MagicMatic wrote:pepe1991 wrote:MagicMatic wrote:
The two teams in the championship last season were both built primarily of draft picks….
Zero top 5 picks in starting 5. 3 out of 6 key players drafted past 27th pick.
But let's not fool ourselfs, 2 out of 4 rings won due Durant and that FA, right now team with $200 000 000 M payroll. That's execlly how they winning. By having more money than others.
Celtics had incredible luxury to leveradge trades. They didn't tank for Tatum, they didn't tank for Brown. Matter of fact they even fooled 76ers into Tatum-Fultz trade and drafted down AND won trade AND won asset.
I don't know, i'm fine with rebuild via draft, but there has to be point where point defeats purpose. If you are passing on elite players ( Mitchell , Booker, SGA...) just to stocpile draft picks , and in same time time is ticking on Franz & Banchero until their exstensions kick, you probably won't be contender because you will find yourself in position where some Tobias Harris is cashing in $40M a year contract because you simply can't afford to lose him ( due fact you have no cap to sign anybody).
By the 2025 vast majority of Magic players will enther be gone or resigned for serious money. Grace period time is comming to it's end.
It depends on the ask.
Like I've stated previously, the asking price for
surefire allstars is a mortgage of your future.
Donovan Mitchell trade was : Lauri (potential Allstar), Sexton (solid player), pick #14 (Agbaji), unprotected first-round picks in
2025, 2027 and 2029, and the right to swap first-round picks with the Cavaliers in both 2026 and 2028. Thats not
nothing, thats a HAUL.
The Gobert trade was actually somehow worse.
This idea that Orlando is going to trade for Booker, SGA, etc. without giving up future assets AND either Franz or Paolo is crazy. That is the going asking price. I haven't even included the salary they would have to take on.
Furthermore,
when Orlando actually pulls the trigger for these kind of deals they need to make damn well sure that the team is capable of competing for championships. Why? Because you aren't getting those valued free assets back for being league average.
It's fun to say "the draft sucks because its random GET ALL-STARS!" like its even an option. Thats just not reality. These players not only have to be available, but you have to outbid every other team with ridiculous offers requiring 5-6 years of assets down the road.
No thanks. I would rather draft the third piece of the core and figure it out later.
No matter how adament you are that Franz or Paolo would have to be in the trade offer, recent history says otherwise. James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, & Rudy Gobert. The last 3 big trades for all star talent, 2 of which are SGs, didn't require the teams who traded for them to trade one of their 2 most valuable players
Nets: (Kept KD & Kyrie)
Cavs: (Kept Garland, Mobley, & Allen)
Wolves: (Kept Anthony Edwards & Karl Anthony Towns)
Also, like I've repeatedly have said on other posts on the thread, Lauri was not expected, nor traded with the value attached of an all-star. It's disingenious to act like the trade for Mitchell was done with that expectation in mind.
He had played in the NBA for 5 seasons, prior to this current season. Averaging 15.4 PPG, 6.8 RPG & 1.3 APG on 44.1% FG & 36.4 3PT%. With very small difference in production by year. His jump in production offensively is unprecedented and why he's clear favorite for MIP.
I also never said we could trade for Booker without using assets, I had a trade offer proposal earlier in the thread.
I said
Magic:
Devin Booker
Suns:
WCJ or Suggs
Bol Bol or Okeke
Cole Anthony
2023 Magic 1st Unprotected
2023 Chicago 1st Unprotected
2025 Magic 1st Unprotected
2025 Nuggets 1st Unprotected
2026 Pick Swap
2028 Pick Swap
Would have to throw Mo Bamba in as well for contract purposes. More than enough, and if you think otherwise, so be it.
