What about the Center Spot?

[drsd]

I don’t think center is our main concern and want focus and resources used on a starting PG. After that, sure let’s go get a center.

I agree that Orlando is unlikely to make any roster canges at the Five. As to a PG, don't be suprised when Orlando goes for another combo-guard. And creates an offense that rotates Suggs and Mr. Wonderful as on-ball options - in game.

[OrlandoMagic]

I’m actually all for trading every single one of our centers. And sticking with an average center at best.

[cedric76]

WCJ is so underrated on this board

[Skybox]

WCJ is so underrated on this board

He'd be a monster at 4 on a team without Paolo...especially on a team with a scrawny but formidable C like Wemby

I'd like him a lot as the primary backup at 4 and 5 with a legit 7' rim protector and rebounder.

[GGforever]

WCJ is so underrated on this board

Sorry but Wendell is not good. He is an undersized center who plays extremely soft anywhere near the rim offensively. Too short to be a rim protector, while being an average rebounder at best.
He does do one thing at a near elite level for a center, which is being able to move laterally on the perimeter to help stay in front of faster players. Other than that I think he is a well below average starting center and should be referred to as Charmin for his frustratingly soft playing style.
We will be a much better team once he is replaced as the starter. It’s not a coincidence our longest winning streaks the last 2 seasons were both when he was injured.
Walker Kessler is my dream.

[ogmagicfan]

If we get a center who cant shoot, a Mitchell Robinson esque player is who I'd fold for

Im cool with just drafting a center as a 2nd/3rd stringer, moving on from either Goga and/or Moe. WCJ closed the season really well on both ends

[T-Cat]

If we get a center who cant shoot, a Mitchell Robinson esque player is who I'd fold for

Im cool with just drafting a center as a 2nd/3rd stringer, moving on from either Goga and/or Moe. WCJ closed the season really well on both ends

Read on Twitter

[BadMofoPimp]

I truly don't think the Magic are making any Center moves this offseason outside of shipping out only one of WCJ, Goga, Moe or Slim as the team doesn't need 4 centers.

There are way more glaring concerns with this roster and Center is not one of them. I think some fans just want a higher profile center that produces more stats.

[cedric76]

I truly don't think the Magic are making any Center moves this offseason outside of shipping out only one of WCJ, Goga, Moe or Slim as the team doesn't need 4 centers.

There are way more glaring concerns with this roster and Center is not one of them. I think some fans just want a higher profile center that produces more stats.

I think we ll trade goga for a floor spacer (Royce O'Neil) and draft a C

[anothermagicfan]

WCJ is so underrated on this board

Sorry but Wendell is not good. He is an undersized center who plays extremely soft anywhere near the rim offensively. Too short to be a rim protector, while being an average rebounder at best.
He does do one thing at a near elite level for a center, which is being able to move laterally on the perimeter to help stay in front of faster players. Other than that I think he is a well below average starting center and should be referred to as Charmin for his frustratingly soft playing style.
We will be a much better team once he is replaced as the starter. It’s not a coincidence our longest winning streaks the last 2 seasons were both when he was injured.
Walker Kessler is my dream.

Agreed 100%. I'd be ok with Kessler but my dream is Ware. Once he packs on some muscle I think he'd be a great fit as long as his 3 is there

[Skybox]

WCJ is so underrated on this board

Sorry but Wendell is not good. He is an undersized center who plays extremely soft anywhere near the rim offensively. Too short to be a rim protector, while being an average rebounder at best.
He does do one thing at a near elite level for a center, which is being able to move laterally on the perimeter to help stay in front of faster players. Other than that I think he is a well below average starting center and should be referred to as Charmin for his frustratingly soft playing style.
We will be a much better team once he is replaced as the starter. It’s not a coincidence our longest winning streaks the last 2 seasons were both when he was injured.
Walker Kessler is my dream.

Agreed 100%. I'd be ok with Kessler but my dream is Ware. Once he packs on some muscle I think he'd be a great fit as long as his 3 is there

I saw a mock with UTA grabbing Maluach…that would certainly signal Kessler being available. I could see Ainge kicking that can down the road another year or two rather than give Kessler a big extension- he IS eligible this summer. I’d love to get Kessler (& Sexton).
Same with NOLA & Missi
BRK & Claxton

[pepe1991]

Sorry but Wendell is not good. He is an undersized center who plays extremely soft anywhere near the rim offensively. Too short to be a rim protector, while being an average rebounder at best.
He does do one thing at a near elite level for a center, which is being able to move laterally on the perimeter to help stay in front of faster players. Other than that I think he is a well below average starting center and should be referred to as Charmin for his frustratingly soft playing style.
We will be a much better team once he is replaced as the starter. It’s not a coincidence our longest winning streaks the last 2 seasons were both when he was injured.
Walker Kessler is my dream.

