Official 2024-2025 Magic Trade ideas thread continued

[Magic_Johnny12]

Even if Orlando acquired Garland for a Suggs centered trade, I will still personally be disappointed.

Not in the trade itself, but upper management’s inability to be creative enough to acquire star level talent without including one of our core players.

Every team before us has done it using draft capital or was able to take advantage of opportunities (selling high/buying low).

Trading Suggs will demonstrate to me that upper management has backed themselves in a corner and every other GM knows Weltman has to make a significant trade to save his job.

This is simply the result of pledging “continuity” too long and being too risk adverse. The league’s landscape has changed dramatically and not sure Weltman and co. are up to date with the times.

You simply cannot be asleep at the wheel for years and just wake up last minute and assume you can make savy moves without no one noticing.

This year’s finals teams would agree with me. Both teams have been strategically building/trading for years. Both teams are non-tax teams and Orlando will be going from one of the least expensive teams in the league to top-5 expensive and literally nothing to show for it.

My opinion/thoughts of course.

[eyriq]

If I could get Reaves without giving up Suggs, I'd do that for sure. That would be my first preference.

But getting Garland, even at the expense of Suggs, would be a strong second preference.

Simons and Poole and Sexton are secondary to those two options.

My first choice is Suggs for Garland. Upgrading the core provides the biggest swing, and Garland brings the full suite of offensive tools this team is starving for — pull-up shooting, pacing, pick-and-roll craft, and a true floor general presence.

Yes, I’ve long preferred a wing-hub offense built around Paolo and Franz. But that model assumes competent shooting and connective play elsewhere, not an offense starved for structure and creation. In this case, Garland doesn’t undermine the wing-hub concept, he enables it. He takes pressure off Paolo and Franz, puts them in more efficient scoring positions, and gives the entire offense a shape it’s badly needed. If you believe in them as foundational pieces, adding Garland is a bold but fitting evolution.

[RichCollab]

Even if Orlando acquired Garland for a Suggs centered trade, I will still personally be disappointed.

Not in the trade itself, but upper management’s inability to be creative enough to acquire star level talent without including one of our core players.

Every team before us has done it using draft capital or was able to take advantage of opportunities (selling high/buying low).

Trading Suggs will demonstrate to me that upper management has backed themselves in a corner and every other GM knows Weltman has to make a significant trade to save his job.

This is simply the result of pledging “continuity” too long and being too risk adverse. The league’s landscape has changed dramatically and not sure Weltman and co. are up to date with the times.

You simply cannot be asleep at the wheel for years and just wake up last minute and assume you can make savy moves without no one noticing.

This year’s finals teams would agree with me. Both teams have been strategically building/trading for years. Both teams are non-tax teams and Orlando will be going from one of the least expensive teams in the league to top-5 expensive and literally nothing to show for it.

My opinion/thoughts of course.

We can’t pay Garland without shipping Suggs.

[89Magicfan]

If I could get Reaves without giving up Suggs, I'd do that for sure. That would be my first preference.

But getting Garland, even at the expense of Suggs, would be a strong second preference.

Simons and Poole and Sexton are secondary to those two options.

My first choice is Suggs for Garland. Upgrading the core provides the biggest swing, and Garland brings the full suite of offensive tools this team is starving for — pull-up shooting, pacing, pick-and-roll craft, and a true floor general presence.

Yes, I’ve long preferred a wing-hub offense built around Paolo and Franz. But that model assumes competent shooting and connective play elsewhere, not an offense starved for structure and creation. In this case, Garland doesn’t undermine the wing-hub concept, he enables it. He takes pressure off Paolo and Franz, puts them in more efficient scoring positions, and gives the entire offense a shape it’s badly needed. If you believe in them as foundational pieces, adding Garland is a bold but fitting evolution.

Garland skill wise I agree. Garland mental wise, health wise, player wise, does he really help us evolve to a contending team? That’s where the onion has to be peeled back some.

[eyriq]

Even if Orlando acquired Garland for a Suggs centered trade, I will still personally be disappointed.

Not in the trade itself, but upper management’s inability to be creative enough to acquire star level talent without including one of our core players.

Every team before us has done it using draft capital or was able to take advantage of opportunities (selling high/buying low).

Trading Suggs will demonstrate to me that upper management has backed themselves in a corner and every other GM knows Weltman has to make a significant trade to save his job.

This is simply the result of pledging “continuity” too long and being too risk adverse. The league’s landscape has changed dramatically and not sure Weltman and co. are up to date with the times.

You simply cannot be asleep at the wheel for years and just wake up last minute and assume you can make savy moves without no one noticing.

