ESPN's Windhorst: "Every Magic Player Available at Deadline"

[NBlue]

"Magic have an itchy trigger finger. Scott Skiles is pushing the organization very hard to trade the young players they have for some veterans. They want to make the playoffs this year. Someone could take advantage of them..."
- from 2/10/16 TrueHoop Podcast (starting at 17:20 - my transcription).

This is and has been my biggest concern all along: The Martins/Skiles v. Henny divide.

Would it make sense to make a deal to bring in a vet -- yes, if its the right deal. Would it make sense to sacrifice our long term future to have a shot at the playoffs this year to lose in the first round -- absolutely not. This is my greatest fear.

I trust Henny. I trust that he will try to make a smart move for a vet both at this window and if necessary in the offseason. I do not trust Martins and Skiles pushing scares me. I'd rather not make any moves than make the wrong one. We have a very solid young core that is extremely young. Do we need veteran leadership -- absolutely. Does it make sense to trade away a Payton, Oladipo or (god forbid) a Gordon to have a shot at the 8th seed. The answer is obvious.

Moving Tobias is one thing, but if we are moving some of the young core we better be getting back a Millsap type player.

[SOUL]

We're going to mess this up aren't we...

(I realize we haven't achieved anything yet, but unless it's a trade we need to do no brainer, we don't need to move young pieces just to make a coach happy...)

[Max Power]

I would agree that having a fire sale for veterans is a mistake, trading a Tobias and Fournier for a veteran who can help this group I'm perfectly fine with. I like Tobias but am not fond of Fournier, for the sake of progress I'm ok with moves involving them.

I'm not a fan of Payton at all right now, but I'm not ready to give up on him, there's a really good player in that kid.

I actually don't really trust Hennigan, all he's done in 4 years is build a team that at full potential wins 35 games it appears. None of this is on Skiles, he's been with the team for like 7 months. I agree with him somewhat, this team needs some veteran reliability badly.


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM Forums

[OrlandoDream]

Of course we need veterans but not at the expense of trading away everything we have worked to acquire over the years. Martin and Skiles may be working in the tag team, but your gonna have to fire Henny first before trading AG, Mario, Elf or Dipo. He has spent too much time scouting and acquiring these guys to give them up.

Move the cousins, get some veterans for their value, and lets see how the rest of the season plays out.

[AddiFB]

Nuclear missile "Team Screw-up" detonation in 10... 9... 8...

[rcklsscognition]

Mike and Mike were talking about Skiles this am I think, going to try and podcast it.

[tiderulz]

"Magic have an itchy trigger finger. Scott Skiles is pushing the organization very hard to trade the young players they have for some veterans. They want to make the playoffs this year. Someone could take advantage of them..."
- from 2/10/16 TrueHoop Podcast (starting at 17:20 - my transcription).

This is and has been my biggest concern all along: The Martins/Skiles v. Henny divide.

Would it make sense to make a deal to bring in a vet -- yes, if its the right deal. Would it make sense to sacrifice our long term future to have a shot at the playoffs this year to lose in the first round -- absolutely not. This is my greatest fear.

I trust Henny. I trust that he will try to make a smart move for a vet both at this window and if necessary in the offseason. I do not trust Martins and Skiles pushing scares me. I'd rather not make any moves than make the wrong one. We have a very solid young core that is extremely young. Do we need veteran leadership -- absolutely. Does it make sense to trade away a Payton, Oladipo or (god forbid) a Gordon to have a shot at the 8th seed. The answer is obvious.

Moving Tobias is one thing, but if we are moving some of the young core we better be getting back a Millsap type player.

did he actually say that he was told Every Magic player is available? or is that just what he is guessing?

making a trade of young players for vets isnt so bold, we have been talking about it for awhile. Just depends on which young players and for which vets.

[monchief]

What could Mike and Mike possibly know that any of us already don't? They cover the absolute broadest topics in sports, no way they have any insight to the Magic that isn't just speculation based on hearsay.

[Bensational]

Ever since Gordon and Mario started seeing more time and moved into more prominent roles, this team has started to pull itself out of the slump we were in.

