Official Summer 2024 Magic Free Agency and Trade Ideas Thread 7.0: KCP Signed, What's Next?

[Knightro]

Here's a good question right now. Can this magic team remain competitive and win basketball games next season similar to last year's pace or maybe even better?

If the answer to that question is yes and it's done with minutes still allotted to Cole, Gary, and WCJ does their trade value increase?

To your first question - if Paolo, Franz and Suggs stay as healthy as they did last year - yes they can win 47+ games next year for sure.

To your second question - therein lies the problem. If the Magic do win 47 to 52 games next year and Cole, Gary and WCJ are all in the rotation contributing, do you think Weltman would even consider trading any of them?

The answer is no.

He just isn't a proactive decision maker. He's much more likely to trade guys away if they don't play well when their value is at its lowest. But if the team is having success, I'd be my house that Weltman won't have the stones to "shake it up".

[Optimus_Steel]

Bitching and moaning is hilarious. We are going to overwhelm teams with this depth.

[Skin]

Here's a good question right now. Can this magic team remain competitive and win basketball games next season similar to last year's pace or maybe even better?

If the answer to that question is yes and it's done with minutes still allotted to Cole, Gary, and WCJ does their trade value increase?

The goal is not to maintain status quo, especially when teams around the league are getting better. Even teams with no cap space got better than us.

[MartinsIzAfraud]

Can already hear the press conference.

Sniff well we decided we’d bring the team back after last years success. snifff Jett & AB are going to do fine, we’re growing organically. Other teams usually build around weaknesses sniffff but we’re different and we hope other teams take notice.

[Black and Blue]

I don’t understand the confusion. I think AB is going to get plenty of burn this season as a backup. Jett will too, albeit likely less unless he lights up summer league and practice (which you never know, it could happen).

It just was never going to be a thing where either of these guys were gifted a rotation role after their first year. They were way, way too raw when they were drafted.

If Harris is the backup at year’s end, then something went horribly wrong…but it wouldn’t shock me if AB and Jett have to start third string and then climb that ladder this season.

My bigger concern is who is going to provide scoring in this lineup. Suggs and others are going to have to score more than last year for this to work.

Those guys will play when there are injuries... and that's it IMO.

When everyone is healthy, neither one of those guys are in the rotation.

I think that was definitely the case year 1, but I really think we see both deployed fairly regularly. -Especially to start the season. If they struggle then you very well may be right…but that will be due to their play, not due to stubbornness from Mosely.

The team has every reason to have these guys succeed and take over. I truly think they’ll give them that opportunity at the start of this season and if they fail it won’t be for lack of trying.

If I’m wrong definitely refer back to this post and I’ll gladly say I was wrong.

These sorts of things happen when you take two giant rolls of the dice in the lottery. You have to have known insurance policies built into the roster in case they fail or are still not ready. It’s a huge, huge offseason and development time for each of them.

[Knightro]

Franz, Paolo and Suggs did.

Black started over Ingles last year.

Apples and oranges.

Those guys were drafted to teams that were still tanking and the Magic are not in that place anymore.

[Black and Blue]

Here's a good question right now. Can this magic team remain competitive and win basketball games next season similar to last year's pace or maybe even better?

If the answer to that question is yes and it's done with minutes still allotted to Cole, Gary, and WCJ does their trade value increase?

To your first question - if Paolo, Franz and Suggs stay as healthy as they did last year - yes they can win 47+ games next year for sure.

To your second question - therein lies the problem. If the Magic do win 47 to 52 games next year and Cole, Gary and WCJ are all in the rotation contributing, do you think Weltman would even consider trading any of them?

The answer is no.

He just isn't a proactive decision maker. He's much more likely to trade guys away if they don't play well when their value is at its lowest. But if the team is having success, I'd be my house that Weltman won't have the stones to "shake it up".

Now this I 100% agree with.

[BadMofoPimp]

Personally, I think Cole and Jett get traded along with WCJ for a legit Center.