This year’s finals teams would agree with me. Both teams have been strategically building/trading for years. Both teams are non-tax teams and Orlando will be going from one of the least expensive teams in the league to top-5 expensive and literally nothing to show for it.

My opinion/thoughts of course.

I see where you're coming from, but I disagree, and I think the playoffs this year make the counterpoint pretty clear: depth matters more than ever. Trading for Garland without giving up Suggs might sound ideal on paper, but in reality, it would hollow out the roster’s mid-tier and low-cost contributors. You don’t win with four studs and 12 replacement-level guys, especially not in a grueling postseason where matchups, injuries, and versatility test your full rotation.

Garland is expensive, and pairing him with Suggs, Franz, and Paolo commits nearly all future flexibility to four players. That’s a cap structure that leaves no margin for error, and frankly, Suggs is too good and too valuable on both ends to become just a “bonus” piece in that setup. The most successful playoff teams this year, Indiana, OKC, have found the balance between top-end talent and role-player depth. Strangling our cap to shoehorn Garland without giving up a core piece goes against that.

Sometimes the boldest, smartest move is knowing what not to do, and over-consolidating isn’t the answer.

[Magic_Johnny12]

Even if Orlando acquired Garland for a Suggs centered trade, I will still personally be disappointed.

Not in the trade itself, but upper management’s inability to be creative enough to acquire star level talent without including one of our core players.

Every team before us has done it using draft capital or was able to take advantage of opportunities (selling high/buying low).

Trading Suggs will demonstrate to me that upper management has backed themselves in a corner and every other GM knows Weltman has to make a significant trade to save his job.

This is simply the result of pledging “continuity” too long and being too risk adverse. The league’s landscape has changed dramatically and not sure Weltman and co. are up to date with the times.

You simply cannot be asleep at the wheel for years and just wake up last minute and assume you can make savy moves without no one noticing.

This year’s finals teams would agree with me. Both teams have been strategically building/trading for years. Both teams are non-tax teams and Orlando will be going from one of the least expensive teams in the league to top-5 expensive and literally nothing to show for it.

My opinion/thoughts of course.

We can’t pay Garland without shipping Suggs.

I mean you can, but probably shouldn’t.

This is my literal point. It’s a bit difficult to make savy moves in the 4th quarter with 2min left.

KCP signing, Isaac/Carter unnecessary extensions put Orlando in this exact situation.

[Knightro]

Garland skill wise I agree. Garland mental wise, health wise, player wise, does he really help us evolve to a contending team? That’s where the onion has to be peeled back some.

Does Suggs do any of these things either though?

LIke I get he's a heart and soul kind of guy, but that doesn't help much if you can't be on the floor.

[89Magicfan]

Garland skill wise I agree. Garland mental wise, health wise, player wise, does he really help us evolve to a contending team? That’s where the onion has to be peeled back some.

Does Suggs do any of these things either though?

LIke I get he's a heart and soul kind of guy, but that doesn't help much if you can't be on the floor.

Health wise yeah I agree but the intangibles are through the roof. He doesn’t back down. Before his injury he was stepping in a huge way. I’m a little hesitant trading that for a guy who also had health concerns and has a reputation of stepping down but I’m not against it. Just things that ahoood be discussed.


Skill wise you do that trade.

[pepe1991]

Even if Orlando acquired Garland for a Suggs centered trade, I will still personally be disappointed.

Not in the trade itself, but upper management’s inability to be creative enough to acquire star level talent without including one of our core players.

Every team before us has done it using draft capital or was able to take advantage of opportunities (selling high/buying low).

Trading Suggs will demonstrate to me that upper management has backed themselves in a corner and every other GM knows Weltman has to make a significant trade to save his job.

This is simply the result of pledging “continuity” too long and being too risk adverse. The league’s landscape has changed dramatically and not sure Weltman and co. are up to date with the times.

You simply cannot be asleep at the wheel for years and just wake up last minute and assume you can make savy moves without no one noticing.

This year’s finals teams would agree with me. Both teams have been strategically building/trading for years. Both teams are non-tax teams and Orlando will be going from one of the least expensive teams in the league to top-5 expensive and literally nothing to show for it.

My opinion/thoughts of course.

We can’t pay Garland without shipping Suggs.

Pretty much this. This is why Presti is brilliant. He added talent on good CHEAP young roster. Weltman, as usual, did nothing and allowed all the cheap years of Franz & Suggs just pass by.

We had like $40M in cap space last summer. We got KCP and resigned Carter and Isaac

[basketballRob]

OKC had more money than us to sign Hartenstein.

Sent from my SM-G998U1 using RealGM mobile app

[89Magicfan]

Even if Orlando acquired Garland for a Suggs centered trade, I will still personally be disappointed.