Trading for more vets will likely just fuel Skiles to relegate the young guys again, and I don't want to see that.

5
Vuc

4/3
Gordon
Harris

3/2
Fournier
Hezonja

2/1
Oladipo

1
Payton

considering most of our guys are versatile enough to play multiple positions, we could make a trade of Harris + Oladipo/Fournier and have room for a star quality veteran at the 2, 3 or 4 spot and still have enough high rotation spots for all our guys.

assuming a trade will likely cost us 2 of Harris, Oladipo and Fournier, then it becomes a case of juggling pieces.

Fournier is best suited to the 3 spot, that has become abundantly clear. if we keep Fournier, that means we're either trading Harris + Oladipo for a PF or a SG. trade for a PF, and Gordon has to go to the bench. trade for a SG, and all pieces should fit well enough. trade for a SF, and Fournier gets moved to SG where he's less effective. not an ideal move.

Oladipo is best suited to the 2 spot, which would mean trading Harris + Fournier for a SF or PF.

Harris just seems likely to be gone or a $16M man off the bench.

unless we trade for a 1, which means benching Payton, and maybe running a dual point lineup at times, so maaaaybe Payton still gets enough minutes in that situation?

[Tayswagzzz]

Every player CAN be available, only if it means we are getting a superstar in return. I don't want to break up the core for an aging veteran past his prime just to get a couple more wins for the season.

I would guess a deal for Blake Griffin centered around AG is being looked at...just a hunch.

[OrlandoDream]

Paul George
Blake Griffin
Anthony Davis
Chris Bosh
Paul Millsap
John Wall
Kwahi Leonard
Russell Westbrook
Damian Lillard
Karl Anthony Town


Unless one of these stars/future stars is miraculously available, we better not touch our core. Rob would not tell anybody that every player is available. I just dont see him touching AG or Mario for anybody except some of those above players.

[fendilim]

Never a fan of quick fix. But let's see who Henni moves.

I don't think he gives up the farm, yet.

[OrlDave]

One more week of this...

[EAS Law]

Well, this story DOES corroborate those text message screen shots... Either this is actually what's going on, or Brian (I only follow LeBron) Windhorse uses Real GM as his "source"....

I doubt Hennigan will sacrifice his very very young GM career and blow up a squad that he created, that has also done well, because a carousel coach and Alex Martins tell him to.

I honestly feel that because of the JV experiment, we are where we should have been in year 2 or MAYBE 3 of our rebuild. I can only think of about 2-3 valuable guys that we should legitimately entertain trade offers for to improve fit. I believe our untouchables should be: elf, AG, Mario (we don't even know what we have yet), Vuc (I know some vehemently disagree).

If we make a trade, we have to give something to get something. That's why I wouldn't be too upset to let go of Victor or Tobias. Fournier I think will be too expensive for what he brings us, so those are my 3 guys I'd trade. Anyone else is a filler.

[ChiefWiggumz]

I don't see how anyone can not be a fan of Fournier after watching a game like last nights against the Spurs.

For huge stretches at a time, he was the offense.

I'm not saying he can do it every night. But he would be great as a 6th man.

I think Hezonja is our future starting SG. I also think Oladipo will not accept a 6th man role. But I think Evan would.

Evan and Hezonja are both much bigger than Oladipo and much better shooters and in the long term would work better with Payton.

I was never a fan of trading Victor, but now i'm starting to see him as a valuable trade asset.

I see Harris, Dipo, Frye, MAYBE Vuc as our biggest trade pieces. Will we land a superstar? Most likely know.

But adding a mixture of veterans + young talent or other assets in an attempt to balance out the roster is very likely.

[jgosche]

I trust Hennigan not to make any stupid mistakes. Please don't mess up this roster.

[rcklsscognition]

I don't see how anyone can not be a fan of Fournier after watching a game like last nights against the Spurs.

For huge stretches at a time, he was the offense.

I'm not saying he can do it every night. But he would be great as a 6th man.

I think Hezonja is our future starting SG. I also think Oladipo will not accept a 6th man role. But I think Evan would.

