Official 2025 Offseason Thread

[basketballRob]

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[eyriq]

No.

You just can’t handle the idea that GMs need to be working all the time to optimize rosters on the fringes. You think there is some concrete made up timeframe when GMs need to be working.

You don’t just randomly arrive at a second apron team with the worst supporting cast in the league with a bottom 3 offense.

I’d call you an idiot but I don’t think that’s necessarily true because you have formed intelligent arguments before. I think you are just naive.

You're reacting to a scenario that simply doesn't exist. The Magic are not locked into a second apron team, and pretending otherwise to justify an exaggerated narrative doesn’t make it any more real.

Of course GMs should be constantly looking to improve the roster, but that doesn't mean inventing pressure where it doesn't exist. There's a difference between being proactive and being reactive to a fictional construct.

We didn’t just “arrive” at this state through negligence, it’s part of a deliberate, disciplined approach. You can disagree with the strategy, but at least critique the reality of it, not a version that ignores the actual financial and roster context.

I’ve already laid this out…

When Paolo is paid this team is in the second apron if no changes are made and 2-3 players are not moved. Some combination of Isaac, Goga, declining Gary, or Cole are gone. There is no justification for a 41-41 team to go into next season potentially looking at 2nd apron.

Who builds a roster out of players you cannot keep and have LOWER value than they had prior to giving them their deal? Someone that has cornered themselves into a bad situation.

It’s not fabricating a random scenario. It’s looking at contracts , cap space, and finding ways to improve the team. You don’t like reality. You don’t like that the FO has an issue now outside of owning its own picks.

You’re assuming the current roster structure is static, when it’s clearly designed to be fluid. The team isn’t headed for the second apron unless they choose to.

[basketballRob]

Paolo & family love Orlando.

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[basketballRob]

Weltman's exit interview.

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[eyriq]

I can't be the only one terrified that Weltman is going to make moves, but the wrong ones in an effort to try and earn an extension and ultimately lower our ultimate upside.

They need moves, but there is definitely a wrong way to go about it.

His win-now trade record is spotty. In Toronto they traded for Ibaka and Tucker. Here they traded for Fultz. Hardly moves that inspire confidence.

[basketballRob]

Weltman says he's going to be less protective of picks and future assets for players who can win now. He also says he prefers to make moves in the summer.

80% we do a draft day deal or deals is my assessment.

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[Idiosyncratic]

Weltman says he's going to be less protective of picks and future assets for players who can win now. He also says he prefers to make moves in the summer.

80% we do a draft day deal or deals is my assessment.

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Repeated my line about preserving assets for the summer

Does seem like they may have some groundwork laid for a draft day deal.

Other things I gathered
- Doesn't feel like using the full MLE will be an option. Talked about only being willing to take on a rental and not being sure if they could re-sign them.
- Feels like they won't trade Caldwell-Pope. Talked pretty confidently about him being here and improving next year. I mean could be GM speak, but would make sense that he has pride in his recent big FA acquisition.

[YosemiteSam]

I posted the expert commentary a little bit ago that the league GMs feels the trade deadline is when more gets done now vs the summer due to contract terms - figures our front office is still working off the old paradigm - CONTINUITY (vomit)

IMO what we need to do is to shed a bunch of those mid-level contracts mucking up the cap - now that we have max or near max guys we need to fill out the end of the roster with vet minimum, 1st contract draftees and undrafted free agents - basically finding diamonds in the rough. That allows us some money for key skill need roster adds like a Derrick White (pre extension) or a Max Strus - but not if we are paying roster slots 6-10 $5-$15 million per year per player

[basketballRob]

I posted the expert commentary a little bit ago that the league GMs feels the trade deadline is when more gets done now vs the summer due to contract terms - figures our front office is still working off the old paradigm - CONTINUITY (vomit)

IMO what we need to do is to shed a bunch of those mid-level contracts mucking up the cap - now that we have max or near max guys we need to fill out the end of the roster with vet minimum, 1st contract draftees and undrafted free agents - basically finding diamonds in the rough. That allows us some money for key skill need roster adds like a Derrick White (pre extension) or a Max Strus - but not if we are paying roster slots 6-10 $5-$15 million per year per player

We can also go to training camp with more players as opposed to making an in season trade. You get 20 roster spots in training camp.