Not in the trade itself, but upper management’s inability to be creative enough to acquire star level talent without including one of our core players.

Every team before us has done it using draft capital or was able to take advantage of opportunities (selling high/buying low).

Trading Suggs will demonstrate to me that upper management has backed themselves in a corner and every other GM knows Weltman has to make a significant trade to save his job.

This is simply the result of pledging “continuity” too long and being too risk adverse. The league’s landscape has changed dramatically and not sure Weltman and co. are up to date with the times.

You simply cannot be asleep at the wheel for years and just wake up last minute and assume you can make savy moves without no one noticing.

This year’s finals teams would agree with me. Both teams have been strategically building/trading for years. Both teams are non-tax teams and Orlando will be going from one of the least expensive teams in the league to top-5 expensive and literally nothing to show for it.

My opinion/thoughts of course.

We can’t pay Garland without shipping Suggs.

Pretty much this. This is why Presti is brilliant. He added talent on good CHEAP young roster. Weltman, as usual, did nothing and allowed all the cheap years of Franz & Suggs just pass by.

We had like $40M in cap space last summer. We got KCP and resigned Carter and Isaac

Followed that up with hand sitting at the deadline.

Big F’s there.

[Black and Blue]

Even if Orlando acquired Garland for a Suggs centered trade, I will still personally be disappointed.

Not in the trade itself, but upper management’s inability to be creative enough to acquire star level talent without including one of our core players.

Every team before us has done it using draft capital or was able to take advantage of opportunities (selling high/buying low).

Trading Suggs will demonstrate to me that upper management has backed themselves in a corner and every other GM knows Weltman has to make a significant trade to save his job.

This is simply the result of pledging “continuity” too long and being too risk adverse. The league’s landscape has changed dramatically and not sure Weltman and co. are up to date with the times.

You simply cannot be asleep at the wheel for years and just wake up last minute and assume you can make savy moves without no one noticing.

This year’s finals teams would agree with me. Both teams have been strategically building/trading for years. Both teams are non-tax teams and Orlando will be going from one of the least expensive teams in the league to top-5 expensive and literally nothing to show for it.

My opinion/thoughts of course.

I see where you're coming from, but I disagree, and I think the playoffs this year make the counterpoint pretty clear: depth matters more than ever. Trading for Garland without giving up Suggs might sound ideal on paper, but in reality, it would hollow out the roster’s mid-tier and low-cost contributors. You don’t win with four studs and 12 replacement-level guys, especially not in a grueling postseason where matchups, injuries, and versatility test your full rotation.

Garland is expensive, and pairing him with Suggs, Franz, and Paolo commits nearly all future flexibility to four players. That’s a cap structure that leaves no margin for error, and frankly, Suggs is too good and too valuable on both ends to become just a “bonus” piece in that setup. The most successful playoff teams this year, Indiana, OKC, have found the balance between top-end talent and role-player depth. Strangling our cap to shoehorn Garland without giving up a core piece goes against that.

Sometimes the boldest, smartest move is knowing what not to do, and over-consolidating isn’t the answer.

Completely agree. This is why I have been on the trade Suggs for a significant upgrade at PG train this offseason. People's hearts are with Suggs, and I totally get that, but roster construction and money-wise it just doesn't make sense.

If the team is up for trading Suggs, it makes those PG options even more exciting. We don't have to work with only the Simons of the world. Suddenly we can work with some top tier PGs and have more money to fill out the rest of a (hopefully new) roster.

[MartinsIzAfraud]

OKC had more money than us to sign Hartenstein.

Sent from my SM-G998U1 using RealGM mobile app

We easily could’ve signed Hartenstein… instead they went with Gary Harris 2.0 and re signed Gary Harris rofl. Then panic extended WCJ as a result of not landing Hartenstein.

It’s all over and hopefully this summer they make a smart move

[Magic_Johnny12]

Even if Orlando acquired Garland for a Suggs centered trade, I will still personally be disappointed.

Not in the trade itself, but upper management’s inability to be creative enough to acquire star level talent without including one of our core players.

Every team before us has done it using draft capital or was able to take advantage of opportunities (selling high/buying low).

Trading Suggs will demonstrate to me that upper management has backed themselves in a corner and every other GM knows Weltman has to make a significant trade to save his job.

This is simply the result of pledging “continuity” too long and being too risk adverse. The league’s landscape has changed dramatically and not sure Weltman and co. are up to date with the times.

You simply cannot be asleep at the wheel for years and just wake up last minute and assume you can make savy moves without no one noticing.

This year’s finals teams would agree with me. Both teams have been strategically building/trading for years. Both teams are non-tax teams and Orlando will be going from one of the least expensive teams in the league to top-5 expensive and literally nothing to show for it.