[Orl_Magic]

Do a sign and trade with WAS Tyus Jones for Cole Anthony

[Blue_and_Whte]

I'm not a blind homer, I swear I'm not. But I actually trust our coach on the development side. We have improved as a team, and players have improved individually under him. I don't see this as a situation where AB and Jett are being cruelly blocked and mistreated. I trust our developmental system, I really do. If they don't pan out I believe it will be because they weren't good enough. Which is a failure in its own right of course, but as usual, I think we're jumping to way too many conclusions too early here.

Harris had a good season outside of the PO’s. IMO even with Harris there’s a path for Howard. If he’s improved his game, and it translates, he’ll earn his minutes. The FO and Mosley haven’t done anything for me not to trust them.

[thelead]

Some people really haven't adjusted to the inflated salaries yet. $7 mil is nearly half of the MLE these days (~$13 mil)

[Knightro]

His contract screams as trade exception. Same to what Bruce Brown did.

Also, why are we so bothered about Gary? He always falls down to weird injuries anyway

Bruce Brown also started every game and played 30 MPG before he was traded away by Indiana. He never lost his spot to anyone else on their roster.

[Skin]

Man, the offseason really gets to people.... It's a pity party around here, when last year we didn't even know if we would be a playin team and now were a defensive juggernaught.

We have a starting center who is a turnstile on defense. ...the place where all defense is supposed to stem from! We won't be a defensive juggernaught with WCj guarding the rim. That's just imaginary.

Bro what are you smoking on? I am not saying we will be.

We literally are. You can pick out any players you want, and make any claims you want.

But the stats dont lie. We are the #2 defense in the nba with this same squad, no matter how much you want to single out because you wanted another player. There is no way to spin it so we arent a top 2 defense with WCJ. Stats prove it, big claims dont.

...and we got elimnated in Round 1. Hooray for being a top 2 defense?

We had a huge opportunity to get better this year. We're never going to have this amount of cap space again in the Paolo era. We squandered it royally.

[ORLMagicGirl15]

Franz, Paolo and Suggs did.

Black started over Ingles last year.

Apples and oranges.

Those guys were drafted to teams that were still tanking and the Magic are not in that place anymore.

To be honestly, I can see Paolo, Franz, and Suggs starting even when this team weren’t tanking.

I can imagine the years with Vuc, Fournier, Gordon, I would start the current players over the latter.

[fateis007]

You already know who Mosley is going to play and who he isn't going to play.

Spoiler: the 20 and 21 year olds aren't gonna be playing ahead of the freshly signed and resigned veterans.

i dont agree AT all.

a 14 mill dollar contract screams insurance policy all over. Garry has had plenty of time to grow into something else, and he is what he is. I can easily see him riding the bench and AB taking all his minutes this year.

Huh?

Either you believe AB and Jett got exponentially better in the offseason, without playing against NBA level competition, or you think Gary Harris has taken a huge step back since mere months ago playing 24mpg.

It's simple really. But I will break it down.

They are worth 10x what Garry is. They are on rookie deals, they are locked to us for the next 5-6 years and beyond (before even their primes)

The front office is not stupid, we built this team on draft picks, and they NEVER trade picks. They know the value of those guys, and if they excel, you can keep them in town for a long time without spending 200 mill like you would some aging vet.

And beyond that, there is the practical side. You want your rookies to become valuable. Gary will never be that, those days are over. He is a throw in.

[Orl_Magic]

Do a sign and trade with WAS Tyus Jones for Cole Anthony

[BlueBlazer]

I said the one thing I needed to see from Weltman to survive another year was to add shooting:

+ KCP
+ da Silva
- Fultz

Barely scraping by, but technically meets the requirement.

A lot of his moves become more understandable when you view it through this lens. Weltman is thinking about his next contract just like athletes. Gambling and shaking things up here in a major way is a lot harder to justify if it backfires than conservative, status quo deals with plausible deniability.

[Knightro]

Personally, I think Cole and Jett get traded along with WCJ for a legit Center.

Who though?

Cole, Jett and Carter also combined make like close to $30M dollars.

No heart or Deandre Ayton? 35 year old Brook Lopez? Washed up Clint Capela?

[ORLMagicGirl15]

My thing with Gary has nothing to do with the money, it’s the fact that as a vet with playoff experience, known for shooting, that when we needed him the most, he did nothing on offense. That is my same sentiment with Ingles.

[thelead]

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