Official 2023-2024 Magic Trade Ideas Thread 2.0

[ARandomStranger]

The difference between what Boston did and what we are doing is Boston wasn't afraid and isn't afraid to make moves and take risks. They jettisoned everything to grab picks and assets and now they are a premier Eastern Conference team. We are not a premier Eastern Conference team. We have so many pieces that don't fit with our two stars and we know they don't fit because we are seeing it in real time. This isn't hard to understand, but really the only true untouchables are Paolo and Franz. Everything else should be sold for better players or picks to get better players. I'm also not saying make a trade to make a trade, but there are players who are available who are instant upgrades over anything we have other than Paolo and Franz.

That isn't an opinion, that is a truth.

[SOUL]

There are a few obvious moves to make this trade deadline, but the super important ones will be over the next 2-3 seasons.

[basketballRob]

We signed Goga on February 14, 2023, off waivers. I suspect that's the type of player we may sign this season. After teams make moves, they'll have to clear roster spots. We'd have to look at the end of our roster to cut someone to add a player.

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[RichCollab]

There are a few obvious moves to make this trade deadline, but the super important ones will be over the next 2-3 seasons.

Any deals at this deadline that has an impact 2 seasons from now?

I’m out on DJM and Simmons isn’t on the market. I feel like any trade is only going to matter in the short term.

[RichCollab]

We signed Goga on February 14, 2023, off waivers. I suspect that's the type of player we may sign this season. After teams make moves, they'll have to clear roster spots. We'd have to look at the end of our roster to cut someone to add a player.

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I don’t see it this year unless a shooter becomes available.

[drsd]

I think part of the reason we aren't playing Goga is to keep him hidden. It's better to feature the players that are under contract next season.

I am hoping that Orlando is simply showcasing Fultz and Carter for a splashy trade.

It is clear that Bitadze as a starter and M-Wagner as a primary backup works well. In that, even if Carter is good and has value, he is easily tradeable.

[RichCollab]

I think part of the reason we aren't playing Goga is to keep him hidden. It's better to feature the players that are under contract next season.

I am hoping that Orlando is simply showcasing Fultz and Carter for a splashy trade.

It is clear that Bitadze as a starter and M-Wagner as a primary backup works well. In that, even if Carter is good and has value, he is easily tradeable.

WCJ offense and shooting is important for starting lineup. WCJ also pairs better with JI than Goga.


Goga is solid insurance for starting lineup when WCJ is out and if JI can get to 30 minutes I’m not sure Goga feels that role in the future.

I hope we lock Goga up for 2 seasons and see WCJ and JI health improves at all.

[ARandomStranger]

I don't want to talk trash about WCJ, but he has been bad all year. Having an injury and then coming back and still playing poorly isn't necessarily a good thing. He is a shadow of what he was last year and he has not really contributed to many wins since his return.

[drsd]

WCJ offense and shooting is important for starting lineup.

If Carter is traded in a package that brings in a guard that can shoot, this point becomes irrelevant.

[tiderulz]

I will say it clearer

The Magic FO is not content today or ever.

They are simply opposed to making trades for non-difference-maker players at obscene prices.

Friend, you either work for the team or you have a very warped idea about the possible range of outcomes that result from trading for a player/s. Teams all around us are making moves that are very definitely improving their pace of success. Some are further back, some are pushing for Championships but all of the ones I'm referring to have made big leaps by finding complementary players.

A year or so ago, Smart was the beating heart of the Celtics. The guy who made the machine tick over.

Fast forward a year and he's gone, olaying poorly in his new destination and replaced by a superior player. At the same time last year Porzingis was an NBA afterthought. I actually wanted the Magic to go after him at some point.

Anyway, with those 2 "mediocre" moves, the Celtics are better than ever.

Plenty of teams dont get those trades right? Well if thats what youre worried about, why the heck are you placing so much faith in Weltman to guide us? Its his job to get those moves right. Whats for sure is you cant screw up the trade you never made.

