Official Speculation Thread (Pt.LI "Trade Deadline" Edition)

[MagicFan32]

Here's the base of the team i want after 2014 draft, trying to be realistic

Smart, Wiggins, Vucevic, Nicholson, Harkless, Harris, O'Quinn, Afflalo, Sulaimon

with 40 million in capspace, so we could overpay if we had to, to sign a RFA like Paul George/Derrick Favors or something

[94_MagicFan]

2014 rfa I'm interested in

Wall, george, Monroe

[MagicStarwipe]

Have we waived Warrick yet? Haven't seen anything on it.

[arkknight1988]

Here's the base of the team i want after 2014 draft, trying to be realistic

Smart, Wiggins, Vucevic, Nicholson, Harkless, Harris, O'Quinn, Afflalo, Sulaimon

with 40 million in capspace, so we could overpay if we had to, to sign a RFA like Paul George/Derrick Favors or something

Would be insane

[trebone]

Here's the base of the team i want after 2014 draft, trying to be realistic

Smart, Wiggins, Vucevic, Nicholson, Harkless, Harris, O'Quinn, Afflalo, Sulaimon

with 40 million in capspace, so we could overpay if we had to, to sign a RFA like Paul George/Derrick Favors or something

Would be insane

[MagicFan32]

Here's the base of the team i want after 2014 draft, trying to be realistic

Smart, Wiggins, Vucevic, Nicholson, Harkless, Harris, O'Quinn, Afflalo, Sulaimon

with 40 million in capspace, so we could overpay if we had to, to sign a RFA like Paul George/Derrick Favors or something

Would be insane

Yes John Denton outlined the plan yesterday, if he writes it i take it as him being directly told what the plan is. most of the UFA's that year are to old, and Lebron isn't coming here. Also due to our caproom and potential assets we are always gonna have opportunities to make trades so the next Harden situation could be us capitalizing.

[Bensational]

at least if we draft Smart/McLemore and they don't show up as the level of stars we need to become contenders again, we'll have the cap space to chase Wall/Rubio at PG, and George on the wing.

Planning for Wiggins at this point is a bit premature, though. Great fantasy, but way too many variables at this point. I'd imagine Hennigan has a whole array of potential future plans that don't incorporate drafting Wiggins (such as FA acquisitions), and I would love to know what some of them are.

[thelead]

at least if we draft Smart/McLemore and they don't show up as the level of stars we need to become contenders again, we'll have the cap space to chase Wall/Rubio at PG, and George on the wing.

Planning for Wiggins at this point is a bit premature, though. Great fantasy, but way too many variables at this point. I'd imagine Hennigan has a whole array of potential future plans that don't incorporate drafting Wiggins (such as FA acquisitions), and I would love to know what some of them are.

Plan A) Wiggins
Plan B) Parker
Plan C) Whoever else looks awesome in the 2014 draft

The free agent lists look pretty bad for years. Plans A, B, C, D, and E revolves around the draft; at least in the quest for a superstar.

[Orlando Prodigy]

The future looks bright, guys.

[arsenal6106]

The future looks bright, guys.

Very nice.


Watch us get the 5th pick. Screw that, Henny will still draft a stud.

[dsg2021]

I believe statistically one of those four jerseys are "legit." We have a really great chance to have one of those jerseys in the locker room next season.

[glennathan]

Just for my own curiosity, a lot of people said that Hedo's contract is only partially guaranteed for the $6 million for next year. Well when I go to hoopshype, it says he has a players option for $12 million. If he picks up his player option how do we only buy him out for $6 million?

http://hoopshype.com/salaries/orlando.htm

[Blue_and_Whte]

Can anyone sum up Chad Fords Orlando draft preview/ He just posted it on twitter, but it is insider of course.

TWO DIFFERENT ONES.

Magic should get Smart
February, 22, 2013
Feb 22
4:04
PM ET
By Tom Carpenter | ESPN.com

As we noted earlier today, the Orlando Magic have set themselves up for what should be a loss-filled stretch run. They traded their No. 2 scorer, J.J. Redick, to the Milwaukee Bucks Thursday, Hedo Turkoglu is suspended, Glen Davis is likely out for the rest of the season, Jameer Nelson is injured, and much of their remaining roster is younger than a veteran college squad.

The intention, of course, is to lose as much as possible so they can have the best possible shot at the No. 1 pick in this year's draft and then take advantage of cap space to lure some free agents. Time will tell how that plan goes, but if they do land the top pick, ESPN NBA Insider Chad Ford thinks they should target Oklahoma State guard Marcus Smart:

Chad Ford
Orlando Magic draft needs

"Smart isn't putting up huge numbers, but he has come up huge for Oklahoma State in some of its biggest games and appears to have the X factor that NBA GMs look for in a No. 1 pick. Smart has great size for the position, has a NBA body, has a power game going to the basket, and is a clutch leader who is fearless with the game on the line. He also is a versatile defender who can guard multiple positions. Jameer Nelson has the starting job locked down right now, but Smart would be a long-term upgrade. ... The Magic need a star to start building around. To me, Smart is oozing with star potential. He's still pretty raw. His jump shot is shaky and he can be turnover-prone, but he's a charismatic leader who works hard on both ends of the floor and usually rises to the occasion in big games. Putting him on the floor with the Magic's collection of young players would immediately make everyone better."

