends of the court, and it would be a big mistake for the team to trade him away.

#2 Terrence Ross

Before entering the NBA, Terrence Ross played two years of college basketball for the University of Washington, with whom he was selected to the All-Pac-12 team. Due to his college performances, Ross was a highly rated prospect in the 2012 NBA draft, and the player was selected by the Toronto Raptors with the eighth overall pick.

Ross played for five seasons in Toronto, and was a valuable asset from the bench, although the 27-year-old has exploded since joining the Orlando Magic in 2017. Ross is currently averaging 13.6 points and 3.1 rebounds per game while also shooting .391 from beyond the arc. Nevertheless, Ross will become a free agent in the summer, and teams such as the Pelicans are reportedly interested in acquiring the Orlando man.

Despite the interest in Ross, the Magic simply don't have the ability to attract free agents, and the franchise will struggle to replace his production, and due to this, the Magic should focus on handing Ross an extension.

#1 Aaron Gordon

Aaron Gordon played one season of college basketball with the University of Arizona before entering the 2014 NBA draft. Due to the huge potential that Gordon had shown in college, there were no surprises when the Orlando Magic selected him with the fourth overall pick, and the power forward has since turned out to be the Magic's best draft pick in years.

With the Magic, Gordon has slowly developed into both the team's best player and the face of the franchise. The 23-year-old has increased his point per game tally in each of his four seasons with the team season, and during the 17/18 campaign, Gordon averaged 17.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.

The California native is widely seen as a future All-Star, and the Magic have managed to lock Gordon into a long term deal. Ultimately, the Magic should continue to build their future around Gordon, and the team should refuse to enter any trade talks.

Edited by Pratyay Ghosh