BREAKING: Magic acquire Desmond Bane (KCP, Cole + 4 1st Round Picks + 1 1st Round Pick Swap)

[Bergmaniac]

I get people thinking we may have overpaid, but the questioning of the fit is just strange to me. What we needed the most from our guards was 3 point shooting, ability to self-create shots and playmaking and Bane is the only player I can think of who is gettable without giving away Suggs and/or Black and is at least very good at all 3 (and super elite at 3 point shooting) and also not a disaster on D.

He had 8.4 assists per 100 possessions in the minutes he played without Ja last season which is very good (higher than anyone on the Magic) and the Grizzlies offence held up quite well in these minutes (116.1 ORTG). The Grizzlies' issues last season were mostly on defence, not on offense. Sure, he had bad playoffs, but to say he can't be a good ballhandler in the playoffs because he struggled in a short series against the best defence in the last 10 years (if not ever) seems premature to me.

[pepe1991]

If we added prime MJ, Pepe would have at least 10 things he didn’t like about it.

Well, MJ wasn't PG

No. I like Bane as player. it goes without saying team got better. Short term.

But mid and long term, it's brutal overpay for player that isn't star ( nor superstar) player , playing position that you have Suggs on.

And still biggest problem, pace control and organized offense with reliable handler are not solved.

Whole roster build up is continuation of Celtics gimmick. Now we are all in on Celtics gimmick. Well, we saw this year problem with both: Celtics gimmick and how much better Tatum actually is than Franz or Paolo. ( as Celtics gimmick folded in spectacular fashion vs Knicks).
With big difference among guards, where White and Jrue are actually capable of running "point", where Suggs isn't, and Bane probably isn't best solution (needless to say if you put him on ball, you lose best off ball decoy ).

We are all in on team with 2 SGs, SF, PF no reliable C and no PG on roster and bench filled with pretty much non existing offense, nor ballhandling. By default, that's not roster that i would consider best structured, regardless is that Magic team or any other team.

You’re mistaking roster creativity for chaos. We didn’t pay for a star label we paid for production that fills our biggest void and complements our actual stars. Bane brings elite shooting and real secondary creation, and you don’t get that at a discount. The idea that you need a traditional point guard to run a modern offense is outdated. Boston didn’t fail because of the “gimmick,” they lost their best player. We just made a win-now move that keeps our young core intact and raises our ceiling. That’s not panic. That’s clarity.

You are mistaking good player for superstar haul that does not fix any of our problems but shooting. But shooting will remain problem as long as your 30% usage guys, two of them, don't start shooting like people worth 30% usage.

Outdated how? Two teams in finals have two out of top 4 best PGs in nba.

Boston was already done by the time Tatum went out (down 3-1 ). Boston was actually done against us, because Jrue fell off cliff as player and no longer could produce (or play) and too much bulk was on Brown and Tatum to create. But we had putrid offense that couldn't make them pay.


3 max contract players under new CBA. You get to keep your core and surround them with pile of garbage and vet minimums ,and every year, in next 4 years you will have worst supporting cast and worst pile of contracts due overpay to keep them.

Your bench is already steaming pile of s*** made out of players incapable of putting ball on floor or through hoop.

[Optimus_Steel]

You can't trade in advance more than 7 years.

We gave them everything that was possible but:
2027 first round pick (nba doesn't allow it to save fans from people like Billy King)
2031 pick swap

We gave them literally everything else that was tradable. Unprotected.

It's crazy how some people can't grasp magnitude of such trade. This was Giannis /Booker /Dončić / Jokić trade done for... Desmond Bane...

Getting those stars would have cost Paolo or Franz or both and picks.

[eyriq]

Well, MJ wasn't PG

No. I like Bane as player. it goes without saying team got better. Short term.

But mid and long term, it's brutal overpay for player that isn't star ( nor superstar) player , playing position that you have Suggs on.

And still biggest problem, pace control and organized offense with reliable handler are not solved.

Whole roster build up is continuation of Celtics gimmick. Now we are all in on Celtics gimmick. Well, we saw this year problem with both: Celtics gimmick and how much better Tatum actually is than Franz or Paolo. ( as Celtics gimmick folded in spectacular fashion vs Knicks).
With big difference among guards, where White and Jrue are actually capable of running "point", where Suggs isn't, and Bane probably isn't best solution (needless to say if you put him on ball, you lose best off ball decoy ).

