Official 2024-2025 Magic Trade ideas thread continued

[OrlandoDream]

Simons or Poole would be the best starting PG this team has had since Jameer. Sometimes we need to get a little more realistic and accept perfect target doesn't exist. WE have to take whats available. Either player would be sig upgrade and would make our offense lightyears better than the current sh*tshow we have.

We also need to kill the whole "traditional PG" thing. Its 2025, pure PG just don't exist anymore and are not necessary to win a championship. League is too talented and you almost need to be combo level guard able to get buckets unless your team is stacked with superstar wings (Celtics). Someone like Jamal Murray level player would be perfect for our young trio.

[89Magicfan]

Simons or Poole would be the best starting PG this team has had since Jameer. Sometimes we need to get a little more realistic and accept perfect target doesn't exist. WE have to take whats available. Either player would be sig upgrade and would make our offense lightyears better than the current sh*tshow we have.

We also need to kill the whole "traditional PG" thing. Its 2025, pure PG just don't exist anymore and are not necessary to win a championship. League is too talented and you almost need to be combo level guard able to get buckets unless your team is stacked with superstar wings (Celtics). Someone like Jamal Murray level player would be perfect for our young trio.

Sounds passive and weak. Take whatever crumbs…Naw. Make something happen.

You say things like this but 3 out of 4 if the teams left in the playoffs have PG’s who can play traditional in a sense they make plays for others.

[Knightro]

This player isn’t out there is the problem.

Paolo and Franz need the ball less considering their usage relative to how poorly the offense is run and where it’s ranked without a point guard.

The ideal version of what Orlando needs is a two way pick and roll point guard that can reliably stretch the floor. That player is Fox, Haliburton, or maybe Quickly.

This is why I find it funny people are breaking down these leftover guys like Simons and Poole like Orlando has a million other options… yeah, those are the caliber of player Orlando is looking at to solve the offense in an offseason… because Weltman decided not to look at other options for 4 years evaluating.

Ok, but like... who cares about this part? The old saying is that there's no use crying over spilt milk, ya know?

The reality is what it is. Sitting around complaining about how this should have been done sooner does nothing for the here and now.

I don't know.

I'm the one sitting here picking apart the negative aspects of Anfernee Simons and Jordan Poole.

I think both help Orlando's situation right now despite the fact that they aren't ideal players to acquire. They both have drawbacks. You are getting a player with drawbacks because of the situation at hand.

We can’t let perfect be the enemy of good.

Is there a no questions asked perfect fit out there that the Magic could realistically acquire? Probably not.

Are there attainable options that will help the Magic next year and put them in a position where they can actually win a playoff series and potentially more? Absolutely there are.

[VFX]

Simons or Poole would be the best starting PG this team has had since Jameer. Sometimes we need to get a little more realistic and accept perfect target doesn't exist. WE have to take whats available. Either player would be sig upgrade and would make our offense lightyears better than the current sh*tshow we have.

We also need to kill the whole "traditional PG" thing. Its 2025, pure PG just don't exist anymore and are not necessary to win a championship. League is too talented and you almost need to be combo level guard able to get buckets unless your team is stacked with superstar wings (Celtics). Someone like Jamal Murray level player would be perfect for our young trio.

Sounds passive and weak. Take whatever crumbs…Naw. Make something happen.

You say things like this but 3 out of 4 if the teams left in the playoffs have PG’s who can play traditional in a sense they make plays for others.

See this is kinda what Im talking about here.

Orlando isn't in the running for guys that aren't Simons, Sexton, Poole, Reaves, etc.

Even some of THOSE guys are going to be difficult to acquire given the fact that other teams in the league can put in offers for them if available.

People on this board make it sounds like Orlando has a top 5 pick, an allstar on a good movable contract, and some really great attractive role player coming off their best season somewhere on this roster. They don't have any of those things.

They have a couple of non-lotto pick late firsts, some expiring contracts, and some bad one-way role players with a few years left on their deals that simply aren't terrific value.

