Summer Decisions

[MasterGMer]

I need the spares off this team. Basically outside Paolo/Franz everyone is game. I want to keep Suggs and don't see us trading him after seeing so little of what our big three can do together. While Suggs isn't untouchable I think we need to address other needs first before considering trading him.

1). PG PG PG! For the love of God get Paolo/Franz an NBA-level starting PG that can spread floor, shoot/score and run some halfcourt sets. We don't have a single good PG on this team. AB is NOT a PG. Hes a very flawed wing in today's NBA. We need points and playmaking. There are at least half dozen options available this offseason and I expect us to chase one.

2). Bench wing/scorere. Mo Wagner can be our only consistent bench piece. Assuming KCP will be going to the bench once we get a PG, we need another scorer off the bench. Our current bench sucks

3). Center position. Get WCJr off this team. Keep Goga as backup. JI I'm mixed. Hes gonna be on decent deal but his productivity and injury concerns still bother me. If we can package him, that's be fine too.

4). Get rid of al the spares. Cole, Jett, Gary, Caleb, even AB and KCP if we can find a deal for them. Im tired of seeing PAolo/Franz drop supertart stats just for every other supporting cast member to lay an egg. It was not evident until this season how poorly constructed this roster is.

Weltman has a very busy offseason coming up. I expect this team to look sig different 25-26 opening night.

Who are the PG you want? And what is a modern day PG nowadays anyway? Anybody can bring the ball to the floor and call plays. Why do we even need a shorter guy to do that at all?

[basketballRob]

It's not too smart for KCPs wife to say she was betting on his point total. KCP seemed more aggressive.

Sent from my SM-G781U using RealGM Forums mobile app

[OrlandoDream]

I need the spares off this team. Basically outside Paolo/Franz everyone is game. I want to keep Suggs and don't see us trading him after seeing so little of what our big three can do together. While Suggs isn't untouchable I think we need to address other needs first before considering trading him.

1). PG PG PG! For the love of God get Paolo/Franz an NBA-level starting PG that can spread floor, shoot/score and run some halfcourt sets. We don't have a single good PG on this team. AB is NOT a PG. Hes a very flawed wing in today's NBA. We need points and playmaking. There are at least half dozen options available this offseason and I expect us to chase one.

2). Bench wing/scorere. Mo Wagner can be our only consistent bench piece. Assuming KCP will be going to the bench once we get a PG, we need another scorer off the bench. Our current bench sucks

3). Center position. Get WCJr off this team. Keep Goga as backup. JI I'm mixed. Hes gonna be on decent deal but his productivity and injury concerns still bother me. If we can package him, that's be fine too.

4). Get rid of al the spares. Cole, Jett, Gary, Caleb, even AB and KCP if we can find a deal for them. Im tired of seeing PAolo/Franz drop supertart stats just for every other supporting cast member to lay an egg. It was not evident until this season how poorly constructed this roster is.

Weltman has a very busy offseason coming up. I expect this team to look sig different 25-26 opening night.

Who are those PG you have in mind?

In my dream world, someone like Trae Young with elite scoring and halfcourt recognition would be amazing but the finances prob will make it impossible unless we include Suggs in the deal...unlikely.

More realistic options would be Anfernee Simmons, Coby White, or even Collin Sexton. Suggs is not a PG and we should not force him to that position. He plays better at his original 2 guard when he doesn't have to worry about being the primary playmaker for the team. We have the assets to trade for any of these guys. Any would be upgrade over our current situation.

[cedric76]

I need the spares off this team. Basically outside Paolo/Franz everyone is game. I want to keep Suggs and don't see us trading him after seeing so little of what our big three can do together. While Suggs isn't untouchable I think we need to address other needs first before considering trading him.

1). PG PG PG! For the love of God get Paolo/Franz an NBA-level starting PG that can spread floor, shoot/score and run some halfcourt sets. We don't have a single good PG on this team. AB is NOT a PG. Hes a very flawed wing in today's NBA. We need points and playmaking. There are at least half dozen options available this offseason and I expect us to chase one.