We are all in on team with 2 SGs, SF, PF no reliable C and no PG on roster and bench filled with pretty much non existing offense, nor ballhandling. By default, that's not roster that i would consider best structured, regardless is that Magic team or any other team.

You’re mistaking roster creativity for chaos. We didn’t pay for a star label we paid for production that fills our biggest void and complements our actual stars. Bane brings elite shooting and real secondary creation, and you don’t get that at a discount. The idea that you need a traditional point guard to run a modern offense is outdated. Boston didn’t fail because of the “gimmick,” they lost their best player. We just made a win-now move that keeps our young core intact and raises our ceiling. That’s not panic. That’s clarity.

You are mistaking good player for superstar haul that does not fix any of our problems but shooting. But shooting will remain problem as long as your 30% usage guys, two of them, don't start shooting like people worth 30% usage.

Outdated how? Two teams in finals have two out of top 4 best PGs in nba.

Boston was already done by the time Tatum went out (down 3-1 ). Boston was actually done against us, because Jrue fell off cliff as player and no longer could produce (or play) and too much bulk was on Brown and Tatum to create. But we had putrid offense that couldn't make them pay.


3 max contract players under new CBA. You get to keep your core and surround them with pile of garbage and vet minimums ,and every year, in next 4 years you will have worst supporting cast and worst pile of contracts due overpay to keep them.

Your bench is already steaming pile of s*** made out of players incapable of putting ball on floor or through hoop.

You’re acting like we gave up five unprotected lottery picks for a sixth man. Bane is a 20+ PPG scorer on elite efficiency with playoff reps and secondary playmaking. That’s exactly the kind of player who lets Paolo and Franz grow into their usage without being overburdened. The obsession with a “true PG” ignores how offenses actually run now; read-based, multi-handler systems built around spacing and decision-making, not ball-dominant floor generals. We solved the hardest problem to fix: elite shooting with gravity. If you can’t see that value, you’re anchoring to an old blueprint in a league that’s already moved on.

[Black and Blue]

If we added prime MJ, Pepe would have at least 10 things he didn’t like about it.

Well, MJ wasn't PG

No. I like Bane as player. it goes without saying team got better. Short term.

But mid and long term, it's brutal overpay for player that isn't star ( nor superstar) player , playing position that you have Suggs on.

And still biggest problem, pace control and organized offense with reliable handler are not solved.

Whole roster build up is continuation of Celtics gimmick. Now we are all in on Celtics gimmick. Well, we saw this year problem with both: Celtics gimmick and how much better Tatum actually is than Franz or Paolo. ( as Celtics gimmick folded in spectacular fashion vs Knicks).
With big difference among guards, where White and Jrue are actually capable of running "point", where Suggs isn't, and Bane probably isn't best solution (needless to say if you put him on ball, you lose best off ball decoy ).

We are all in on team with 2 SGs, SF, PF no reliable C and no PG on roster and bench filled with pretty much non existing offense, nor ballhandling. By default, that's not roster that i would consider best structured, regardless is that Magic team or any other team.

You’re mistaking roster creativity for chaos. We didn’t pay for a star label we paid for production that fills our biggest void and complements our actual stars. Bane brings elite shooting and real secondary creation, and you don’t get that at a discount. The idea that you need a traditional point guard to run a modern offense is outdated. Boston didn’t fail because of the “gimmick,” they lost their best player. We just made a win-now move that keeps our young core intact and raises our ceiling. That’s not panic. That’s clarity.

Exactly. I will add that the most overlooked aspect of this deal, and one could argue is certain worth extra firsts, is that Bane still has many years left on his deal. Every “available” player was a one year rental until they inevitably demanded much more money or their play was bad enough to keep their deal parameters the same. Now this team can push down on the gas and give Bane the best chance to succeed without worry about his contract number flying up.

The details of the trade explain so many things, but 4 first rounders is all anyone reads. Even the fact the Magic couldn’t have used all of those first rounders with their team near the apron is lost on people.

[3ddman23]

You can't trade in advance more than 7 years.

We gave them everything that was possible but:
2027 first round pick (nba doesn't allow it to save fans from people like Billy King)
2031 pick swap

We gave them literally everything else that was tradable. Unprotected.

It's crazy how some people can't grasp magnitude of such trade. This was Giannis /Booker /Dončić / Jokić trade done for... Desmond Bane...