[GelbeWand09]

Simons or Poole would be the best starting PG this team has had since Jameer. Sometimes we need to get a little more realistic and accept perfect target doesn't exist. WE have to take whats available. Either player would be sig upgrade and would make our offense lightyears better than the current sh*tshow we have.

We also need to kill the whole "traditional PG" thing. Its 2025, pure PG just don't exist anymore and are not necessary to win a championship. League is too talented and you almost need to be combo level guard able to get buckets unless your team is stacked with superstar wings (Celtics). Someone like Jamal Murray level player would be perfect for our young trio.

You still need players who run a efficient offense and NO Paolo & Franz can't. Simons, Sexton cant too. I take them because they are still a upgrade over the mess we have now, but they wont change our horrible offensive structure and i would bet that fans wanna trade them again in 2 years.
I still hope for Garland or Reaves, Simons & Sexton is only ''in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king'' stuff.

[eyriq]

Simons or Poole would be the best starting PG this team has had since Jameer. Sometimes we need to get a little more realistic and accept perfect target doesn't exist. WE have to take whats available. Either player would be sig upgrade and would make our offense lightyears better than the current sh*tshow we have.

We also need to kill the whole "traditional PG" thing. Its 2025, pure PG just don't exist anymore and are not necessary to win a championship. League is too talented and you almost need to be combo level guard able to get buckets unless your team is stacked with superstar wings (Celtics). Someone like Jamal Murray level player would be perfect for our young trio.

Sounds passive and weak. Take whatever crumbs…Naw. Make something happen.

You say things like this but 3 out of 4 if the teams left in the playoffs have PG’s who can play traditional in a sense they make plays for others.

You seriously think we are going to bring in a primary playmaker that generates > 30% of our assists with Paolo and Franz already capable of generating > 26% of our assists each?

[Knightro]

Simons or Poole would be the best starting PG this team has had since Jameer. Sometimes we need to get a little more realistic and accept perfect target doesn't exist. WE have to take whats available. Either player would be sig upgrade and would make our offense lightyears better than the current sh*tshow we have.

We also need to kill the whole "traditional PG" thing. Its 2025, pure PG just don't exist anymore and are not necessary to win a championship. League is too talented and you almost need to be combo level guard able to get buckets unless your team is stacked with superstar wings (Celtics). Someone like Jamal Murray level player would be perfect for our young trio.

Sounds passive and weak. Take whatever crumbs…Naw. Make something happen.

You say things like this but 3 out of 4 if the teams left in the playoffs have PG’s who can play traditional in a sense they make plays for others.

You seriously think we are going to bring in a primary playmaker that generates > 30% of our assists with Paolo and Franz already capable of generating > 26% of our assists each?

If it makes sense, they should be willing to do that. Absolutely.

[eyriq]

Sounds passive and weak. Take whatever crumbs…Naw. Make something happen.

You say things like this but 3 out of 4 if the teams left in the playoffs have PG’s who can play traditional in a sense they make plays for others.

You seriously think we are going to bring in a primary playmaker that generates > 30% of our assists with Paolo and Franz already capable of generating > 26% of our assists each?

If it makes sense, they should be willing to do that. Absolutely.

Spoiler: it doesn't make sense

[basketballRob]

Goga, #25, both 2nds for Pritchard.

Sent from my SM-G998U1 using RealGM mobile app

I'd be very interested in Pritchard. Not sure the Celtics will actually go there though and I think it would cost a little more than that.

Pritchard is on a ridiculously good deal and he's a beloved guy that looks like a lot of MASSholes if he had a scally cap on, he could be in Dropkick Murphys...Only way BOS feels compelled to move him (for $$ savings offseason priority) is if he's a sweetener for taking Jrue of Zingis, imo.

The picks we'd give Boston for Pritchard could be used to get off Porzingas' contract.

Sent from my SM-G998U1 using RealGM mobile app

[MartinsIzAfraud]

You seriously think we are going to bring in a primary playmaker that generates > 30% of our assists with Paolo and Franz already capable of generating > 26% of our assists each?

If it makes sense, they should be willing to do that. Absolutely.

Spoiler: it doesn't make sense

Spoiler… it does. Just because Franz/Paolo generate > 26% of our assists doesn’t mean it’s good basketball.