Agreed 100%. I'd be ok with Kessler but my dream is Ware. Once he packs on some muscle I think he'd be a great fit as long as his 3 is there

I saw a mock with UTA grabbing Maluach…that would certainly signal Kessler being available. I could see Ainge kicking that can down the road another year or two rather than give Kessler a big extension- he IS eligible this summer. I’d love to get Kessler (& Sexton).
Same with NOLA & Missi
BRK & Claxton

Missi isn't even good. Watch his games, not just highlights, guy is lost on both ends about 97% of time when he has to do more than block shot from weak side. Over time he lost PT to another rookie (Matkovic) who was less lost and could shoot.

Kessler is good player but knowing Ainge, he will ask 500 first round picks for him. And paying him going forward would be hard. Especially because Sexton is UFA as well.

Basically, you have to pay premier price for them, and quadruple their salary going forward just to keep them.

[Skybox]

Agreed 100%. I'd be ok with Kessler but my dream is Ware. Once he packs on some muscle I think he'd be a great fit as long as his 3 is there

I saw a mock with UTA grabbing Maluach…that would certainly signal Kessler being available. I could see Ainge kicking that can down the road another year or two rather than give Kessler a big extension- he IS eligible this summer. I’d love to get Kessler (& Sexton).
Same with NOLA & Missi
BRK & Claxton

Missi isn't even good. Watch his games, not just highlights, guy is lost on both ends about 97% of time when he has to do more than block shot from weak side. Over time he lost PT to another rookie (Matkovic) who was less lost and could shoot.

Kessler is good player but knowing Ainge, he will ask 500 first round picks for him. And paying him going forward would be hard. Especially because Sexton is UFA as well.

Basically, you have to pay premier price for them, and quadruple their salary going forward just to keep them.

I’d happily quadruple Kessler’s <5m salary. Sexton will be lucky to get a small raise to $20m…depending on what salary ORL can unload, those are two big upgrades in the starting lineup.

I’d give Missi a long look. He was a rookie and, as we have all learned on the ORL boards, rookies take 5 years to contribute All kidding aside, I like 20yo Missi in Mose’s hands on a very cheap rookie deal (less than CoJo) upside better than any of our bloated C rotation.

[Skybox]

If we upgrade the starting C spot and restructure Moe, we really should trade Goga...he's a good player, but we're way overpaying the C rotation. Part of that is because we can't count on WCJ to be available. He has flaws, but that's his biggest...he has made it necessary to overpay the bench C rotation because we just can't count on him...and WCJ just isn't that good to work around him like that, to the detriment of our cap situation. It's even worse when you factor in the looming extension that takes WCJ from "way underrated best deal in the NBA" player to "Man, if he could just stay on the court and hit the 3's he's supposedly capable of - he would be a positive value".

There's all kinds of possibilities...I'd love Kessler, for example, or Jakob Poeltl. I like Moe at $8m x 3 off the bench. The third C on any good team is filler. Ideally, a guy that can eat up some minutes and just hold it together without letting the other team go on a run. Isaac, even slimmed down, is fine for this - if he wasn't so limited, minutes-wise. Sure, he can't match up with Embiid or Jokic for 25 minutes, but who can? and that's not the role anyway. After watching Caruso make Jokic work - I like my chances with long, manic Isaac containing a guy like Jokic than WCJ or Goga - but that's not really the point anyway.

I'd pick up a min salary 7' and hope they can contribute...I'd really be willing to go with Bamba on a vet min. WAY more upside than a Tristan Thompson, Robin Lopez, etc guy because he really CAN shoot 3's. All kinds of flaws, but 3rd string C in 2025 is a spot for compromises. The way people dissect trade targets here is just unrealistic...depending on other trades and what it leaves us with, pick-wise, I think Raynaud could be our starter before too long, but certainly would be a solid bench player from day 1.

[Skybox]

What's the verdict on Goga? Him not playing in the playoffs and looking lost in minimal minutes wasn't good. He's never really been impactful off the bench, but we've had success with him as a starter...WCJ looked like a beast vs BOS, but it was just a flash and I'm not betting we can count on that (reminiscent of Biz' playing like an All-Star for 10 minutes in the playoffs and then ORL cashing him in ).

What's Goga's ceiling?

Does he just not fit in ORL?

When WCJ is playing hard, is he a better fit long-term or should we be perpetually considering upgrading C.

I like Gafford a lot. Aren't there any 19yo's out there that look like this year's Ware, Lively, etc?

I like Raynaud at #25, but I'd really prefer more of a long, high-motor, athlete, even if he lacks offensive versatility.