What superstar has been traded recently for that? And don't bring up Luka (we all know there was something going on there)or a trade from 5 plus years ago. This is the market now for said players. Gobert, siakim, bridges, bane. The proof is the pudding

If durant gets less then what the magic gave up for bane it's because he is 37 and needs a new contract soon. It's not comparable.

In order to get talent like you just said it has to be boneified sure fire top 5 picks type of haul. This trade for bane is not gonna be anywhere near that if we think we have something special here.

It's all what ifs you keep bringing up... What if the magic have major injuries, what if the magic aren't as good as people think, what if Paolo & Franz can't learn hot to shoot a bit better, what if we can't sign people.

What we know is the magic are better now, not just short term but now & the future. Why because bane is locked up long terms and the magic core are still extremely young.

Let's see how it plays out before calling a brutal overpay. The magic paid 3 first round pick to get penny hardaway and those picks turned into who???? A bunch of nobodies.

[tiderulz]

I get people thinking we may have overpaid, but the questioning of the fit is just strange to me. What we needed the most from our guards was 3 point shooting, ability to self-create shots and playmaking and Bane is the only player I can think of who is gettable without giving away Suggs and/or Black and is at least very good at all 3 (and super elite at 3 point shooting) and also not a disaster on D.

He had 8.4 assists per 100 possessions in the minutes he played without Ja last season which is very good (higher than anyone on the Magic) and the Grizzlies offence held up quite well in these minutes (116.1 ORTG). The Grizzlies' issues last season were mostly on defence, not on offense. Sure, he had bad playoffs, but to say he can't be a good ballhandler in the playoffs because he struggled in a short series against the best defence in the last 10 years (if not ever) seems premature to me.

yep, objectively, this is what we gave up for a very good player in his prime.

Cole + KCP likely took at least 1 pick to take on due to their performances last year

2025 - #16
2026 - lottery pick depending on a bunch of factors
2028 - likely 20's pick
2030 - likely 20's pick
pick swap option likely not used.

[VFX]

I don’t think Orlando overpaid at face value.

Yeah. The picks limit them from adding talent to round out the roster depth. Also, should something happen to Suggs or Bane that will be a very real problem not being able to address roster depth because nobody off the bench can create like that until further notice.

Two of the picks are negligible in that way. They made an all-in trade and Orlando shouldn’t be in the top of lotteries anymore if Mosely is actually a head coach and everything here translates well. Pick #16 is just a nice potentially fringe starter or off the bench guy.

The Phoenix pick was really the bigger asset here. But you cannot wait around really hoping they blow it up and are terrible. Orlando’s window is kinda now with Paolo expected to be signing a max and not 4 years from now with whoever that pick becomes.

My bigger issue with the trade is just personal basketball philosophy. We will have 4 guys on very good deals and still do not have a point guard. Suggs and Bane can mimic lead ball handlers, but they aren’t running action in a back court. They aren’t getting Paolo or Franz into action for easier baskets on ball. They inadvertently will based on how effective they happen to be off ball, which both of them are. Paolo, Franz, and Mosely still have to make things happen.

So yeah, Orlando paid handsomely for a very good player to a system that may or may not work. Bane is at the top of the charts positionally for what he does and I’m glad they made a move finally in 4 years. That being said, it addresses one total concern with this offense in shooting. And while shooting is absolutely an issue it wasn’t THE issue on offense. It was a symptom of why the offense wasn’t working.

That’s just a nuanced take here. It isn’t “trade good ur dumb if you disagree” simply because Weltman pushed all the future trade capital into the center for a top 5 positional guy. I get that it’s exciting. I just disagree that it’s the solution until we see it in action.

[fendilim]

There really is no denying that we did overpay for Bane if you look at it straight up Bane for 4 1sts and a swap. But we also did unload KCP and Cole which are basically cancerous to the team’s cap situation.

I think jury is still out on this deal because we have yet to see how Paolo and Franz will respond to playing with a legit floor spacer like Bane. I think this may even help Paolo be a top 10 player when he reaches his peak and Bane will only be like 30/31 at that point.

[Knightro]

If this board had sniffed any semblance of Bane being available over the course of the 300+ page thread we had, he would’ve been our consensus #1 target and we would have been worked into a frenzy trying to figure out how to get him without losing Suggs.