I’ve said it before you’d need prime Ray Allen and Klay to continue to force Paolo/Franz 30% usage. Would be lovely to drop them both to 25% and bring in a proper PG.

The next closest player in usage to Paolo at 35.5 and Franz at 30 was Cole Anthony at 24. That’s laughably bad and explains why our offense struggled heavily. For giggles AB was next closest at 19%.

[eyriq]

If it makes sense, they should be willing to do that. Absolutely.

Spoiler: it doesn't make sense

Spoiler… it does. Just because Franz/Paolo generate > 26% of our assists doesn’t mean it’s good basketball.

I’ve said it before you’d need prime Ray Allen and Klay to continue to force Paolo/Franz 30% usage. Would be lovely to drop them both to 25% and bring in a proper PG.

The next closest player in usage to Paolo at 35.5 and Franz at 30 was Cole Anthony at 24. That’s laughably bad and explains why our offense struggled heavily. For giggles AB was next closest at 19%.

A two-wing hub offense is a strategic advantage, not a flaw, especially in a league dominated by heliocentric guard play. Most defenses are built to contain high-usage guards; leaning into Franz and Paolo’s versatility forces different matchup problems and diversifies shot creation. You don’t neuter that by jamming in a ball-dominant guard, you elevate it with complementary guard play that enhances flow without rerouting the offense through one predictable point.

[VFX]

Spoiler: it doesn't make sense

Spoiler… it does. Just because Franz/Paolo generate > 26% of our assists doesn’t mean it’s good basketball.

I’ve said it before you’d need prime Ray Allen and Klay to continue to force Paolo/Franz 30% usage. Would be lovely to drop them both to 25% and bring in a proper PG.

The next closest player in usage to Paolo at 35.5 and Franz at 30 was Cole Anthony at 24. That’s laughably bad and explains why our offense struggled heavily. For giggles AB was next closest at 19%.

A two-wing hub offense is a strategic advantage, not a flaw, especially in a league dominated by heliocentric guard play. Most defenses are built to contain high-usage guards; leaning into Franz and Paolo’s versatility forces different matchup problems and diversifies shot creation. You don’t neuter that by jamming in a ball-dominant guard, you elevate it with complementary guard play that enhances flow without rerouting the offense through one predictable point.

Cmon man.

People need to come to terms with the fact that Paolo and Franz are not playmakers in the sense that they improve the rest of the team. They are individual playmaking scorers in isolation. Flawed ones at that.

This idea that they have some kind of advantage comes entirely under the belief that the perfect roster surrounds them in order for it to work. It doesn’t exist here. We aren’t 285 pages into a trade thread looking for answers if what you are claiming was working.

Weltman’s experiment lasted one season under this belief and it backfired in his face. We know this because KCP was his acquisition and that logically means he directly meant to keep the ball in Paolo/Franz hands instead of getting a point guard. Now he is telling the media he is going to be active in finding help on offense…

I dont understand how people come away with this idea that Paolo or Franz cannot be mismatches for defenses without needing to pound the air out of the ball while taking impossibly difficult shots.

They need to get into easier scoring positions and that doesn’t happen unless you are running action to offset defenses from the perimeter. They aren’t able to do that right now because they aren’t consistent from outside and the offense is predictable.

[MartinsIzAfraud]

Spoiler: it doesn't make sense

Spoiler… it does. Just because Franz/Paolo generate > 26% of our assists doesn’t mean it’s good basketball.

I’ve said it before you’d need prime Ray Allen and Klay to continue to force Paolo/Franz 30% usage. Would be lovely to drop them both to 25% and bring in a proper PG.

The next closest player in usage to Paolo at 35.5 and Franz at 30 was Cole Anthony at 24. That’s laughably bad and explains why our offense struggled heavily. For giggles AB was next closest at 19%.

A two-wing hub offense is a strategic advantage, not a flaw, especially in a league dominated by heliocentric guard play. Most defenses are built to contain high-usage guards; leaning into Franz and Paolo’s versatility forces different matchup problems and diversifies shot creation. You don’t neuter that by jamming in a ball-dominant guard, you elevate it with complementary guard play that enhances flow without rerouting the offense through one predictable point.

