NBA Trade News: Brandon Jennings Sent to Magic for Tobias Harris
With the NBA trade deadline counting down, the Detroit Pistons and the Orlando Magic have entered a trade that saw key players from both sides changing zip codes.
The Magic parted ways with Tobias Harris, who has long been rumoured to be on the chopping block in exchange for veteran guard Brandon Jennings and forward Erlan Ilyasova.
It was initially rumoured that the Magic were not actually shopping Harris though they were open to offers for the young forward, according to a tweet by Marc Stein last week.
Monday morning trade scuttle: Orlando isn't outright shopping Tobias Harris, but word is the Magic aren't discouraging offers for him either
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) February 8, 2016
And as it turned out, the pitch by Detroit was something the franchise felt would be ideal.
Brandon Jennings brings the veteran presence to the Magic backcourt, while Ilyasova can hone up its frontline. Another thing worth noting is that both Jennings and Ilyasova are no strangers to head coach Scott Skiles. Both played under him when Skiles was still handling the Milwaukee Bucks.
With their key positions filled, it will be interesting if the Magic and the Pistons can make a serious run for a playoff berth. Both teams are outside the magic 8, though they are within striking distance. The Pistons currently sit at ninth place with an even 27-27 win-loss record while the Magic are on the 11th spot with a 23-29 slate.
The decision is seen by Pistons general manager Jeff Bower as a long-term move, which can hopefully pan out. Harris has been known to be a scorer and his addition should boost the offensive sock that the Pistons are looking for up front.
"I'm ready to make the playoffs!" Harris reportedly replied via text to ESPN when news came out about his reported transfer.
On the other end, Magic general manager Rob Hennigan gets the needed veteran presence to help back up their young core.
"We needed to try to shake things up. Not a ton, but we felt like the roster needed to be balanced in certain ways. And I don't think it's been a secret that we've been looking for more veteran stability on the roster,” said Hennigan.
Jennings gets the chance to start fresh with the Magic. Jennings has yet to regain his old explosive form ever since rupturing his Achilles back in January 2015, ESPN reports.
Multiple teams were linked to 26-year-old guard whose best years were with the Bucks. Among the teams linked to Jennings include the New York Knicks and the Brookly Nets.
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