You remember all the jokes about every trade Ainge didnt make ? They started to act differently when Brown was 25 and Tatum 23. We are still 2-3 years away from that with Franz 22 and Paolo 21.
I agree we should improve on clear disasters like Fultz and Cole but its still early for biggers move, especially if they are for controversial players like Murray.

but they already had a few good players surrounding them. If the Magic arent making moves right now, i hope they are talking with Franz and Paolo, otherwise they are going to leave to go to a team that will tell them they will make moves to surround them with talent to try and win. Because right now, Orlando does not look like they are doing that and will do that.

[tiderulz]

We signed Goga on February 14, 2023, off waivers. I suspect that's the type of player we may sign this season. After teams make moves, they'll have to clear roster spots. We'd have to look at the end of our roster to cut someone to add a player.

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and that is not a move to keep your young star players happy

[drsd]

I don't think the team is confident at all in Fultz TOS or whatever is causing him to not even attempt threes this year while his hitch is back. The writing seems to be on the wall for the PG spot being the most pertinent upgrade, but I also don't think Atlanta wants to just send Murray in division without wanting someone we don't want to give up. Could definitely see like CP3/Tyus or something though. Hopefully they do something.

I could see AB getting more minutes with a trade deadline move, but really doubt they're going to rely on Jett at all this year for big minutes. Houstan got a chance and didn't really take advantage of it, but decent in spots if he's getting the volume. It's just very easy to say we should be playing all of our 1st/2nd year talent but also demand winning.. well.. there's reasons why teams don't do that. Like I said, only OKC with a redshirted Chet/Cason with an MVP in Shai and Houston (mixed bag) seem willing to give extended minutes to 2 rookies with any regularity.

I would still rather the Magic get a perimeter-minded guard for Fultz, Okeke, and change. Suggs will always gaurd the more challenging opponent guard. Banchero and F-Wagner are promary ball-handlers. I don't think this team needs a PG, per se.

[SOUL]

I would still rather the Magic get a perimeter-minded guard for Fultz, Okeke, and change. Suggs will always gaurd the more challenging opponent guard. Banchero and F-Wagner are promary ball-handlers. I don't think this team needs a PG, per se.

Yeah, I don't disagree, when I say "PG" I'm saying it can be any functional combo guard that will start as our PG, but not functional like a traditional one.. just that they can move without the ball and have shooting gravity.

[SOUL]

I don't want to talk trash about WCJ, but he has been bad all year. Having an injury and then coming back and still playing poorly isn't necessarily a good thing. He is a shadow of what he was last year and he has not really contributed to many wins since his return.

This... just isn't true. There was a 6 game stretch 1-2 weeks ago where he was literally the most or 2nd most efficient player in the entire LEAGUE (went 41 of 60). He's now shooting 51/40 while playing serviceable defense (besides some bad matchups). He looked really bad the first few games back from his injury when he had that wrap on his hand, but since then has been pretty solid. Misses bunnies, has dumb fouls at times, slow-footed and just refuses to contest sometimes, but then he'll have some huge rebounds and free throws, D up random guys like Jokic or something, stretch the floor, etc.

The issue eventually is that he's basically the same size as Paolo/Franz and what he brings to the table has a bit too much overlap.

I'm on record saying i like Goga more, but I feel like I have to defend WCJ a bit from this weird board-wide push to replace him for no reason. If there's upgrades available over him or for him, that's fine, but I just really disagree with this notion that we're holding our team back by not playing two rookies and Goga more or because Wendell is playing.

Fultz and Harris are the clear upgrades in terms of wasting minutes, and Cole is getting there too after being so vital for us the first month. Ingles is hit or miss but missing a lot lately and Moe W. also has games where he should be limited more.

[zaymon]

Friend, you either work for the team or you have a very warped idea about the possible range of outcomes that result from trading for a player/s. Teams all around us are making moves that are very definitely improving their pace of success. Some are further back, some are pushing for Championships but all of the ones I'm referring to have made big leaps by finding complementary players.

A year or so ago, Smart was the beating heart of the Celtics. The guy who made the machine tick over.

