Make Magic a contender in 2026

[tiderulz]

Turmoil in DEN & MEM...
#1...
DEN sends: Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr, 2 frps
DEN gets: Ja Morant, KCP, Brandon Clarke
Why: Give Jokic and new coach/GM some win-now hope and vet toughness at the cost of frps

MEM sends: Ja Morant, Brandon Clarke
MEM gets: Michael Porter, Anthony Black, Tristan da Silva, 2 frps from DEN, DEN 25 frp from ORL
Why: Restructure with youth, but not a total breakdown, lots of picks for next move, Pippen & Wells move up, MPJ gets green light next to Edey & JJJ

ORL sends: KCP, Anthony Black, Tristan da Silva, DEN 25 frp (#25)
ORL gets: Jamal Murray
Why: ORL buys low on the right kind of high-scoring PG to play off of Paolo & Franz frontcourt at huge salary & significant risk of decline.

#2...
ORL sends: Jonathan Isaac, #46
MIL sends: Bobby Portis (SnT $15m x 3yr)
Why MIL: Portis is leaving for MLE, MIL makes a deal to bet on Isaac's D and a srp - Portis gets the raise he wants and MIL doesn't get zero for him

#3...
ORL sends: Cole Anthony, Jett Howard, ORL 26 frp (Top 5)
TOR sends: Jakob Poeltl, Gradey Dick (or Ochai Ogbaji, if TOR prefers)
Why TOR: Draft Maluach. WCJ fills in competently at C, but can also play PF next to Maluach. Jett is simply an expiring chip for TD. TOR can spare Ogbaji or Dick because they also have Ja'Kobe Walter and RJ Barrett available at SG. They prefer sending Dick as Ogbaji is the better defender and higher % from 3, despite Dick's higher volume. Ogbaji better complements Ingram's player profile at SF.

ORL drafts Liam McNeely at #16 and Tyrese Proctor at #57

Poeltl, Goga, Moe
Paolo, Portis
Franz, McNeely, Houstan
Suggs, Dick, Queen
Murray, CoJo, Proctor (or some vet, Proctor to G League)

*If EVERYONE is healthy and everyone plays well together, this fantasy is about as good as it gets.
-McNeely, even as a rookie, looks like Turkoglu.
-Murray gets some PRP in all of his joints and feels like he's 21 again.
-Paolo learns to love assists, defense, rebounds and winning and routinely puts up triple doubles
-Suggs' 40% from 3 on high volume last season wasn't a fluke
-Suggs' defensive intensity continues to be contagious and his backcourt pairing with Ja is electrifying on both ends
-Proctor is a very nice surprise, low turnovers, playmaking, hitting 3's at a high rate, you had to be a star at some point to get to Duke, now blowing up like Kentucky guards do...Better NBA player than NCAA.
-Portis, Paolo, Franz, McNeely, Houstan, Suggs, Dick, Murray and Proctor make 3's like BOS does, while also having the #1 defense in the NBA
-The depth and 3pt barrage has them coast thru the season. In the playoffs, Paolo and Franz' iso ability make them impossible to scheme against.

If Murray cant consistently show up playing off Jokic with his double teams, do we really think he plays better in Orlando?

[Skybox]

Turmoil in DEN & MEM...
#1...
DEN sends: Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr, 2 frps
DEN gets: Ja Morant, KCP, Brandon Clarke
Why: Give Jokic and new coach/GM some win-now hope and vet toughness at the cost of frps

MEM sends: Ja Morant, Brandon Clarke
MEM gets: Michael Porter, Anthony Black, Tristan da Silva, 2 frps from DEN, DEN 25 frp from ORL
Why: Restructure with youth, but not a total breakdown, lots of picks for next move, Pippen & Wells move up, MPJ gets green light next to Edey & JJJ

ORL sends: KCP, Anthony Black, Tristan da Silva, DEN 25 frp (#25)
ORL gets: Jamal Murray
Why: ORL buys low on the right kind of high-scoring PG to play off of Paolo & Franz frontcourt at huge salary & significant risk of decline.

#2...
ORL sends: Jonathan Isaac, #46
MIL sends: Bobby Portis (SnT $15m x 3yr)
Why MIL: Portis is leaving for MLE, MIL makes a deal to bet on Isaac's D and a srp - Portis gets the raise he wants and MIL doesn't get zero for him

#3...
ORL sends: Cole Anthony, Jett Howard, ORL 26 frp (Top 5)
TOR sends: Jakob Poeltl, Gradey Dick (or Ochai Ogbaji, if TOR prefers)
Why TOR: Draft Maluach. WCJ fills in competently at C, but can also play PF next to Maluach. Jett is simply an expiring chip for TD. TOR can spare Ogbaji or Dick because they also have Ja'Kobe Walter and RJ Barrett available at SG. They prefer sending Dick as Ogbaji is the better defender and higher % from 3, despite Dick's higher volume. Ogbaji better complements Ingram's player profile at SF.

ORL drafts Liam McNeely at #16 and Tyrese Proctor at #57

Poeltl, Goga, Moe
Paolo, Portis
Franz, McNeely, Houstan
Suggs, Dick, Queen
Murray, CoJo, Proctor (or some vet, Proctor to G League)

*If EVERYONE is healthy and everyone plays well together, this fantasy is about as good as it gets.
-McNeely, even as a rookie, looks like Turkoglu.
-Murray gets some PRP in all of his joints and feels like he's 21 again.
-Paolo learns to love assists, defense, rebounds and winning and routinely puts up triple doubles
-Suggs' 40% from 3 on high volume last season wasn't a fluke
-Suggs' defensive intensity continues to be contagious and his backcourt pairing with Ja is electrifying on both ends
-Proctor is a very nice surprise, low turnovers, playmaking, hitting 3's at a high rate, you had to be a star at some point to get to Duke, now blowing up like Kentucky guards do...Better NBA player than NCAA.
-Portis, Paolo, Franz, McNeely, Houstan, Suggs, Dick, Murray and Proctor make 3's like BOS does, while also having the #1 defense in the NBA
-The depth and 3pt barrage has them coast thru the season. In the playoffs, Paolo and Franz' iso ability make them impossible to scheme against.