My opinion/thoughts of course.

I see where you're coming from, but I disagree, and I think the playoffs this year make the counterpoint pretty clear: depth matters more than ever. Trading for Garland without giving up Suggs might sound ideal on paper, but in reality, it would hollow out the roster’s mid-tier and low-cost contributors. You don’t win with four studs and 12 replacement-level guys, especially not in a grueling postseason where matchups, injuries, and versatility test your full rotation.

Garland is expensive, and pairing him with Suggs, Franz, and Paolo commits nearly all future flexibility to four players. That’s a cap structure that leaves no margin for error, and frankly, Suggs is too good and too valuable on both ends to become just a “bonus” piece in that setup. The most successful playoff teams this year, Indiana, OKC, have found the balance between top-end talent and role-player depth. Strangling our cap to shoehorn Garland without giving up a core piece goes against that.

Sometimes the boldest, smartest move is knowing what not to do, and over-consolidating isn’t the answer.

Completely agree. This is why I have been on the trade Suggs for a significant upgrade at PG train this offseason. People's hearts are with Suggs, and I totally get that, but roster construction and money-wise it just doesn't make sense.

If the team is up for trading Suggs, it makes those PG options even more exciting. We don't have to work with only the Simons of the world. Suddenly we can work with some top tier PGs and have more money to fill out the rest of a (hopefully new) roster.

This is funny.

You’re on this train because the front office left you no choice which is my main point.

You’re on this train because management has backed themselves in a corner and the only option NOW is to trade Suggs.

BECAUSE they didn’t take advantage of when Wagner/Banchero were on rookie deals which a lot of us were screaming for because we knew what was coming (an expensive roster).

And because when Orlando DID have cap they chose to sign KCP (overlap in Suggs skillset) and resign players that regressed to new shiny deals

I hate to be the “I told you so” or “we should have done this” guy but we could have signed/traded for CHEAP good depth in preparation of the inevitable but deliberately chose to stand pat and now here we are.

Is the world going to end because we are forced to trade Suggs? No.

Could have we been more active and creative throughout the years to acquire good talent/depth to be more prepared for today and create a window of contention with our core? Absolutely.

Again, this is just the result of poor roster and cap management throughout the years.

[RichCollab]

OKC had more money than us to sign Hartenstein.

Sent from my SM-G998U1 using RealGM mobile app

Must be nice to have a functional GM

[Ducklett]

Okc has to pay all their young guys. Aren't they just as doomed?

[RichCollab]

Okc has to pay all their young guys. Aren't they just as doomed?

They have an unlimited supply of 1st picks still.

They have made the finals. We still fumbling around.

[Magic_Johnny12]

Okc has to pay all their young guys. Aren't they just as doomed?

They are literally 4 games away from winning the NBA championship lmao.

If “doomed” equals championship then I would say that you’re doing it right.

You can’t be doomed and barely a playoff team

[pepe1991]

Last year there was same story.



Skin's post

Orlando may be young, but they won't be in a better cap situation with their current core ever again. If we fail to use it wisely, or fail to make a big move and fail to take advantage of this, then that cap space will simply get absorbed by extensions. We are like an NFL team playing with a QB on a rookie contract. The time and window to bring in big named FAs/trades is actually now, BEFORE the QB gets a huge extension. This is the last year we can do it with Suggs and Franz about get get PAID.

Whole tread
viewtopic.php?f=25&t=2377457&hilit=run+back&start=1220

Lot of people knew this was going to happen. Making trades AFTER you fill salary cap is simply way harder than in situations where you don't care all that much is Simons going to ask for 4 years $130M or 4 years $150M.


And we are yet to pay Banchero his max , so things won't get any better.

[VFX]

Its a simple equation to me.

Suggs does not equal Garland straight up.

Do I want Garland, and some random shooting guard, next to Franz and Paolo?
Do I want Simons or Reaves, and Jalen Suggs, next to Franz and Paolo?

I've said this before that this roster is not an allstar point guard away from being good.
They are an entire system on offense PLUS a competent bench away from being good.

It would be so **** appropriate for Orlando to lose a gritty defender that players on this team say "is the heart of the team" because Weltman sucks at his job. Actually the perfect thing to happen to Orlando in terms of how this organization operates. Why? Because they want to pay KCP, Isaac, Cole Anthony, and 3 goddamn Centers instead of making decisions for 4 seasons while still having a trash second unit.

Like I argue with people here for years that they need to make decisions on losers like Fultz, start NOW on making a decision on AB while he has value, and start taking chances on unquantifiable players while moving scrubs like Isaac that suck up money and time. NO.. we need to wait and see with every decision here in Orlando because everything takes 5 years to learn for some reason.