RealGM

ATL trades: Josh Smith, Zaza Pachulia
ATL receives: Devin Harris, Yi Jianlian, Marcin Gortat

ATL trades Smith so they can slide Horford into his more natural PF spot. In return they get a penetrating point guard to either compliment JJ's isolation jumpshooting or help replace it. Gortat replaces Pachulia as a more skilled center to compliment Horford, and Yi helps to replace Smith while spacing the floor for Horford and Gortat. Bibby would likely still need to be moved due to contract but he has dropped off considerably and must be replaced as a starter anyway.

NJ trades: Devin Harris, Keyon Dooling, Yi Jianlian
NJ receives: Josh Smith, Zaza Pachulia

NJ slots Wall or Terrance Williams into its PG spot (depending upon how the lotto falls) and uses Harris/Dooling to upgrade the frontcourt. Smith slots in at PF and Pachulia provides a bruising backup to Lopez. The trade is close to salary neutral so they can still be active in free agency.

ORL trades: Marcin Gortat
ORL receives: Keyon Dooling

ORL moves Gortat to a place where he can play more minutes and contribute. In return they replace Anthony Johnson with a PG they know. With his ability to shoot and defend the 2 Dooling also gives them a little flexibility in dealing with Reddick this offseason.

If Atlanta believes that Gortat can be a solid-starter at center, I think they at least think long and hard about it... but why does the Magic do that? Eliminate your quality back-up center so that you can play him 4 times a year? I don't think Dooling is enough incentive for them.

Gortat has way too much value to let him go in return for a third string guard, even if Orlando just needed to clear cap space surely they could come up with something better than that.

that being said, with Howards propensity to get into foul trouble and needing a quality backup, I think its gonna be hard to pry Gortat away

Orlando has no incentive to do this trade... IMO this trade is a steal for NJ. While Orlando gets the **** end of the trade.

I agree it was a creative attempt to solve PG and C concerns, but it requires Orlando to make a complete sacrifice in the deal. Orlando shoots this down.

Gortat wants to start. He was never happy that ORL matched the offer and magic fans seem to think its likely the Magic will accommodate him this summer.

Dooling fills their need for a backup point guard and gives them options in dealing with Reddick's free agency. For a team already well into the luxury tax, the reduced salary between Dooling and Gortat saves them 5 million, not to mention Dooling would play far more minutes. Perhaps the Nets could add the 27th pick to Orlando to make up for the age difference with Gortat and Dooling, but as it stands now the Magic are paying an escalating 6 million dollars to a guy getting 13.4 minutes per game.

Everyone knows there is no future for Gortat in Orlando and Gortat to this point is a largely unproven 26 year old with a significant price tag for the next 4 years. I can't see GMs offering Orlando much more given the circumstances.

The thing is that unless they are pushed financially they don't have incentive to dump their backup C. If you want a contract that's not doing much how about Brandon Bass? If they do seek to trade Gortat, C's are in such demand that they could easily command more like a future 1st in addition to Dooling (if Dooling is their cup of tea).