If Murray cant consistently show up playing off Jokic with his double teams, do we really think he plays better in Orlando?

"MAKE MAGIC A CONTENDER IN 2026" is a pretty lofty goal. Lots of things would definitely have to go right....DEN is in a tumultous place right now. A big change of scenery, personnel, Coach, general vibe could bring out the best from any vet. I expect Murray, Portis, and Poeltl to feel reborn in ORL and Paolo, as we know, has tremendous passing instincts (not saying Jokic-level) and would, suddenly, have LOTS of finishers to pass to. This roster is STACKED with talent and certainly there are inherent downsides to some or all of them....plus, that PRP is good stuff. Murray finds the fountain of youth

[Ducklett]

Turmoil in DEN & MEM...
#1...
DEN sends: Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr, 2 frps
DEN gets: Ja Morant, KCP, Brandon Clarke
Why: Give Jokic and new coach/GM some win-now hope and vet toughness at the cost of frps

MEM sends: Ja Morant, Brandon Clarke
MEM gets: Michael Porter, Anthony Black, Tristan da Silva, 2 frps from DEN, DEN 25 frp from ORL
Why: Restructure with youth, but not a total breakdown, lots of picks for next move, Pippen & Wells move up, MPJ gets green light next to Edey & JJJ

ORL sends: KCP, Anthony Black, Tristan da Silva, DEN 25 frp (#25)
ORL gets: Jamal Murray
Why: ORL buys low on the right kind of high-scoring PG to play off of Paolo & Franz frontcourt at huge salary & significant risk of decline.

#2...
ORL sends: Jonathan Isaac, #46
MIL sends: Bobby Portis (SnT $15m x 3yr)
Why MIL: Portis is leaving for MLE, MIL makes a deal to bet on Isaac's D and a srp - Portis gets the raise he wants and MIL doesn't get zero for him

#3...
ORL sends: Cole Anthony, Jett Howard, ORL 26 frp (Top 5)
TOR sends: Jakob Poeltl, Gradey Dick (or Ochai Ogbaji, if TOR prefers)
Why TOR: Draft Maluach. WCJ fills in competently at C, but can also play PF next to Maluach. Jett is simply an expiring chip for TD. TOR can spare Ogbaji or Dick because they also have Ja'Kobe Walter and RJ Barrett available at SG. They prefer sending Dick as Ogbaji is the better defender and higher % from 3, despite Dick's higher volume. Ogbaji better complements Ingram's player profile at SF.

ORL drafts Liam McNeely at #16 and Tyrese Proctor at #57

Poeltl, Goga, Moe
Paolo, Portis
Franz, McNeely, Houstan
Suggs, Dick, Queen
Murray, CoJo, Proctor (or some vet, Proctor to G League)

*If EVERYONE is healthy and everyone plays well together, this fantasy is about as good as it gets.
-McNeely, even as a rookie, looks like Turkoglu.
-Murray gets some PRP in all of his joints and feels like he's 21 again.
-Paolo learns to love assists, defense, rebounds and winning and routinely puts up triple doubles
-Suggs' 40% from 3 on high volume last season wasn't a fluke
-Suggs' defensive intensity continues to be contagious and his backcourt pairing with Ja is electrifying on both ends
-Proctor is a very nice surprise, low turnovers, playmaking, hitting 3's at a high rate, you had to be a star at some point to get to Duke, now blowing up like Kentucky guards do...Better NBA player than NCAA.
-Portis, Paolo, Franz, McNeely, Houstan, Suggs, Dick, Murray and Proctor make 3's like BOS does, while also having the #1 defense in the NBA
-The depth and 3pt barrage has them coast thru the season. In the playoffs, Paolo and Franz' iso ability make them impossible to scheme against.

If Murray cant consistently show up playing off Jokic with his double teams, do we really think he plays better in Orlando?

"MAKE MAGIC A CONTENDER IN 2026" is a pretty lofty goal. Lots of things would definitely have to go right....DEN is in a tumultous place right now. A big change of scenery, personnel, Coach, general vibe could bring out the best from any vet. I expect Murray, Portis, and Poeltl to feel reborn in ORL and Paolo, as we know, has tremendous passing instincts (not saying Jokic-level) and would, suddenly, have LOTS of finishers to pass to. This roster is STACKED with talent and certainly there are inherent downsides to some or all of them....plus, that PRP is good stuff. Murray finds the fountain of youth

Murray without Jokic would make orlando era KCP look like an allstar.

[Godaddycurse]

#3...
ORL sends: Cole Anthony, Jett Howard, ORL 26 frp (Top 5)
TOR sends: Jakob Poeltl, Gradey Dick (or Ochai Ogbaji, if TOR prefers)
Why TOR: Draft Maluach. WCJ fills in competently at C, but can also play PF next to Maluach. Jett is simply an expiring chip for TD. TOR can spare Ogbaji or Dick because they also have Ja'Kobe Walter and RJ Barrett available at SG. They prefer sending Dick as Ogbaji is the better defender and higher % from 3, despite Dick's higher volume. Ogbaji better complements Ingram's player profile at SF.

Not happening/not interested from Toronto's perspective. Malauch is not ready to start/he will be Backup for a few years even if drafted and toronto want to compete next year. Poeltl is pretty irreplaceable on the roster if we want to win next year. Value wise its short a pick.