Evan and Hezonja are both much bigger than Oladipo and much better shooters and in the long term would work better with Payton.

I was never a fan of trading Victor, but now i'm starting to see him as a valuable trade asset.

I see Harris, Dipo, Frye, MAYBE Vuc as our biggest trade pieces. Will we land a superstar? Most likely know.

But adding a mixture of veterans + young talent or other assets in an attempt to balance out the roster is very likely.

The problem was he did not play the same game or play that well at SG. Either it was a slump that coincided pretty nicely with his role at SG or his skillset is better adapted for SF. I have poured over a ton of data and it all seems to show that regardless of who is on the court with him (floor spacer, traditional PF, etc) Fournier plays a drastically different brand of basketball as a SF. His elbow/post/paint touches and shot attempts are halved when he plays SG and almost double when he plays SF. He lives in those areas breaking down the defense at the SF. Just floats around the 3 point arc as a 2 guard.

[Tayswagzzz]

Nerlens Noel might be available. Harris for Noel?

[LBPTarHeel27]

I don't see how anyone can not be a fan of Fournier after watching a game like last nights against the Spurs.

For huge stretches at a time, he was the offense.

I'm not saying he can do it every night. But he would be great as a 6th man.

I think Hezonja is our future starting SG. I also think Oladipo will not accept a 6th man role. But I think Evan would.

Evan and Hezonja are both much bigger than Oladipo and much better shooters and in the long term would work better with Payton.

I was never a fan of trading Victor, but now i'm starting to see him as a valuable trade asset.

I see Harris, Dipo, Frye, MAYBE Vuc as our biggest trade pieces. Will we land a superstar? Most likely know.

But adding a mixture of veterans + young talent or other assets in an attempt to balance out the roster is very likely.

We have two guys that are destined for a 6th man role, Victor & Evan. I agree that Hezonja is the eventual starter out of that group...if he progresses accordingly. Otherwise, we don't have our starting SG, IMO. That all being said, I actually think we have a great guard rotation if CJ Watson can get healthy and start making the 3's he has made his entire career.

I love the idea of both Evan & Victor leading the 2nd unit as Co-6th men. They would be a very dynamic combination coming off the bench. Both are playmakers with and without the ball. However, the rest of the bench would need to be comprised of guys that can keep the ball moving. Both Evan and Victor can be ball stoppers during stretches. The bulk of our PG minutes go to Elfrid and a minimal amount to CJ Watson.

[Rick Rolled]

"Magic have an itchy trigger finger. Scott Skiles is pushing the organization very hard to trade the young players they have for some veterans. They want to make the playoffs this year. Someone could take advantage of them..."
- from 2/10/16 TrueHoop Podcast (starting at 17:20 - my transcription).

This is and has been my biggest concern all along: The Martins/Skiles v. Henny divide.

Would it make sense to make a deal to bring in a vet -- yes, if its the right deal. Would it make sense to sacrifice our long term future to have a shot at the playoffs this year to lose in the first round -- absolutely not. This is my greatest fear.

I trust Henny. I trust that he will try to make a smart move for a vet both at this window and if necessary in the offseason. I do not trust Martins and Skiles pushing scares me. I'd rather not make any moves than make the wrong one. We have a very solid young core that is extremely young. Do we need veteran leadership -- absolutely. Does it make sense to trade away a Payton, Oladipo or (god forbid) a Gordon to have a shot at the 8th seed. The answer is obvious.

Moving Tobias is one thing, but if we are moving some of the young core we better be getting back a Millsap type player.

did he actually say that he was told Every Magic player is available? or is that just what he is guessing?

making a trade of young players for vets isnt so bold, we have been talking about it for awhile. Just depends on which young players and for which vets.

I just listened, here's the direct quote.

Verbatim - "The Orlando Magic have an itchy trigger finger. Scott Skiles is pushing the organization very hard to trade the young players they have for veterans. They want to make the playoffs this year, and somebody could take advantage of them and get a young player or two, and from what I understand, every player is available. From Tobias Harris, to Oladipo, to Elfrid Payton. They want proven players, and that's a potential trade partner for the Hawks if they go that route".