I floated the idea of Bane out there, but thought it would for sure involve Suggs!

[tiderulz]

Well, MJ wasn't PG

No. I like Bane as player. it goes without saying team got better. Short term.

But mid and long term, it's brutal overpay for player that isn't star ( nor superstar) player , playing position that you have Suggs on.

And still biggest problem, pace control and organized offense with reliable handler are not solved.

Whole roster build up is continuation of Celtics gimmick. Now we are all in on Celtics gimmick. Well, we saw this year problem with both: Celtics gimmick and how much better Tatum actually is than Franz or Paolo. ( as Celtics gimmick folded in spectacular fashion vs Knicks).
With big difference among guards, where White and Jrue are actually capable of running "point", where Suggs isn't, and Bane probably isn't best solution (needless to say if you put him on ball, you lose best off ball decoy ).

We are all in on team with 2 SGs, SF, PF no reliable C and no PG on roster and bench filled with pretty much non existing offense, nor ballhandling. By default, that's not roster that i would consider best structured, regardless is that Magic team or any other team.

You’re mistaking roster creativity for chaos. We didn’t pay for a star label we paid for production that fills our biggest void and complements our actual stars. Bane brings elite shooting and real secondary creation, and you don’t get that at a discount. The idea that you need a traditional point guard to run a modern offense is outdated. Boston didn’t fail because of the “gimmick,” they lost their best player. We just made a win-now move that keeps our young core intact and raises our ceiling. That’s not panic. That’s clarity.

You are mistaking good player for superstar haul that does not fix any of our problems but shooting. But shooting will remain problem as long as your 30% usage guys, two of them, don't start shooting like people worth 30% usage.

Outdated how? Two teams in finals have two out of top 4 best PGs in nba.

Boston was already done by the time Tatum went out (down 3-1 ). Boston was actually done against us, because Jrue fell off cliff as player and no longer could produce (or play) and too much bulk was on Brown and Tatum to create. But we had putrid offense that couldn't make them pay.


3 max contract players under new CBA. You get to keep your core and surround them with pile of garbage and vet minimums ,and every year, in next 4 years you will have worst supporting cast and worst pile of contracts due overpay to keep them.

Your bench is already steaming pile of s*** made out of players incapable of putting ball on floor or through hoop.

point of fact, SGA is not the OKC point guard. Haliburton was not a top-4 PG throughout the year. 2nd in APG in season, though 13th PG in scoring. he stepped up in the playoffs, but still not a top-4 PG and bad defender.

this "haul" gets a little overrated when people shout out "unprotected". this is what we gave up,

Cole + KCP likely took at least 1 pick to take on due to their performances last year

2025 - #16
2026 - possible lottery pick depending on a bunch of factors
2028 - likely 20's pick
2030 - likely 20's pick
pick swap option likely not used.

overpay? yes, but not by as much as people want to make it out to be

[dsg2021]

The first 5 pages or so has the negative nancies out in full force again. Let’s clarify some things.

The valuable 2026 ORL 1st via PHX/WAS was an excellent trade Weltman & Co. did in 2023 giving up three 2nds for PHX to have draft picks around their 3-star core that was still in the hype machine with rose-colored glasses.
Do you think this 2026 1st pick mattered in getting Bane? Because everyone is saying yes and from every major publication.

How does it feel as a negative nancy that Weltman & Co. did this trade under your nose while you were actively complaining about zero-trade Weltman?

How does it also feel as a negative nancy that was complaining about trading past ORL 1sts and 2nds away and now there’s no ‘26 PHX 1st or Desmond Bane deal without these trade-away’s?

You missed the dot on these questions above and now you all get to pretend to ignore them. How conveniently arm-chair GM of you.

So if you follow the chain of evidence carefully, you are in big trouble because you have no 2026 PHX 1st today and either no Desmond Bane able to pry from MEM at all, or no Desmond Bane you can pry for essentially KCP only player-wise. In your world, you would be giving up Anthony Black and maybe even one more 1st than Weltman did because MEM is still not seeing any high chance lotto picks in your deal. Or even worse, you would be giving up Jalen Suggs which is what a couple or so of you negative nancies literally said to do in these forums the past two months.

The truth is most of you negative folks really talk down our 1sts every summer as well. So I also don’t get it. If rookies and sophomores never contribute.. and mid/late 1sts work out only 10% of the time.. why are you so disappointed in Weltman for losing only three summers of 1sts picks by technically keeping the #25 1st today and a less favorable 1st Swap in 2029.