2). Bench wing/scorere. Mo Wagner can be our only consistent bench piece. Assuming KCP will be going to the bench once we get a PG, we need another scorer off the bench. Our current bench sucks

3). Center position. Get WCJr off this team. Keep Goga as backup. JI I'm mixed. Hes gonna be on decent deal but his productivity and injury concerns still bother me. If we can package him, that's be fine too.

4). Get rid of al the spares. Cole, Jett, Gary, Caleb, even AB and KCP if we can find a deal for them. Im tired of seeing PAolo/Franz drop supertart stats just for every other supporting cast member to lay an egg. It was not evident until this season how poorly constructed this roster is.

Weltman has a very busy offseason coming up. I expect this team to look sig different 25-26 opening night.

Who are those PG you have in mind?

In my dream world, someone like Trae Young with elite scoring and halfcourt recognition would be amazing but the finances prob will make it impossible unless we include Suggs in the deal...unlikely.

More realistic options would be Anfernee Simmons, Coby White, or even Collin Sexton. Suggs is not a PG and we should not force him to that position. He plays better at his original 2 guard when he doesn't have to worry about being the primary playmaker for the team. We have the assets to trade for any of these guys. Any would be upgrade over our current situation.

Trae won't happen but I like the 3 you mentioned, even if they r not real PG

Those 3 r all expiring next season so their teams might want to cash in, so all should be able tradable for using Cole or Harris+ picks

[pepe1991]

Decisions:
1) with 18th pick find 7 foot stick with no basketball skills but can dunk without jumping
2 ) with 26th pick find 7 foot stick with no basketball skills but can dunk without jumping
3) trade second round pick for nothing
4) "trades are hard"
5) evaluate same roster for 4th year in a row
6) offer Banchero $220M

[I Rasharted]

We can get rid of a lot of guys by attaching our 2025 draft picks.

I originally thought we could take our pick and Denver’s pick and trade up into the back half of the lottery, but we don’t need another draft pick selection. We need to add 4+ quality guys around Paolo and Franz.

These are the guys I’m keeping or retaining for cheap:
Paolo, Franz, Mo, Goga, Tristan, Black, Caleb, Queen.
That’s 8. Everyone else is available.

I’d like to keep Suggs, but he’s a health liability moving forward. If a team has interest in Jalen, we have to listen.

But do you trust Weltman to get this done now that he’s leveraged everything on this summer?

Correct, although I'm moving anyone not named Banchero or Wagner in the right deal. But do you remember earlier in the year, before the trade deadline, when I said "Gee, I hope the Magic make a trade sooner than later, cause if they wait too long other teams will have them over a barrel" and you were like "Nah it doesn't work that way."

[drsd]

Decisions:
1) with 18th pick find 7 foot stick with no basketball skills but can dunk without jumping
2 ) with 26th pick find 7 foot stick with no basketball skills but can dunk without jumping
3) trade second round pick for nothing
4) "trades are hard"
5) evaluate same roster for 4th year in a row
6) offer Banchero $220M

two things:
a) for points 1 and 2, would any of us be surprised if the Magic draft Derik Queen and then Khaman Maluach? That is, your post might be a prophecy!

b) for point 3, the Magic actually have two 2RPs; the Magic get the worst of the Memphis and Boston picks. Let's call it the 59th pick.
So, in addition to Cash Considerations coming in, the Magic might also pick up a player as a future G-league allstar!
Nice to know that the Osceola Magic can depend on Orlando to fill out its roster!!!

[Blue_and_Whte]

I have zero expectations

[jezzerinho]

I have zero expectations

As long as Weltman is there my prediction is for only disappointment in any FA window. Would love it to be different but that means new blood in the FO. Jeff is not capable at this key aspect.

[AdamTheGreek]

We can get rid of a lot of guys by attaching our 2025 draft picks.

I originally thought we could take our pick and Denver’s pick and trade up into the back half of the lottery, but we don’t need another draft pick selection. We need to add 4+ quality guys around Paolo and Franz.