Never said ball dominant guard, I’m looking for a better guard to take over Cole and his 24% usage rate.

[eyriq]

Spoiler… it does. Just because Franz/Paolo generate > 26% of our assists doesn’t mean it’s good basketball.

I’ve said it before you’d need prime Ray Allen and Klay to continue to force Paolo/Franz 30% usage. Would be lovely to drop them both to 25% and bring in a proper PG.

The next closest player in usage to Paolo at 35.5 and Franz at 30 was Cole Anthony at 24. That’s laughably bad and explains why our offense struggled heavily. For giggles AB was next closest at 19%.

A two-wing hub offense is a strategic advantage, not a flaw, especially in a league dominated by heliocentric guard play. Most defenses are built to contain high-usage guards; leaning into Franz and Paolo’s versatility forces different matchup problems and diversifies shot creation. You don’t neuter that by jamming in a ball-dominant guard, you elevate it with complementary guard play that enhances flow without rerouting the offense through one predictable point.

Cmon man.

People need to come to terms with the fact that Paolo and Franz are not playmakers in the sense that they improve the rest of the team. They are individual playmaking scorers in isolation. Flawed ones at that.

This idea that they have some kind of advantage comes entirely under the belief that the perfect roster surrounds them in order for it to work. It doesn’t exist here. We aren’t 285 pages into a trade thread looking for answers if what you are claiming was working.

Weltman’s experiment lasted one season under this belief and it backfired in his face. We know this because KCP was his acquisition and that logically means he directly meant to keep the ball in Paolo/Franz hands instead of getting a point guard. Now he is telling the media he is going to be active in finding help on offense…

I dont understand how people come away with this idea that Paolo or Franz cannot be mismatches for defenses without needing to pound the air out of the ball while taking impossibly difficult shots.

They need to get into easier scoring positions and that doesn’t happen unless you are running action to offset defenses from the perimeter. They aren’t able to do that right now because they aren’t consistent from outside and the offense is predictable.

You're framing a false dichotomy, as if it’s either heliocentric guard play or bust. In reality, the wing-hub model isn’t predicated on isolations or pounding the air out of the ball; it’s about leveraging size, versatility, and multi-level scoring to distort defenses from different angles.

The problem isn’t Paolo and Franz initiating, it’s how we structure the offense around them. Better spacing, sharper off-ball movement, and more secondary creation relieve pressure without needing to hand the keys to a 30% usage guard. We’re not asking Paolo or Franz to be heliocentric engines like Jokic or Luka. The value is in shared responsibility: Paolo and Franz split the playmaking load, which keeps defenses guessing and reduces wear on either one.

[RichCollab]

A two-wing hub offense is a strategic advantage, not a flaw, especially in a league dominated by heliocentric guard play. Most defenses are built to contain high-usage guards; leaning into Franz and Paolo’s versatility forces different matchup problems and diversifies shot creation. You don’t neuter that by jamming in a ball-dominant guard, you elevate it with complementary guard play that enhances flow without rerouting the offense through one predictable point.

Cmon man.

People need to come to terms with the fact that Paolo and Franz are not playmakers in the sense that they improve the rest of the team. They are individual playmaking scorers in isolation. Flawed ones at that.

This idea that they have some kind of advantage comes entirely under the belief that the perfect roster surrounds them in order for it to work. It doesn’t exist here. We aren’t 285 pages into a trade thread looking for answers if what you are claiming was working.

Weltman’s experiment lasted one season under this belief and it backfired in his face. We know this because KCP was his acquisition and that logically means he directly meant to keep the ball in Paolo/Franz hands instead of getting a point guard. Now he is telling the media he is going to be active in finding help on offense…

I dont understand how people come away with this idea that Paolo or Franz cannot be mismatches for defenses without needing to pound the air out of the ball while taking impossibly difficult shots.

They need to get into easier scoring positions and that doesn’t happen unless you are running action to offset defenses from the perimeter. They aren’t able to do that right now because they aren’t consistent from outside and the offense is predictable.