There’s just too much goal-post moving of deciding when 1st round picks are good or not to many people here. It’s bad when we have them because they never yield a draft hit for almost any team. But it’s bad when we trade them because apparently it was the whole future and a super amazing warchest asset.
And this total lack of awareness in the chain of evidence in assets, like you don’t have the 2026 PHX 1st today because you said Weltman hasn’t done any trades. Okay, then let me take away that 2026 PHX 1st from you when you run through your trade and draft ideas for 2025 february deadline, 2025 summer & draft, 2026 february deadline, and 2026 summer & draft. We are also one of the most richest teams in 2nd Round Picks today.

[tiderulz]

I don’t think Orlando overpaid at face value.

Yeah. The picks limit them from adding talent to round out the roster depth. Also, should something happen to Suggs or Bane that will be a very real problem not being able to address roster depth because nobody off the bench can create like that until further notice.

Two of the picks are negligible in that way. They made an all-in trade and Orlando shouldn’t be in the top of lotteries anymore if Mosely is actually a head coach and everything here translates well. Pick #16 is just a nice potentially fringe starter or off the bench guy.

The Phoenix pick was really the bigger asset here. But you cannot wait around really hoping they blow it up and are terrible. Orlando’s window is kinda now with Paolo expected to be signing a max and not 4 years from now with whoever that pick becomes.

My bigger issue with the trade is just personal basketball philosophy. We will have 4 guys on very good deals and still do not have a point guard. Suggs and Bane can mimic lead ball handlers, but they aren’t running action in a back court. They aren’t getting Paolo or Franz into action for easier baskets on ball. They inadvertently will based on how effective they happen to be off ball, which both of them are. Paolo, Franz, and Mosely still have to make things happen.

So yeah, Orlando paid handsomely for a very good player to a system that may or may not work. Bane is at the top of the charts positionally for what he does and I’m glad they made a move finally in 4 years. That being said, it address one total concern with this offense in shooting. And while shooting is absolutely an issue it wasn’t THE issue on offense. It was a symptom of why the offense wasn’t working.

That’s just a nuanced take here. It isn’t “trade good ur dumb if you disagree” simply because Weltman pushed all the future trade capital into the center for a top 5 positional guy. I get that it’s exciting. I just disagree that it’s the solution until we see it in action.

the thing i think about, we had massive injuries this year and still made the playoffs and our pick was #16. the new team is much better, the normal picks will be in the 20's and unless we lose 2 starters for multiple years, those picks will still be non-lottery picks.

[KillMonger]

You’re mistaking roster creativity for chaos. We didn’t pay for a star label we paid for production that fills our biggest void and complements our actual stars. Bane brings elite shooting and real secondary creation, and you don’t get that at a discount. The idea that you need a traditional point guard to run a modern offense is outdated. Boston didn’t fail because of the “gimmick,” they lost their best player. We just made a win-now move that keeps our young core intact and raises our ceiling. That’s not panic. That’s clarity.

You are mistaking good player for superstar haul that does not fix any of our problems but shooting. But shooting will remain problem as long as your 30% usage guys, two of them, don't start shooting like people worth 30% usage.

Outdated how? Two teams in finals have two out of top 4 best PGs in nba.

Boston was already done by the time Tatum went out (down 3-1 ). Boston was actually done against us, because Jrue fell off cliff as player and no longer could produce (or play) and too much bulk was on Brown and Tatum to create. But we had putrid offense that couldn't make them pay.


3 max contract players under new CBA. You get to keep your core and surround them with pile of garbage and vet minimums ,and every year, in next 4 years you will have worst supporting cast and worst pile of contracts due overpay to keep them.

Your bench is already steaming pile of s*** made out of players incapable of putting ball on floor or through hoop.

You’re acting like we gave up five unprotected lottery picks for a sixth man. Bane is a 20+ PPG scorer on elite efficiency with playoff reps and secondary playmaking. That’s exactly the kind of player who lets Paolo and Franz grow into their usage without being overburdened. The obsession with a “true PG” ignores how offenses actually run now; read-based, multi-handler systems built around spacing and decision-making, not ball-dominant floor generals. We solved the hardest problem to fix: elite shooting with gravity. If you can’t see that value, you’re anchoring to an old blueprint in a league that’s already moved on.

this is more along the lines of how i'm thinking about it......fits like a glove

[SloNick Russia]

We paid for a real product with some lottery tickets and now worry if Memphis would win a jackpot and we may look stupid.
Thats all it is.