These are the guys I’m keeping or retaining for cheap:
Paolo, Franz, Mo, Goga, Tristan, Black, Caleb, Queen.
That’s 8. Everyone else is available.

I’d like to keep Suggs, but he’s a health liability moving forward. If a team has interest in Jalen, we have to listen.

But do you trust Weltman to get this done now that he’s leveraged everything on this summer?

Correct, although I'm moving anyone not named Banchero or Wagner in the right deal. But do you remember earlier in the year, before the trade deadline, when I said "Gee, I hope the Magic make a trade sooner than later, cause if they wait too long other teams will have them over a barrel" and you were like "Nah it doesn't work that way."

You have me confused with someone else.

I said Weltman had to make at least one trade deadline deal, otherwise everything would hinge on the summer. I’ve had multiple pod episodes stating this.
The excuse Jeff made at the deadline for not doing anything was that teams were trying to squeeze him. Well, unless we drastically turn the season around, we’re going to get squeezed more in the summer.

[tiderulz]

I know everybody is frustrated by the losses and wants everyone to be fired, however:

On paper, and with the Cap rules (1st and 2nd Apron), I can see how our starting lineup could be great:

Very good two-way guards – Jalen Suggs and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are both excellent defenders and can spread the floor for Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero, even if that hasn’t been the case this year.

Great versatile forwards – Franz and Paolo are both elite, capable of playing multiple roles on both ends of the floor.

Center flexibility – Wendell Carter Jr. can spread the floor, switch, and defend most players. If we need a big center, we have Goga Bitadze, who can handle matchups against those types of players.

As I said, this is all on paper. This year, injuries have derailed everything, and our three best players haven’t been able to play much together. Additionally, our shooting percentages have been TERRIBLE.

With Paolo, Franz, and Suggs' contracts kicking in soon, I don’t see how we can improve this starting lineup much, as KCP and WCJ have fair contracts.

As for our Bench:

Mo Wagner, the heart of our bench, is out for the season due to injury, which has hurt us more than expected.

Jonathan Isaac, on paper, is one of the best defenders in the league. However, for some reason, he hasn't been getting as much playing time as we all expected. When he did get minutes, he didn’t show as much as he used to.

Tristan da Silva has shown that he can play and could be part of our forward rotation.

Goga Bitadze has played very well. I’m still not sure why he isn’t playing more. Goga is one of the best contracts in the NBA.

Anthony Black – I was not a fan of the pick when we drafted him because I didn’t think he fit our team. While I think he’s a nice player who is progressing, I’m still not sure he is part of our future.

Jett Howard (AKA my "Booker Lite") – He isn’t reaching his full potential yet. Is it the team’s fault or his own? He has the shooting and playmaking skills needed but hasn’t shown it yet. If he doesn’t prove it by the end of next season (I REALLY hope he does), he might not be part of the future.

Cole Anthony is Cole Anthony. We know his pros and cons. I don’t mind him as a 9th-man rotation guy.

Gary Harris, Cory Joseph, and Caleb Houstan need to go.

Hopefully, our top three guys are healthy next season, and the front office can turn Cole, Harris, Joseph, and Houstan, plus our two 2025 first-round picks, into players that fit our team (like Anfernee Simons and a few others) this summer.

What Two-Way Player Could Realistically Improve This Lineup?

Who would you realistically add to this lineup? We have to be mindful of the cap situation—bringing in someone like Devin Booker would limit our flexibility and make it difficult to make additional moves.

I know some people are frustrated with KCP, but alongside Suggs, Paolo, and Franz, we need a strong role player who can hit threes at a high percentage and defend at a high level. Realistically, there aren’t many players better than KCP at doing this, especially at his current contract value.

couple of items.
1 - i dont consider KCP a 2-way guard.

2 - unpopular opinion- Mo Wagner is more important to the Magic than Jonathon Isaac.

3 - Cole will never be the 9th man rotation guy, so he has to be traded

4 - we need a real PG and move Suggs back to SG. and he would be your strong role player who can hit 3's, when he doesnt have to try and create it for himself but just catch and shoot.

