Official 2025-2026 Magic Trade ideas thread

[fateis007]

I'm pretty sad about this.

I am conflicted.

Don't be conflicted. Be pissed. What a stupid trade for Portland. Jrue is owed A TON of money for 3 washed seasons.

Certainly, the magic could have made a better offer?

I'm kinda pissed as a magic fan and I wasn't all-in on Simons either.

I wouldn't be pissed at the Magic. I would be pissed at the league for allowing this bull. This is obviously an inside job, they pretty much gave him away, this wasn't a trade. It makes absolutely no sense for Portland, like there is not one upside.

[RookieStar]

Simons traded to BOS.

Everyone is scratching why would POR do this?

[thelead]

I am conflicted.

Don't be conflicted. Be pissed. What a stupid trade for Portland. Jrue is owed A TON of money for 3 washed seasons.

Certainly, the magic could have made a better offer?

I'm kinda pissed as a magic fan and I wasn't all-in on Simons either.

I wouldn't be pissed at the Magic. I would be pissed at the league for allowing this bull. This is obviously an inside job, they pretty much gave him away, this wasn't a trade. It makes absolutely no sense for Portland, like there is not one upside.

I'd rather have Simons (and 2 2nds) for KCP and Cole instead of Bane for KCP, Cole, 16th pick. PHX 26 pick, 28 unprotected 1st, 29 1st swap, and 30 unprotected 1st. Yeah, I said it.

We always have to vastly overpay for everything.

[JRoy]

Simons traded to BOS.

Everyone is scratching why would POR do this?

It could be the FO thinks the blazers (the zero all star blazers) are ready to compete. If this is the last move they are wrong.

There could be follow up moves that make this make sense (Jrue to PHX for Beal and multiple FRP).

…but now it looks like a filled diaper after eating too much Indian food.

[fateis007]

Simons traded to BOS.

Everyone is scratching why would POR do this?

It's all behind the scenes scammy stuff. There is no actual basketball reasons to trade your best player for a 35 year old vet on a massive contract, putting up sub par stats. None if it is logical, it's just more crap the league is allowing that is making this sport bad. They want Celtics in the finals, so glad they got booted out the playoffs by a small market team

[fateis007]

Don't be conflicted. Be pissed. What a stupid trade for Portland. Jrue is owed A TON of money for 3 washed seasons.

Certainly, the magic could have made a better offer?

I'm kinda pissed as a magic fan and I wasn't all-in on Simons either.

I wouldn't be pissed at the Magic. I would be pissed at the league for allowing this bull. This is obviously an inside job, they pretty much gave him away, this wasn't a trade. It makes absolutely no sense for Portland, like there is not one upside.

I'd rather have Simons (and 2 2nds) for KCP and Cole instead of Bane for KCP, Cole, 16th pick. PHX 26 pick, 28 unprotected 1st, 29 1st swap, and 30 unprotected 1st. Yeah, I said it.

We always have to vastly overpay for everything.

This isn't a real trade. Maybe we overpaid for Bane.

But this was literally just a give away, let's be real. You can't compare this, I guarantee you they had 29 better offers on the table and took the worse one for "whatever" reasons. We never had a chance, and looking at the package neither did anyone else.

[ogmagicfan]

And some people wanted to trade 2 1st for him smh

[RookieStar]

Simons traded to BOS.

Everyone is scratching why would POR do this?

It's all behind the scenes scammy stuff. There is no actual basketball reasons to trade your best player for a 35 year old vet on a massive contract, putting up sub par stats. None if it is logical, it's just more crap the league is allowing that is making this sport bad. They want Celtics in the finals, so glad they got booted out the playoffs by a small market team

NYK is a small market team now?

[RookieStar]

I wouldn't be pissed at the Magic. I would be pissed at the league for allowing this bull. This is obviously an inside job, they pretty much gave him away, this wasn't a trade. It makes absolutely no sense for Portland, like there is not one upside.

I'd rather have Simons (and 2 2nds) for KCP and Cole instead of Bane for KCP, Cole, 16th pick. PHX 26 pick, 28 unprotected 1st, 29 1st swap, and 30 unprotected 1st. Yeah, I said it.

We always have to vastly overpay for everything.

This isn't a real trade. Maybe we overpaid for Bane.

But this was literally just a give away, let's be real. You can't compare this, I guarantee you they had 29 better offers on the table and took the worse one for "whatever" reasons. We never had a chance, and looking at the package neither did anyone else.