Fast forward a year and he's gone, olaying poorly in his new destination and replaced by a superior player. At the same time last year Porzingis was an NBA afterthought. I actually wanted the Magic to go after him at some point.

Anyway, with those 2 "mediocre" moves, the Celtics are better than ever.

Plenty of teams dont get those trades right? Well if thats what youre worried about, why the heck are you placing so much faith in Weltman to guide us? Its his job to get those moves right. Whats for sure is you cant screw up the trade you never made.

You remember all the jokes about every trade Ainge didnt make ? They started to act differently when Brown was 25 and Tatum 23. We are still 2-3 years away from that with Franz 22 and Paolo 21.
I agree we should improve on clear disasters like Fultz and Cole but its still early for biggers move, especially if they are for controversial players like Murray.

but they already had a few good players surrounding them. If the Magic arent making moves right now, i hope they are talking with Franz and Paolo, otherwise they are going to leave to go to a team that will tell them they will make moves to surround them with talent to try and win. Because right now, Orlando does not look like they are doing that and will do that.

And thats where we agree 100%. I can fly from Europe and drive Cole and Markelle to the airport.
I dont expect big moves like Murray but i agree there is a limit to incompetence of players surroundind Paolo and Franz.

[ARandomStranger]

I don't want to talk trash about WCJ, but he has been bad all year. Having an injury and then coming back and still playing poorly isn't necessarily a good thing. He is a shadow of what he was last year and he has not really contributed to many wins since his return.

This... just isn't true. There was a 6 game stretch 1-2 weeks ago where he was literally the most or 2nd most efficient player in the entire LEAGUE (went 41 of 60). He's now shooting 51/40 while playing serviceable defense (besides some bad matchups). He looked really bad the first few games back from his injury when he had that wrap on his hand, but since then has been pretty solid. Misses bunnies, has dumb fouls at times, slow-footed and just refuses to contest sometimes, but then he'll have some huge rebounds and free throws, D up random guys like Jokic or something, stretch the floor, etc.

The issue eventually is that he's basically the same size as Paolo/Franz and what he brings to the table has a bit too much overlap.

I'm on record saying i like Goga more, but I feel like I have to defend WCJ a bit from this weird board-wide push to replace him for no reason. If there's upgrades available over him or for him, that's fine, but I just really disagree with this notion that we're holding our team back by not playing two rookies and Goga more or because Wendell is playing.

Fultz and Harris are the clear upgrades in terms of wasting minutes, and Cole is getting there too after being so vital for us the first month. Ingles is hit or miss but missing a lot lately and Moe W. also has games where he should be limited more.

I should clarify better, I think he provides offense, but I also feel he isn't nearly as defensively capable. Nothing should ever be easy at the rim, the rim is sacred ground, and as you have pointed out more often than not, he commits a bad foul, or doesn't commit defensively. Sure he hits a shot here and there, with this roster construction it is almost necessary with the inconsistent offensive stretches that this team puts together, but I just find him to shrink in the big moments if you will. He is an inconsistent player on a roster of inconsistent players. It needs to change.

[Knightro]

I will say it clearer

The Magic FO is not content today or ever.

They are simply opposed to making trades for non-difference-maker players at obscene prices.

This feels a bit needlessly argumentative to what we're actually talking about though.

You're are turning this into a much more broad "oh well, of course the front office is not content because they haven't built a title team yet" type of statement, which is fine and not even necessarily inaccurate or wrong, but also kind of irrelevant because we're talking about the here and now considering this is the 2023-2024 trade thread.

Weltman has said quite literally like 20 times over the past two years, basically every time he's made public statements frankly, that the Magic are not going to rush the process or skip steps. On top of that the Magic are also 27-23 through 50 games with a soft and home heavy schedule upcoming.

With those things in mind, it stands to reason - at least to me - that Weltman is very happy and content with where the Magic are *at this point in the process*.

Of course there's more work to be done for the Magic to level up from solid playoff team to team capable of winning multiple playoff series, but I don't see that transition as something that is a priority for Weltman to accomplish at this moment in time.