5 - been saying it for years, we have to find a legit PG. doesnt have to be a star, but solid play and solid 3 pt shooter.

[OrlandoDream]

Who are those PG you have in mind?

In my dream world, someone like Trae Young with elite scoring and halfcourt recognition would be amazing but the finances prob will make it impossible unless we include Suggs in the deal...unlikely.

More realistic options would be Anfernee Simmons, Coby White, or even Collin Sexton. Suggs is not a PG and we should not force him to that position. He plays better at his original 2 guard when he doesn't have to worry about being the primary playmaker for the team. We have the assets to trade for any of these guys. Any would be upgrade over our current situation.

Trae won't happen but I like the 3 you mentioned, even if they r not real PG

Those 3 r all expiring next season so their teams might want to cash in, so all should be able tradable for using Cole or Harris+ picks

I with were that easy but couple of points;

- Gary Harris wont be picked up this offseason. Hes likely gone. IF he isn't....I lose all trust in this front office. Yes none really are pure PG or in level of Trae but I honestly think we don't need that. With SUggs hopefully our SG, between him back, Franz and Paolo, we don't need a PG with the ball in their hands most of the times. Just decent half court awareness, score/3pt shooting and not awful defense. That alone would upgrade our backcourt to new level and lead to W on so many game we lost this year.

- From all those, Coby White might be our most realistic option. Expiring, Bulls resigned Lonzo and have a surging guard on that roster with Gidey and Matas. Also if they end up getting top pick in a guard-heavy draft, maybe even more reason to trade him draft day. CHI price prior to the deadline was prob too high and that's why we or no other team traded for him. On his last year, if we can give them Cole, and our FRP or even a more young prospect like AB + filler plus our FRP, send it in.

-

[OrlandoDream]

We can get rid of a lot of guys by attaching our 2025 draft picks.

I originally thought we could take our pick and Denver’s pick and trade up into the back half of the lottery, but we don’t need another draft pick selection. We need to add 4+ quality guys around Paolo and Franz.

These are the guys I’m keeping or retaining for cheap:
Paolo, Franz, Mo, Goga, Tristan, Black, Caleb, Queen.
That’s 8. Everyone else is available.

I’d like to keep Suggs, but he’s a health liability moving forward. If a team has interest in Jalen, we have to listen.

But do you trust Weltman to get this done now that he’s leveraged everything on this summer?

Correct, although I'm moving anyone not named Banchero or Wagner in the right deal. But do you remember earlier in the year, before the trade deadline, when I said "Gee, I hope the Magic make a trade sooner than later, cause if they wait too long other teams will have them over a barrel" and you were like "Nah it doesn't work that way."

You have me confused with someone else.

I said Weltman had to make at least one trade deadline deal, otherwise everything would hinge on the summer. I’ve had multiple pod episodes stating this.
The excuse Jeff made at the deadline for not doing anything was that teams were trying to squeeze him. Well, unless we drastically turn the season around, we’re going to get squeezed more in the summer.

Im not that concerned about being squeezed in the summer as opposed to deadline. Time is on our side. Alot of those players (Simons, Coby) will now be expiring contract in the summer, thus less value from their team to extract.

The trade market is fluid and changes daily. There are going to be more targets likely this summer with rumors heating up and the draft shortly around the corner. The durant trade will reopen the flood gates.

IF some teams try and rip us off (aka Jazz for Sexton) then we move on to the next target. There are multiple guards on the market that are tradeable and we have assets to trade that will improve this team significantly. Paolo/Franz/Suggs aside, everyone is game.

[eyriq]

Our top ten in minutes:

KCP
Franz
AB
TDS
WCJ
Goga
Cole
Suggs
Paolo
JI

My ask of the front office, if they cared, would be to acquire four new players for this ten man rotation, minimum. 3 is average turnover. We had three players churn from last seasons list, Moritz, Harris, and Ingles. We replaced them with KCP, TDS, and JI. The only reason we saw that much turnover is because of injuries.