Yeah... this is like Hennigan level of deviousness... POR must be getting unlimited handjobs from BOS for this

[SOUL]

best players don't get moved lol. Dude is quite literally one of the worst defenders in the league and he's a bit of an inefficient shooting, low assist scorer. he's good, don't get me wrong, and would help us being propped up by defenders, but meh. celtics just win it by getting off of jrue's longer contract at an older age and getting picks. but his on court contributions are more impactful still.

Just a quick look at EPM and Simons is around Malik Monk, Jalen Green, rookie Steph Castle levels of impact in the 160s, Jrue is ranked 90, Bane is top 60 and he had kind of an off year.

[thelead]

best players don't get moved lol. Dude is quite literally one of the worst defenders in the league and he's a bit of an inefficient shooting, low assist scorer. he's good, don't get me wrong, and would help us being propped up by defenders, but meh. celtics just win it by getting off of jrue's longer contract at an older age and getting picks. but his on court contributions are more impactful still.

Just a quick look at EPM and Simons is around Malik Monk, Jalen Green, rookie Steph Castle levels of impact in the 160s, Jrue is ranked 90, Bane is top 60 and he had kind of an off year.

sure... but Boston got off of, what most view as, a negative contract, and got back a serviceable player AND draft capital It's ridiculous.

[zaymon]

best players don't get moved lol. Dude is quite literally one of the worst defenders in the league and he's a bit of an inefficient shooting, low assist scorer. he's good, don't get me wrong, and would help us being propped up by defenders, but meh. celtics just win it by getting off of jrue's longer contract at an older age and getting picks. but his on court contributions are more impactful still.

Just a quick look at EPM and Simons is around Malik Monk, Jalen Green, rookie Steph Castle levels of impact in the 160s, Jrue is ranked 90, Bane is top 60 and he had kind of an off year.

Simons island sinking faster than peace around the world.

[SOUL]

best players don't get moved lol. Dude is quite literally one of the worst defenders in the league and he's a bit of an inefficient shooting, low assist scorer. he's good, don't get me wrong, and would help us being propped up by defenders, but meh. celtics just win it by getting off of jrue's longer contract at an older age and getting picks. but his on court contributions are more impactful still.

Just a quick look at EPM and Simons is around Malik Monk, Jalen Green, rookie Steph Castle levels of impact in the 160s, Jrue is ranked 90, Bane is top 60 and he had kind of an off year.

sure... but Boston got off of, what most view as, a negative contract, and got back a serviceable player AND draft capital It's ridiculous.

Oh yeah Boston def won the trade. I just think some people are thinking that like Simons >>>> Jrue as a player and it's not that. It's just the fact that the capital/contract swap and getting a solid player back is great for Boston.

[VFX]

I mean… you usually don’t trade a 26 year old starter for a 35 year old more expensive player unless it’s a really ridiculous circumstance.

How they gave up two picks and didn’t have to give up more is beyond me. Jrue is still relatively good, but Blazers are not competing.

Hard to believe there weren’t better offers out there, poor defense or not.

[cedric76]

Amazing video for pseudo-scouting Nickeil Alexander-Walker.

Watch on YouTube

Indeed but we can't afford him

Sure they can.

It will just take some belt tightening elsewhere.

We can this season, but then you ll really have to tighten next season.
He would put us well above the 2nd apron
Something like:
Cut JI (if he doesn't play many game next season)
Cut Jett (not pick rookie option)
Let goga go
Opt out on Moe s second option (if we offer him a 1+1)
Etc...

Is he really worth it? Is he the missing piece?

Could we get NAW for less of the mle?

Many things to think of before going after him

[pepe1991]

If you go through Jrue's numbers, he declined this year. A lot.

If you watched Knicks series, in 4/6 games he looked like KCP more than old Jrue. Can't lift own shots, can't create, can't beat people off dribble, his elite defense turned into fouling on almost every closeout.

Guy finished Knicks series with 20 assist and 19 fouls

[Knightro]

Even in his declined state, I think it’s possible Jrue impacts winning more positively than Simons does next season.

But this was primarily a financial move for Boston and it’s a big win for them on that front.

[eyriq]

Portland making a win-now move is wild to me. Avdija (24) is a winning player as is Jrue (35) but you've got Clingan (21), Scoot (21), and Sharpe (22) all needing developmental reps, not to mention their lottery pick in the upcoming draft. These kind of half-assed rebuilds disgust me.

[Knightro]

Like I get the *idea* of adding a tough veteran leader like Jrue to a young team and all that.

But Jrue just declined rather noticeably this past year and he has two years left on his deal after that.

It feels like a large financial price to pay for leadership. The on-court production doesn’t seem like it’s going to match the salary moving forward.

And he has two years left *after* this one.

[basketballRob]

Bill Duffy is going to try and get a big extension.

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