....................................................................................................................................................

Orlando Magic draft needs
O
The Dwight Howard saga came to a sad, messy conclusion last summer when the Orlando Magic shipped Howard off to the Los Angeles Lakers for a collection of young players headlined by Nikola Vucevic and Moe Harkless, as well as veteran Arron Afflalo.

The move signaled that a massive rebuilding effort was under way in Orlando. With no young stars to build around, the Magic's collection of middling veterans and middling young players was the perfect recipe for blah.

The team ranks 26th in offensive efficiency this season and is tied for 25th in defensive efficiency. The Magic are in the middle of the pack in Assist Ratio, Effective Field Goal Percentage and Rebounding Rate.

But there is some good news. The team ranks No. 1 in the NBA in Defensive Efficiency Rate thanks in large part to the excellent work on the boards by Vucevic. He's averaging 11.5 defensive rebounds a game and while he's just a middling defender, his work on the boards is crucial. The Magic are also getting strong play from rookie Andrew Nicholson and see long-term potential in Harkless.

At the Thursday trade deadline, the Magic continued the franchise teardown shipping off veteran sharpshooter J.J. Redick for two young players -- Tobias Harris and Doron Lamb. Harris gives the Magic another combo forward who many scouts around the league believe can blossom. Lamb is a rookie sharpshooter who has struggled a bit his rookie season.

Overall, the Magic have a number of nice young pieces. But what they really need is a star. I'm not sure that that star is in this draft, but there are some intriguing options.

Here's a look at their best options if the get the No. 1 pick.

Good fits: Marcus Smart, Nerlens Noel, Ben McLemore, Victor Oladipo

Smart isn't putting up huge numbers, but he has come up huge for Oklahoma State in some of its biggest games and appears to have the X factor that NBA GMs look for in a No. 1 pick. Smart has great size for the position, has a NBA body, has a power game going to the basket, and is a clutch leader who is fearless with the game on the line. He also is a versatile defender who can guard multiple positions. Jameer Nelson has the starting job locked down right now, but Smart would be a long-term upgrade.

Noel would be an excellent fit next to Vucevic. His shot-blocking ability and athleticism would be a strong combination next to Vucevic's more plodding game. Besides, the Magic have a history of developing poised young big men. First Shaq, then Dwight Howard, then Noel? Our only fear is that when he reached his prime, he'd push his way onto the Lakers.
[+] Enlarge
Victor OladipoAndy Lyons/Getty ImagesVictor Oladipo's elite skills would fit well with a burgeoning Magic defense.

McLemore would give them a pure scorer in the backcourt. While Afflalo has the position locked down, McLemore is an upgrade who would give them shooting and athleticism in the backcourt.

Oladipo isn't quite the offensive player McLemore is, but he's the best defensive player in the country, an elite athlete and an emerging scorer on the offensive end. He's this year's Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. No one plays harder in college basketball.

Questionable fits: Anthony Bennett, Shabazz Muhammad, Alex Len

The team is already filled with combo forwards like Harkless, Harris and Nicholson, making Bennett pretty redundant. While I could argue that Bennett has more upside than any of them, with so many holes, I'm not sure they'd go Bennett's direction.

Muhammad falls into a similar situation. With Harkless and Harris on the roster, Muhammad would be forced to play some 2, and I'm just not sure he can guard backcourt players in the NBA.

Len has a lot of upside and is a more polished big man than Noel, but his skill set seems to be more redundant next to Vucevic in the frontcourt.

Best fit: Smart

The Magic need a star to start building around. To me, Smart is oozing with star potential. He's still pretty raw. His jump shot is shaky and he can be turnover-prone, but he's a charismatic leader who works hard on both ends of the floor and usually rises to the occasion in big games. Putting him on the floor with the Magic's collection of young players would immediately make everyone better.

Shocker

[OrlandO]

Henny said we'd sign a player from the d-league... I wonder if it's this guy, who recently turned down a 10-day contract from the celts....

Tim Ohlbrecht received a 10-day contract offer from the Boston Celtics but the German big man elected to turn it down, his agent Tyler Glass told Sportando. Ohlbrecht is averaging 13.3ppg and 7.3rpg in D-League with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

We shipped out Ayon and McBob, so I would not be surprised if this guy turned it down already knowing he's going to play out the season with us. Maybe Houston is a possibility, too.

[Zmill]

Charlie V makes the easiest contract decision in NBA history:


Charlie Villanueva laughed when asked about his future with the Detroit Pistons.

Specifically, he was asked if he was going to pick up the final season of the five-year, $35-million deal he signed in the summer of 2009.

He has the option of declining the $8.5-million player option by June 30 and becoming an unrestricted free agent.

Villanueva, 28, said there’s no decision.

“It’s obvious what I’m going to do,” Villanueva told the Free Press before the Pistons topped the Bobcats on Tuesday night. “Would you let that money go?”