Because frankly, the moment Weltman actually does push chips into the middle of table and "go for it" the clock actually starts ticking in a tangible way on his ability to build a title contender.

Just my two cents, but Jeff seems perfectly content to just let things play out organically (and continue to have gainful employment without pressure) and not push "all in" until it's absolutely necessary.

[YosemiteSam]

Trade idea from The Athletic

Rockets receive: Jonathan Isaac

Magic receive: Jock Landale, Reggie Bullock, two future second-round picks

Who says no? Magic.

I’m aware of the adage that the best coaches can mold players to fit their style or adapt to their available tools. But it’s hard not to look at someone like Isaac and not think he was crafted in a lab for Udoka.

Isaac, with a defensive impact in the 100th percentile according to Cleaning the Glass, remains in a class of his own. Orlando is a whopping 13.5 points per 100 possessions better on defense with him on the floor. He takes all the right angles, has strength and, at 26, is one of the league’s most versatile and impactful defenders across multiple positions. It’s not that Isaac is a wing who can also protect the paint. He’s a big who shuts down anything in the paint and can also switch out on the perimeter and wreak havoc.

Detractors will point to his outside shooting, which has regressed this season, but Isaac is only shooting slightly below league average on open 3s. That’s not great, but you can work with it. Elsewhere, the potential fit alongside starting center Alperen Şengün, with Isaac’s elite cutting ability, makes the move all the more intriguing. Isaac is also an average roller, but that quality is still something different from what Houston currently has offensively. I would still start Jabari Smith Jr. at the four, but Udoka could get creative with his in-game lineups with Isaac. Good luck trying to score on Isaac, flanked by Smith, Dillon Brooks and Tari Eason. It’s not happening.

I just don’t see why Orlando would let him go, especially with the kind of season they’re having. The Magic are the team I could envision grabbing a first-round upset from a contender. Bullock and Landale simply wouldn’t get minutes for them. I can see a specific subsection of Rockets Twitter cringing at the prospect of relinquishing more second-round picks, but Isaac could be worth it.

NBA writer Josh Robbins: I would think the Magic would say no to this offer. Certainly, it’s better to receive two second-round picks than not to have them. Perhaps they could provide the grist to make future trades. But I don’t think they would bring sufficient utility to Orlando unless they would fall early in those years’ respective second rounds.

Yes, the Magic would benefit from having more shooting. But I don’t think Reggie Bullock would provide enough of an upgrade there to merit such a trade from Orlando’s perspective. If Magic officials want to bring in a long-range shooter of Bullock’s ilk next summer, they can do that in free agency, potentially at a low price point.

When Isaac is healthy enough to play, he provides a massive defensive jolt. He’s a game-changer on that end, especially down the stretches of close games. The Magic have invested so much time, effort, emotion and, yes, salary in Isaac over the years that team officials would like to see him turn the corner (from an injury perspective) in their uniform. Given his 2024-25 salary is non-guaranteed, his salary is not onerous long term. That contract could have value this summer in potential trades that, ideally, could command a better return than that from Houston in this hypothetical offer.

[89Magicfan]

I don't want to talk trash about WCJ, but he has been bad all year. Having an injury and then coming back and still playing poorly isn't necessarily a good thing. He is a shadow of what he was last year and he has not really contributed to many wins since his return.

This... just isn't true. There was a 6 game stretch 1-2 weeks ago where he was literally the most or 2nd most efficient player in the entire LEAGUE (went 41 of 60). He's now shooting 51/40 while playing serviceable defense (besides some bad matchups). He looked really bad the first few games back from his injury when he had that wrap on his hand, but since then has been pretty solid. Misses bunnies, has dumb fouls at times, slow-footed and just refuses to contest sometimes, but then he'll have some huge rebounds and free throws, D up random guys like Jokic or something, stretch the floor, etc.

The issue eventually is that he's basically the same size as Paolo/Franz and what he brings to the table has a bit too much overlap.