[cedric76]

WCJ will do great with suggs, bane, Franz and Paolo, we are in great hands

[OrlandoDream]

What's the verdict on Goga? Him not playing in the playoffs and looking lost in minimal minutes wasn't good. He's never really been impactful off the bench, but we've had success with him as a starter...WCJ looked like a beast vs BOS, but it was just a flash and I'm not betting we can count on that (reminiscent of Biz' playing like an All-Star for 10 minutes in the playoffs and then ORL cashing him in ).

What's Goga's ceiling?

Does he just not fit in ORL?

When WCJ is playing hard, is he a better fit long-term or should we be perpetually considering upgrading C.

I like Gafford a lot. Aren't there any 19yo's out there that look like this year's Ware, Lively, etc?

I like Raynaud at #25, but I'd really prefer more of a long, high-motor, athlete, even if he lacks offensive versatility.

Raynaud at 25 would be ideal but I doubt he will be available then.

I still don't trust WCJr health. I was shocked he played 68 games this year (career high). I don't expect those numbers for multiple seasons based on his history. Goga is our backup, WCJr insurance. I don't think we will trade him this year, but getting rid of dell before that new contract kicks in has to happen. I would sell high on him right now for a good bench guard capable of starting in place of suggs/bane if injury.

[MartinsIzAfraud]

What's the verdict on Goga? Him not playing in the playoffs and looking lost in minimal minutes wasn't good. He's never really been impactful off the bench, but we've had success with him as a starter...WCJ looked like a beast vs BOS, but it was just a flash and I'm not betting we can count on that (reminiscent of Biz' playing like an All-Star for 10 minutes in the playoffs and then ORL cashing him in ).

What's Goga's ceiling?

Does he just not fit in ORL?

When WCJ is playing hard, is he a better fit long-term or should we be perpetually considering upgrading C.

I like Gafford a lot. Aren't there any 19yo's out there that look like this year's Ware, Lively, etc?

I like Raynaud at #25, but I'd really prefer more of a long, high-motor, athlete, even if he lacks offensive versatility.

I don't think its a coincidence that Goga had his best minutes while Paolo was out and that's mainly because Goga and Paolo share the same space on the court. Goga can't shoot three's so when Paolo is in he's a lane clogger for an already packed lane. You can't play him off the bench because he doesn't really provide a spark offensively but he's too good to be a 3rd C but not good enough to start unless said team runs through guards.

[Skybox]

What's the verdict on Goga? Him not playing in the playoffs and looking lost in minimal minutes wasn't good. He's never really been impactful off the bench, but we've had success with him as a starter...WCJ looked like a beast vs BOS, but it was just a flash and I'm not betting we can count on that (reminiscent of Biz' playing like an All-Star for 10 minutes in the playoffs and then ORL cashing him in ).

What's Goga's ceiling?

Does he just not fit in ORL?

When WCJ is playing hard, is he a better fit long-term or should we be perpetually considering upgrading C.

I like Gafford a lot. Aren't there any 19yo's out there that look like this year's Ware, Lively, etc?

I like Raynaud at #25, but I'd really prefer more of a long, high-motor, athlete, even if he lacks offensive versatility.

I don't think its a coincidence that Goga had his bets minutes while Paolo was out and that's mainly because Goga and Paolo share the same space on the court. Goga can't shoot three's so when Paolo is in he's a lane clogger for an already packed lane. You can't play him off the bench because he doesn't really provide a spark offensively but he's too good to be a 3rd C but not good enough to start unless said team runs through guards.

That's the Goga I see too...too good and highly compensated for his ill-fit here...get something for him while you can. No reason to wait.

[AdamTheGreek]

Wendell cannot handle a starting center workload. His plantar fasciitis is never going away.
In the exit interview Wendell mentioned how banged up and injured he was (even though we rarely put him on the injury list, similar to KCP).
If you’re talking backup C or PF who can occasionally start due to injury, sure. But that only works for the coming season. Next summer he makes $18 mil.
We need to trade him now while his salary is still friendly.

Our coaching staff does not fully utilize and respect Goga, so I can see Goga getting traded in a package for a big man upgrade, or to a team who can absorb his $8 mil. with a TPE.

Mo is going to be re-signed as our backup center or PF depending on if we hopefully ship Isaac out.

Gafford, Valanciunas, Poeltl, Nurkic, Vooch, Brook Lopez are all goes who for 1 season could start for us. All come with various concerns/risks, but all if healthy are undeniably good enough to start next to Paolo, Franz, Suggs, and Bane.

Raynaud will be gone before 25 (maybe before 16 even).


We have to upgrade our starting center spot. Wendell physically cannot handle it.