Sent from my SM-S928B using RealGM mobile app

[Furinkazan]

yeah most of the picks we gave up are usless people forget drafts tend to flatten out pretty fast for Weltman

still the one and only thing Im mad about we didnt trade for a point guard

and stop spinning this **** Bane is not a point guard he is a good and willing passer for his position thats it

[fendilim]

You’re mistaking roster creativity for chaos. We didn’t pay for a star label we paid for production that fills our biggest void and complements our actual stars. Bane brings elite shooting and real secondary creation, and you don’t get that at a discount. The idea that you need a traditional point guard to run a modern offense is outdated. Boston didn’t fail because of the “gimmick,” they lost their best player. We just made a win-now move that keeps our young core intact and raises our ceiling. That’s not panic. That’s clarity.

You are mistaking good player for superstar haul that does not fix any of our problems but shooting. But shooting will remain problem as long as your 30% usage guys, two of them, don't start shooting like people worth 30% usage.

Outdated how? Two teams in finals have two out of top 4 best PGs in nba.

Boston was already done by the time Tatum went out (down 3-1 ). Boston was actually done against us, because Jrue fell off cliff as player and no longer could produce (or play) and too much bulk was on Brown and Tatum to create. But we had putrid offense that couldn't make them pay.


3 max contract players under new CBA. You get to keep your core and surround them with pile of garbage and vet minimums ,and every year, in next 4 years you will have worst supporting cast and worst pile of contracts due overpay to keep them.

Your bench is already steaming pile of s*** made out of players incapable of putting ball on floor or through hoop.

point of fact, SGA is not the OKC point guard. Haliburton was not a top-4 PG throughout the year. 2nd in APG in season, though 13th PG in scoring. he stepped up in the playoffs, but still not a top-4 PG and bad defender.

this "haul" gets a little overrated when people shout out "unprotected". this is what we gave up,

Cole + KCP likely took at least 1 pick to take on due to their performances last year

2025 - #16
2026 - possible lottery pick depending on a bunch of factors
2028 - likely 20's pick
2030 - likely 20's pick
pick swap option likely not used.

overpay? yes, but not by as much as people want to make it out to be

i agree.

Honestly, perception is subjective.

When was the last time the franchise did a trade of this magnitude?

Vince Carter trade? Gilbert Arenas?

That was like more than a decade ago. We’re not used to seeing big trades at this point.

[VFX]

I don’t think Orlando overpaid at face value.

Yeah. The picks limit them from adding talent to round out the roster depth. Also, should something happen to Suggs or Bane that will be a very real problem not being able to address roster depth because nobody off the bench can create like that until further notice.

Two of the picks are negligible in that way. They made an all-in trade and Orlando shouldn’t be in the top of lotteries anymore if Mosely is actually a head coach and everything here translates well. Pick #16 is just a nice potentially fringe starter or off the bench guy.

The Phoenix pick was really the bigger asset here. But you cannot wait around really hoping they blow it up and are terrible. Orlando’s window is kinda now with Paolo expected to be signing a max and not 4 years from now with whoever that pick becomes.

My bigger issue with the trade is just personal basketball philosophy. We will have 4 guys on very good deals and still do not have a point guard. Suggs and Bane can mimic lead ball handlers, but they aren’t running action in a back court. They aren’t getting Paolo or Franz into action for easier baskets on ball. They inadvertently will based on how effective they happen to be off ball, which both of them are. Paolo, Franz, and Mosely still have to make things happen.

So yeah, Orlando paid handsomely for a very good player to a system that may or may not work. Bane is at the top of the charts positionally for what he does and I’m glad they made a move finally in 4 years. That being said, it address one total concern with this offense in shooting. And while shooting is absolutely an issue it wasn’t THE issue on offense. It was a symptom of why the offense wasn’t working.

That’s just a nuanced take here. It isn’t “trade good ur dumb if you disagree” simply because Weltman pushed all the future trade capital into the center for a top 5 positional guy. I get that it’s exciting. I just disagree that it’s the solution until we see it in action.

the thing i think about, we had massive injuries this year and still made the playoffs and our pick was #16. the new team is much better, the normal picks will be in the 20's and unless we lose 2 starters for multiple years, those picks will still be non-lottery picks.