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[Idiosyncratic]

I posted the expert commentary a little bit ago that the league GMs feels the trade deadline is when more gets done now vs the summer due to contract terms - figures our front office is still working off the old paradigm - CONTINUITY (vomit)

IMO what we need to do is to shed a bunch of those mid-level contracts mucking up the cap - now that we have max or near max guys we need to fill out the end of the roster with vet minimum, 1st contract draftees and undrafted free agents - basically finding diamonds in the rough. That allows us some money for key skill need roster adds like a Derrick White (pre extension) or a Max Strus - but not if we are paying roster slots 6-10 $5-$15 million per year per player

Agree it does feel like there are a lot of deadline deals now, but a big portion of them are teams scrambling to dump salary. Also none of the non star players dealt this deadline really would have mattered much here. Schroder or Mitchell for a 2nd would have been fine, but I don't even know if they pay to keep either of them. I think preserving assets given who was available and the fact that we were likely a play-in team no matter what was the right play.

Agree with your 2nd point, they need to dump Isaac or Caldwell-Pope (or both) in order to trade for someone that will cost significant money to retain IMO. They also better be taking shots with all of their 2nd rounders at this point, they need to get really lucky with some rotation players if they pay a guard 25 million plus. Other xfactor is them turning Suggs into offense of course, but I personally don't think they will go there yet.

[MartinsIzAfraud]

VERRY TELLING that when Mosely got asked "Jeff mentioned swap some defense for offense, does that excite you" & before the reporter could even finish Mose said a resounding YES I'm okay with that and a huge laugh/smirk. Have to imagine he's been harping on the need for offensive talent all year long and especially last year.

[MartinsIzAfraud]

You're reacting to a scenario that simply doesn't exist. The Magic are not locked into a second apron team, and pretending otherwise to justify an exaggerated narrative doesn’t make it any more real.

Of course GMs should be constantly looking to improve the roster, but that doesn't mean inventing pressure where it doesn't exist. There's a difference between being proactive and being reactive to a fictional construct.

We didn’t just “arrive” at this state through negligence, it’s part of a deliberate, disciplined approach. You can disagree with the strategy, but at least critique the reality of it, not a version that ignores the actual financial and roster context.

Hold your horses.

Your approach stopped being logical after aprons.

It's way easier to add actual talent when your young, upcomming stars are on rookie contracts, because it gives you flexibility- case and point Rockets and OKC exist to prove you wrong.

Waiting for 4-5 years to start building something makes no sense, because max contracts of rookie scale players simply limits your flexibility.

Magic are 1st apron team next year. Period. Without Banchero's exstension.
Franz injury was actually blessing because it prevented him from activating Derrick Rose rule, if that happened, him and Paolo would be making near $100M a year alone in 2026-27.


Also Magic really don't have much talent on roster aside from Paolo, Franz and Suggs. All other guys are bench players or fringe starters on other playoff teams.

All this "too young to " talk is complete waste of time. Anthony Edwards exists to prove this wrong. Wolves pushed all their chips when he was 21. Age is just excuse for do nothing.

There is no excuse what Weltman did with Isaac, G. Harris and Carter. Just washed near $50M down toilet ( a year) on 3 bench players. One just has to start because we have 4 backup Cs.

Every single talking head in nba, every single smart person, every single podcaster out there is asking post Celtics same question: how da **** can Magic have so bad guards?

Needless to say that we wasted 5 years on Fultz.