Get ride of Cole, WCJ, KCP, and JI.

[Fortune Teller]

The gulf between all the things Jeff could do and what he will actually do is infinite. The focus should be on replacing him with someone who cares, not dreaming up ways to preserve his flawed vision.

[cedric76]

In my dream world, someone like Trae Young with elite scoring and halfcourt recognition would be amazing but the finances prob will make it impossible unless we include Suggs in the deal...unlikely.

More realistic options would be Anfernee Simmons, Coby White, or even Collin Sexton. Suggs is not a PG and we should not force him to that position. He plays better at his original 2 guard when he doesn't have to worry about being the primary playmaker for the team. We have the assets to trade for any of these guys. Any would be upgrade over our current situation.

Trae won't happen but I like the 3 you mentioned, even if they r not real PG

Those 3 r all expiring next season so their teams might want to cash in, so all should be able tradable for using Cole or Harris+ picks

I with were that easy but couple of points;

- Gary Harris wont be picked up this offseason. Hes likely gone. IF he isn't....I lose all trust in this front office. Yes none really are pure PG or in level of Trae but I honestly think we don't need that. With SUggs hopefully our SG, between him back, Franz and Paolo, we don't need a PG with the ball in their hands most of the times. Just decent half court awareness, score/3pt shooting and not awful defense. That alone would upgrade our backcourt to new level and lead to W on so many game we lost this year.

- From all those, Coby White might be our most realistic option. Expiring, Bulls resigned Lonzo and have a surging guard on that roster with Gidey and Matas. Also if they end up getting top pick in a guard-heavy draft, maybe even more reason to trade him draft day. CHI price prior to the deadline was prob too high and that's why we or no other team traded for him. On his last year, if we can give them Cole, and our FRP or even a more young prospect like AB + filler plus our FRP, send it in.

-

I think so too, I think bulls will trade white for some of our picks

[IllMagic04]

The thing isn't so much who WE want to trade but who would we be willing to give up that other teams would want.

Obviously Paolo, Franz and Suggs are going no where

Good value

Goga- Has struggled as of late but has good value I think
KCP has been awful from 3. His value isn't great but he does have a solid track record that this year could just be a one off
Black- His youth and upside are still selling points. Now is the best time to move him. The more years go by the more upside belief fades
TDS- Has been solid. I think his value is good

Not so great value

Cole- While he's been solid the 2nd half of the year way to inconsistent to have any real value in the market.
JI- Can still be very impactful but heath concerns and long term money makes his value low
WCjr- Long term money and just not impactful enough offensively. On defense he's been solid tho.
Jett- Maybe somebody likes the upside but I can't see it

Im not saying you can't trade these guys but the return would be be very minimal and some teams would probably want value for taking back the contract.

So really our best trade chips IMO are Goga, KCP, Black, TDS and of course draft picks. What can that realistically get you? We def would have to attach pick(s) to get a solid return.

[eyriq]

Read on Twitter

?t=dVd2kACG2NN292PM9aDNcg&s=19

[tiderulz]

Read on Twitter

?t=dVd2kACG2NN292PM9aDNcg&s=19

i didnt like younger Kyrie, but i wouldnt mind him now. but we cant afford him

[Max Power]

I obviously am going to agree with most here. Point Guard is the Magic’s biggest need. The Magic’s big 3 of Paolo Franz and Suggs are goikmh nowhere. I’d keep Goga, but I’m opening up everyone else for trade possibilities. Specifically all the guards.

I’m keeping Mo Wagner, the Magic only truly went off the rails when he went down. He’s a vital piece to the engine here. I’d make our draft picks, Wendell and even JI as much as I like him available as well. I think both guard spots need upgraded and we need another verifiable big guy up front.

If we go Coby White, Simons or Sexton fine, but I don’t see them being the needle movers the Magic need to become contenders, but maybe addressing all the issues will. I kind of home the Magic go after Trae Young, offensively he puts the Magic a lot closer to Boston and OKC in the standings.