I'm on record saying i like Goga more, but I feel like I have to defend WCJ a bit from this weird board-wide push to replace him for no reason. If there's upgrades available over him or for him, that's fine, but I just really disagree with this notion that we're holding our team back by not playing two rookies and Goga more or because Wendell is playing.

Fultz and Harris are the clear upgrades in terms of wasting minutes, and Cole is getting there too after being so vital for us the first month. Ingles is hit or miss but missing a lot lately and Moe W. also has games where he should be limited more.

I should clarify better, I think he provides offense, but I also feel he isn't nearly as defensively capable. Nothing should ever be easy at the rim, the rim is sacred ground, and as you have pointed out more often than not, he commits a bad foul, or doesn't commit defensively. Sure he hits a shot here and there, with this roster construction it is almost necessary with the inconsistent offensive stretches that this team puts together, but I just find him to shrink in the big moments if you will. He is an inconsistent player on a roster of inconsistent players. It needs to change.

He has somewhat a low IQ in the little things. Talented player just doesn’t quite read or see things like Goga does. Both are somewhat slow footed but Goga has a little more of an IQ.

I’d be fine trading WCJ if we landed a high quality PG. I hope we do something. Just can’t continue on with this and expect positive results.

[89Magicfan]

Trade idea from The Athletic

Rockets receive: Jonathan Isaac

Magic receive: Jock Landale, Reggie Bullock, two future second-round picks

Who says no? Magic.

I’m aware of the adage that the best coaches can mold players to fit their style or adapt to their available tools. But it’s hard not to look at someone like Isaac and not think he was crafted in a lab for Udoka.

Isaac, with a defensive impact in the 100th percentile according to Cleaning the Glass, remains in a class of his own. Orlando is a whopping 13.5 points per 100 possessions better on defense with him on the floor. He takes all the right angles, has strength and, at 26, is one of the league’s most versatile and impactful defenders across multiple positions. It’s not that Isaac is a wing who can also protect the paint. He’s a big who shuts down anything in the paint and can also switch out on the perimeter and wreak havoc.

Detractors will point to his outside shooting, which has regressed this season, but Isaac is only shooting slightly below league average on open 3s. That’s not great, but you can work with it. Elsewhere, the potential fit alongside starting center Alperen Şengün, with Isaac’s elite cutting ability, makes the move all the more intriguing. Isaac is also an average roller, but that quality is still something different from what Houston currently has offensively. I would still start Jabari Smith Jr. at the four, but Udoka could get creative with his in-game lineups with Isaac. Good luck trying to score on Isaac, flanked by Smith, Dillon Brooks and Tari Eason. It’s not happening.

I just don’t see why Orlando would let him go, especially with the kind of season they’re having. The Magic are the team I could envision grabbing a first-round upset from a contender. Bullock and Landale simply wouldn’t get minutes for them. I can see a specific subsection of Rockets Twitter cringing at the prospect of relinquishing more second-round picks, but Isaac could be worth it.

NBA writer Josh Robbins: I would think the Magic would say no to this offer. Certainly, it’s better to receive two second-round picks than not to have them. Perhaps they could provide the grist to make future trades. But I don’t think they would bring sufficient utility to Orlando unless they would fall early in those years’ respective second rounds.

Yes, the Magic would benefit from having more shooting. But I don’t think Reggie Bullock would provide enough of an upgrade there to merit such a trade from Orlando’s perspective. If Magic officials want to bring in a long-range shooter of Bullock’s ilk next summer, they can do that in free agency, potentially at a low price point.

When Isaac is healthy enough to play, he provides a massive defensive jolt. He’s a game-changer on that end, especially down the stretches of close games. The Magic have invested so much time, effort, emotion and, yes, salary in Isaac over the years that team officials would like to see him turn the corner (from an injury perspective) in their uniform. Given his 2024-25 salary is non-guaranteed, his salary is not onerous long term. That contract could have value this summer in potential trades that, ideally, could command a better return than that from Houston in this hypothetical offer.

Oh look it’s another one of those media developed trades where Orlando gives up key players for absolutely nothing that makes us better. Can’t wait for more!