You're framing a false dichotomy, as if it’s either heliocentric guard play or bust. In reality, the wing-hub model isn’t predicated on isolations or pounding the air out of the ball; it’s about leveraging size, versatility, and multi-level scoring to distort defenses from different angles.

The problem isn’t Paolo and Franz initiating, it’s how we structure the offense around them. Better spacing, sharper off-ball movement, and more secondary creation relieve pressure without needing to hand the keys to a 30% usage guard. We’re not asking Paolo or Franz to be heliocentric engines like Jokic or Luka. The value is in shared responsibility: Paolo and Franz split the playmaking load, which keeps defenses guessing and reduces wear on either one.

We aren’t taking the ball out of Paolo’s or Franz’s hands. We should be adding a more capable CoJo variant. A creator who can efficiently set things up and facilitate the ball movement. Being able to knock down 3s is important for this player so that the defense has to stay honest.

I have some concerns around Simons and Poole gaining the trust and respect from Paolo and Franz needed but do see both as options.

[Idiosyncratic]

With Simons he gives us another guy capable of bringing the ball up and making some plays even if he isn't a true PG. I watched him a bit this year and he did impress me with his ability to make the simple read and he isn't a high turnover guy. He's not a guy that is going to pass guys open or change the structure of your offense, but he is pretty adept at realizing somebody is open and moving the ball to them despite the chucker allegations. To me that is fine for us because whether we like it or not, I don't think Paolo and Franz will change a ton. We gotta lower their usage a bit, but I still think you are going to see them play in a familiar manner, for better or worse.

Simons can help get the ball over the court and add some much needed gravity and floor spacing to the offense. He isn't a true PG, but gives us another guy we can add to the mix with our guys and hope they can all take step forwards as young players often do. I really like the idea of him cleaning his shot selection up to add some efficiency, I think he should be able to be a 60 TS% guy easily with his shooting skill.

I've been the low guy on Simons at times it seems, but mainly just because I feel he really shouldn't cost a ton to trade for on his contract. I also would be a little concerned if his extension is 25 million + especially if he still looks like a guy better suited as 6th man. I am pretty in favor of taking a chance on him overall though assuming it costs what it should.

I think I would prefer him to Sexton, prefer Reaves to both though. But mostly agree, bringing in a guy like this makes sense. And down the line if it looks like they need a bigger fish and one becomes available, they still control their picks.

[RichCollab]

With Simons he gives us another guy capable of bringing the ball up and making some plays even if he isn't a true PG. I watched him a bit this year and he did impress me with his ability to make the simple read and he isn't a high turnover guy. He's not a guy that is going to pass guys open or change the structure of your offense, but he is pretty adept at realizing somebody is open and moving the ball to them despite the chucker allegations. To me that is fine for us because whether we like it or not, I don't think Paolo and Franz will change a ton. We gotta lower their usage a bit, but I still think you are going to see them play in a familiar manner, for better or worse.

Simons can help get the ball over the court and add some much needed gravity and floor spacing to the offense. He isn't a true PG, but gives us another guy we can add to the mix with our guys and hope they can all take step forwards as young players often do. I really like the idea of him cleaning his shot selection up to add some efficiency, I think he should be able to be a 60 TS% guy easily with his shooting skill.

I've been the low guy on Simons at times it seems, but mainly just because I feel he really shouldn't cost a ton to trade for on his contract. I also would be a little concerned if his extension is 25 million + especially if he still looks like a guy better suited as 6th man. I am pretty in favor of taking a chance on him overall though assuming it costs what it should.

I think I would prefer him to Sexton, prefer Reaves to both though. But mostly agree, bringing in a guy like this makes sense. And down the line if it looks like they need a bigger fish and one becomes available, they still control their picks.

Where are the rumors Reaves is available? His contract is a great value and Lakers GM basically named him as one of 3 core pieces during exit week interviews.

We don’t have the rim running center that Luka desires.