I will NOT be arguing here that the team isn’t infinitely better than last season full stop. It is absolutely better.

Throwing 4x firsts at someone should make your team increasingly better I would hope. Bane is 100x better on offense than KCP and that’s what they paid for on top of getting rid of him.

My only issue with the picks comes down to roster depth. I argued this here lately in other terms for hypothetical deals just due to the lack of movement to round out the roster in other ways. But that’s the cost of doing business. Orlando had no other real assets and moving Suggs wasn’t on the table apparently (thank god).

The sticker shock is a lot, but I agree that the picks themselves aren’t as huge as landing real talent now because of the window and timeframe.

Yeah, I get that Orlando was injured last season. I’m not going to chalk up poorly run offense though to that wholesale. Paolo and Franz will still have the ball in their hands 90% of the time and that’s not going to change now even with a more efficient shooter that does things better offensively.

[bigdogdylan5]

Sigh, the same people who yelled at me saying Weltman is a terrible GM for trading 3 bad seconds for a pick swap from PHX are now holding on to that pick swap like it’s their first born child. You said it won’t even matter we aren’t going to use it and we gave up seconds for nothing.

[tiderulz]

I don’t think Orlando overpaid at face value.

Yeah. The picks limit them from adding talent to round out the roster depth. Also, should something happen to Suggs or Bane that will be a very real problem not being able to address roster depth because nobody off the bench can create like that until further notice.

Two of the picks are negligible in that way. They made an all-in trade and Orlando shouldn’t be in the top of lotteries anymore if Mosely is actually a head coach and everything here translates well. Pick #16 is just a nice potentially fringe starter or off the bench guy.

The Phoenix pick was really the bigger asset here. But you cannot wait around really hoping they blow it up and are terrible. Orlando’s window is kinda now with Paolo expected to be signing a max and not 4 years from now with whoever that pick becomes.

My bigger issue with the trade is just personal basketball philosophy. We will have 4 guys on very good deals and still do not have a point guard. Suggs and Bane can mimic lead ball handlers, but they aren’t running action in a back court. They aren’t getting Paolo or Franz into action for easier baskets on ball. They inadvertently will based on how effective they happen to be off ball, which both of them are. Paolo, Franz, and Mosely still have to make things happen.

So yeah, Orlando paid handsomely for a very good player to a system that may or may not work. Bane is at the top of the charts positionally for what he does and I’m glad they made a move finally in 4 years. That being said, it address one total concern with this offense in shooting. And while shooting is absolutely an issue it wasn’t THE issue on offense. It was a symptom of why the offense wasn’t working.

That’s just a nuanced take here. It isn’t “trade good ur dumb if you disagree” simply because Weltman pushed all the future trade capital into the center for a top 5 positional guy. I get that it’s exciting. I just disagree that it’s the solution until we see it in action.

the thing i think about, we had massive injuries this year and still made the playoffs and our pick was #16. the new team is much better, the normal picks will be in the 20's and unless we lose 2 starters for multiple years, those picks will still be non-lottery picks.

I will NOT be arguing here that the team isn’t infinitely better than last season full stop. It is absolutely better.

Throwing 4x firsts at someone should make your team increasingly better I would hope. Bane is 100x better on offense than KCP and that’s what they paid for on top of getting rid of him.

My only issue with the picks comes down to roster depth. I argued this here lately in other terms for hypothetical deals just due to the lack of movement to round out the roster in other ways. But that’s the cost of doing business. Orlando had no other real assets and moving Suggs wasn’t on the table apparently (thank god).

The sticker shock is a lot, but I agree that the picks themselves aren’t as huge as landing real talent now because of the window and timeframe.

Yeah, I get that Orlando was injured last season. I’m not going to chalk up poorly run offense though to that wholesale. Paolo and Franz will still have the ball in their hands 90% of the time and that’s not going to change now even with a more efficient shooter that does things better offensively.

i meant my comment to add on to your thought on not being an overpay for what we spent and what we got. I agree dept will be an issue, the front office needs to draft well. We arent looking for draft picks now to start, just contribute. and they HAVE to use 2nd round picks to try and find gems too instead of trading them for picks down the road. and hopefully find a few ring chasers, even if they can only give 10 mpg.