If a unit gains Deflect after it has already been targeted by a spell or ability, does the Deflect trigger and force the opponent to pay memory or recycle?

Ruling: Deflect only matters when targets are selected. If a unit gains Deflect after it has already been targeted, the Deflect does not trigger because targeting costs (including Deflect) are paid only once when players finalize the spell or ability.

Sequence:

• Opponent selects targets for their spell/ability
• Opponent pays all costs including any Deflect costs at that time
• If the unit gains Deflect after this point, it has no effect on the already-targeted spell/ability

Nuances:

• Deflect is an additional cost effect that must be paid during finalization
• There is no window to make a spell fizzle via Deflect after targets have been chosen and costs paid