The Magic chose to trade him to the Toronto Raptors to avoid the possibility of his departing in free agency and to see if he was the appropriate frontcourt fit next to Nikola Vucevic. In exchange, Orlando received Terrence Ross, who had only turned 26 a week before, and a 2017 first-round draft selection.
This move made sense for both teams involved. The Magic wanted to try out another frontcourt combination after using Victor Oladipo and E'Twaun Moore together at times last season. The Raptors wanted to see what Ross could bring to the table after being named an All-Star this year. Both sides realized they were not going to find a better deal than this one.
Orlando is hoping that adding Vucevic will help them reach the playoffs for the first time since 2009. The Magic are one of the worst teams in basketball this season with a 19-63 record. They lost their first game with Vucevic in the lineup against the New Orleans Pelicans on November 1st.
Toronto on the other hand wants to make the playoffs for the second straight year. The Raptors are currently third in the Atlantic Division behind the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat. If they can get into the top two spots then they will have a bye until the end of the season since there will be no first round match-ups that would have required either team to play more than two games in a single series.
Ross, Terrence
| No. 31 – Orlando Magic | |
|---|---|
| Playing career | 2012–present |
| Career history | |
| 2012–2017 | Toronto Raptors |
| 2017–present | Orlando Magic |
Current teams/Terry Ross: Brooklyn Nets (as of April 15, 2015)
Ross played for the Nets during the 2014-15 season after being acquired in a trade with Chicago. He spent one year with the Bulls before being traded to Brooklyn. In 36 games this past season, Ross averaged 7.6 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. He finished the season as one of only three players in NBA history to post triple doubles without scoring or rebounding in double figures. The others are Mark Jackson and Manute Bol.
Before joining the Nets, Ross played one season with Chicago after being drafted second overall by the Bulls in the 2004 NBA draft. In 76 games that season, he averaged 20.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.1 steals per game. That same season, he was also named to the All-Rookie First Team.
Ross was born on January 4, 1980 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He attended North Side High School in Chicago before going on to play college basketball at Pittsburgh. With the Panthers, he became just the third player in school history to score 1500 points before graduating.
Off. On June 28, 2012, he was selected by the Toronto Raptors in the first round (8th overall) of the 2012 NBA Draft. The Orlando Magic signed him as a free agent on July 6, 2019. He signed a four-year, $54 million deal on Saturday, July 6, 2019.
Ross attended The Ohio State University, where he played basketball for coach Kevin McGuff. As a senior in 2011–12, he averaged 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game while shooting.527 from three-point range. That season, he earned First Team All-America honors from the National Association of Basketball Coaches and Associated Press.
He entered the 2012 NBA Draft after completing his final year at OSU. Some analysts had Ross going as early as No. 3 to the Chicago Bulls, but he fell all the way to No. 8 where the Raptors chose him. Ross said after being picked by Toronto that he was "honored" and that he looked forward to helping the team win games.
Ross made an immediate impact for the Raptors, scoring 20 or more points in each of his first six games with the team. He finished with averages of 17.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 0.9 steals per game in 37 contests as a rookie.
The Orlando Magic acquired Scott Skiles and a first-round draft pick from the Washington Bullets in exchange for a second-round pick tonight, freeing up a contract space for free agency forward Horace Grant. The Magic, who are in their fifth season in the NBA, made their first postseason trip last season. They were eliminated by the Los Angeles Lakers in five games.
Grant, a 10-year veteran, has played for eight teams in nine seasons. He has averaged 9.4 points and 4.1 rebounds this season with Chicago, Milwaukee, New York, Philadelphia, Toronto, Detroit, and now Orlando.
"We're excited to add Horace to our team," said Magic general manager Otis Smith. "He's a proven scorer who can also help us on defense."
Grant, 37, appeared in 81 games (all starts) for the Bulls this season, averaging 14.0 points and 4.7 rebounds. He was drafted by Chicago out of Georgetown in the first round (sixth overall) in the 1998 NBA Draft.
Grant started at power forward for the Bulls this season after joining the team during the offseason. He replaced Carlos Boozer, who was traded to Cincinnati before the season began.
Before arriving in Chicago, he spent one season with Milwaukee where he averaged 17.3 points and 6.1 rebounds.
The Influence of Fantasy Ross has continued to be the Magic's top offensive player, scoring 24 points in successive games to keep the club competitive. The veteran shooting guard is an excellent addition to any fantasy lineup, as he will see plenty of action on both sides of the court for the rest of the season.
Ross' numbers this year are down across the board but that can be attributed to the fact that his team lacks depth and talent at most positions. He still manages to put up decent numbers (13.4 ppg), especially since he starts every game. In addition, Ross plays important minutes behind Dwight Howard and Stephen Curry so if you're looking for production from a backup point guard position, he's your man.
Ross is not the best fantasy player since he doesn't score much or defend anyone well but he does bring experience and a solid role on a championship-caliber team. He's a great pickup if you need help at the start of your season or if you're looking for some backcourt depth.
The Nuggets of Denver At the trade deadline, the Denver Nuggets made another bold move by acquiring forward Aaron Gordon from the Orlando Magic. The Magic receive veteran shooting guard Gary Harris, rookie R.J. Hampton, and a first-round draft selection in return. This is just one of many moves made by new general manager John Hammond who is trying to give his team some much-needed momentum after a disappointing season so far.
Gordon has been one of Orlando's most productive players this season, averaging 16.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. He also adds depth at the center position for Denver, who recently signed Mason Plumlee to a two-year deal. The 21-year-old prospect was drafted ninth overall by the Magic back in 2016 after a stellar career at Duke University.
Orlando acquired Gordon in order to clear space under the salary cap for Dwight Howard, who is now with the Los Angeles Clippers. Without him, they are forced to release someone which means Gordon will be playing elsewhere next season. However, Denver will pay him $4 million over the next two seasons.
Gordon has already announced that he will be changing his jersey number from 0 to up against teammate Nikola Jokic when he joins the team later this month.
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