[MasterGMer]

I think the argument shouldn't be Paolo and Franz as playmakers. It should be added responsibility as the primary ball handler plus offense along with playmaking responsibility. And that is how i see it. Is LeBron a good playmaker? That doesn't matter when his days at Miami or Cleveland, huh? Because his main job is still to score. But added to that it is his playmaking responsibility. He has to learn how to facilitate and pass. It is just how the game has changed. Primary ball handlers and offensive players with high usage rate have to grasp and learn playmaking along the way. It is just what it is nowadays

[Idiosyncratic]

With Simons he gives us another guy capable of bringing the ball up and making some plays even if he isn't a true PG. I watched him a bit this year and he did impress me with his ability to make the simple read and he isn't a high turnover guy. He's not a guy that is going to pass guys open or change the structure of your offense, but he is pretty adept at realizing somebody is open and moving the ball to them despite the chucker allegations. To me that is fine for us because whether we like it or not, I don't think Paolo and Franz will change a ton. We gotta lower their usage a bit, but I still think you are going to see them play in a familiar manner, for better or worse.

Simons can help get the ball over the court and add some much needed gravity and floor spacing to the offense. He isn't a true PG, but gives us another guy we can add to the mix with our guys and hope they can all take step forwards as young players often do. I really like the idea of him cleaning his shot selection up to add some efficiency, I think he should be able to be a 60 TS% guy easily with his shooting skill.

I've been the low guy on Simons at times it seems, but mainly just because I feel he really shouldn't cost a ton to trade for on his contract. I also would be a little concerned if his extension is 25 million + especially if he still looks like a guy better suited as 6th man. I am pretty in favor of taking a chance on him overall though assuming it costs what it should.

I think I would prefer him to Sexton, prefer Reaves to both though. But mostly agree, bringing in a guy like this makes sense. And down the line if it looks like they need a bigger fish and one becomes available, they still control their picks.

Where are the rumors Reaves is available? His contract is a great value and Lakers GM basically named him as one of 3 core pieces during exit week interviews.

We don’t have the rim running center that Luka desires.

I haven't really seen any concrete rumors on him being available, but those don't exist much for anybody right now. Seems a few talking heads seem convinced he will be dealt, plus just the logic of him being expiring and being a weird fit defensively with Luka long term.

I agree that we probably don't have what the Lakers want though.

[MasterGMer]

With Simons he gives us another guy capable of bringing the ball up and making some plays even if he isn't a true PG. I watched him a bit this year and he did impress me with his ability to make the simple read and he isn't a high turnover guy. He's not a guy that is going to pass guys open or change the structure of your offense, but he is pretty adept at realizing somebody is open and moving the ball to them despite the chucker allegations. To me that is fine for us because whether we like it or not, I don't think Paolo and Franz will change a ton. We gotta lower their usage a bit, but I still think you are going to see them play in a familiar manner, for better or worse.

Simons can help get the ball over the court and add some much needed gravity and floor spacing to the offense. He isn't a true PG, but gives us another guy we can add to the mix with our guys and hope they can all take step forwards as young players often do. I really like the idea of him cleaning his shot selection up to add some efficiency, I think he should be able to be a 60 TS% guy easily with his shooting skill.

I've been the low guy on Simons at times it seems, but mainly just because I feel he really shouldn't cost a ton to trade for on his contract. I also would be a little concerned if his extension is 25 million + especially if he still looks like a guy better suited as 6th man. I am pretty in favor of taking a chance on him overall though assuming it costs what it should.

I think I would prefer him to Sexton, prefer Reaves to both though. But mostly agree, bringing in a guy like this makes sense. And down the line if it looks like they need a bigger fish and one becomes available, they still control their picks.

Where are the rumors Reaves is available? His contract is a great value and Lakers GM basically named him as one of 3 core pieces during exit week interviews.

We don’t have the rim running center that Luka desires.

I haven't really seen any concrete rumors on him being available, but those don't exist much for anybody right now. Seems a few talking heads seem convinced he will be dealt, plus just the logic of him being expiring and being a weird fit defensively with Luka long term.

I agree that we probably don't have what the Lakers want though.

Lakers are probably looking at Gafford. But I think Cole + WCJ could be a great offer to them