You're acting like adding talent means blowing up the cap, but WCJ, JI, Cole, etc are already locked in through 2026–27, upgrades will come by swapping within those slots, not stacking new money. That’s not cap mismanagement; it’s strategic flexibility under the new CBA. Weltman is playing the long game in a new trade-driven landscape, and most just haven’t caught up yet

"When I look at the trade deadline, I understand where we want to get better. Ultimately because of our financial situation we were mostly looking at expiring contracts"

So this theory that we're in good shape cap wise would be wrong and from the horses mouth. We were limited due to longer term contracts that likely didn't have much value.

[Skin]

VERRY TELLING that when Mosely got asked "Jeff mentioned swap some defense for offense, does that excite you" & before the reporter could even finish Mose said a resounding YES I'm okay with that and a huge laugh/smirk. Have to imagine he's been harping on the need for offensive talent all year long and especially last year.

What does that mean to you? Which of our defensive players could be traded for offensive players?

[MartinsIzAfraud]

VERRY TELLING that when Mosely got asked "Jeff mentioned swap some defense for offense, does that excite you" & before the reporter could even finish Mose said a resounding YES I'm okay with that and a huge laugh/smirk. Have to imagine he's been harping on the need for offensive talent all year long and especially last year.

What does that mean to you? Which of our defensive players could be traded for offensive players?

Isaac + Cole + 1st round pick for Simons comes to mind. It seem very likely that Isaac will be moved with the comments moving defense for offense.

[three3d]

VERRY TELLING that when Mosely got asked "Jeff mentioned swap some defense for offense, does that excite you" & before the reporter could even finish Mose said a resounding YES I'm okay with that and a huge laugh/smirk. Have to imagine he's been harping on the need for offensive talent all year long and especially last year.

What does that mean to you? Which of our defensive players could be traded for offensive players?

Anthony Black lol

[MartinsIzAfraud]

VERRY TELLING that when Mosely got asked "Jeff mentioned swap some defense for offense, does that excite you" & before the reporter could even finish Mose said a resounding YES I'm okay with that and a huge laugh/smirk. Have to imagine he's been harping on the need for offensive talent all year long and especially last year.

What does that mean to you? Which of our defensive players could be traded for offensive players?

Anthony Black lol

yeah it's probably Black and Isaac..

[Skin]

VERRY TELLING that when Mosely got asked "Jeff mentioned swap some defense for offense, does that excite you" & before the reporter could even finish Mose said a resounding YES I'm okay with that and a huge laugh/smirk. Have to imagine he's been harping on the need for offensive talent all year long and especially last year.

What does that mean to you? Which of our defensive players could be traded for offensive players?

Anthony Black lol

I like the sound of that, but his return will be very little because he sucks.

[MartinsIzAfraud]

What does that mean to you? Which of our defensive players could be traded for offensive players?

Anthony Black lol

I like the sound of that, but his return will be very little because he sucks.

i wouldn't say he sucks but he's a Guard/Wing that would fit very well with a Garland/Sexton/Simons bucket getter. We don't have any of those and Black is the same mold of Suggs/KCPoop

[Skin]

VERRY TELLING that when Mosely got asked "Jeff mentioned swap some defense for offense, does that excite you" & before the reporter could even finish Mose said a resounding YES I'm okay with that and a huge laugh/smirk. Have to imagine he's been harping on the need for offensive talent all year long and especially last year.

What does that mean to you? Which of our defensive players could be traded for offensive players?

Isaac + Cole + 1st round pick for Simons comes to mind. It seem very likely that Isaac will be moved with the comments moving defense for offense.

I'm onboard with getting Simons, but I don't think that package is enough. Cole and JI have turned into negative assets.

[Skin]

Anthony Black lol

I like the sound of that, but his return will be very little because he sucks.

i wouldn't say he sucks but he's a Guard/Wing that would fit very well with a Garland/Sexton/Simons bucket getter. We don't have any of those and Black is the same mold of Suggs/KCPoop

He sucks, but if trying to get Simons, he has more value than Cole, so maybe there's a way to combine him to build up trade value.