Official Speculation Thread (Pt.LIII "Lottery/Draft"Edition)

[tranjSAIC]

After the Magic make the playoffs, they will be drafting around 16-20 so I doubt Smart will drop that far. Sorry -BMP

I am a homer Magic fan too, but if the Magic are not in the lottery next year and high, then the season was an epic fail and I do not care how great anyone of our current young players become. You do not go this far with dismantling a team, looking toward that crop of talent in 2014 both from a draft a free agent perspective, only to change course.

The are no moral victories here and I do not want to be a team like the Milwaukee Bucks.

The thing that turned the Thunder around was the development of two top flight players in Westbrook and Durant. Harden was just icing on the cake. If you assume we already have one of Those players in Harris, Harkless or Vuc, we still need one m ore can't miss perennial All Star.

No matter who we draft this year, we will be needing that final piece from next years draft before we can truly want to be the playoffs.

IMO unless we sign a couple top free agents in 2014" we are probably looking at the lottery for the next two years. Next year because we will tank and the following year because we will be fighting to get in the playoffs and learning how to with owe tough games.

Which if we manage our cap correctly, it puts us as the young hot team around 2015/2016 and be a very nice place for a Kevin Durant to want to play. (Assuming we wiff on the free agents next summer, because after next summer it will be two more years until the next good wave of free agents hit.)

I am sorry, but you are wrong.

Magic may have enough money next summer for up to (2) Max Free Agents or a max player plus solid role players. Adding solid players to an already playoff roster is a very quick rebuild.

Much better than playing the Lotto and hoping to land a star player.

Got to disagree with you BMP. If we aren't a top lottery team next year the season will be a fail. Glad we have a GM that will be going that route and not yours. I highly doubt Henny goes for any free agents anytime soon, he is going to keep drafting players and getting young assets. We need to land a superstar in the draft either this year or next, and it seems like this year will be difficult with how crappy this draft is.

[BadMofoPimp]

Got to disagree with you BMP. If we aren't a top lottery team next year the season will be a fail. Glad we have a GM that will be going that route and not yours. I highly doubt Henny goes for any free agents anytime soon, he is going to keep drafting players and getting young assets. We need to land a superstar in the draft either this year or next, and it seems like this year will be difficult with how crappy this draft is.

Wrong.

How many Superstars are guaranteed every draft?

The lottery is gambling.

I doubt the Magic get a superstar either draft. The odds are against them. I am also against forcing my players into a frustrating losing mentality. Thus, the proven way to win is by obtaining talent whenever you can get it, not by losing money and chemistry while praying to win a superstar. You either take it when you can or gamble. I take it when I can and that is Free Agency.

[LC_Magic]

BMP...


I BET YOU YOUR AVATAR WE DO NOT MAKE THE PLAYOFFS? you in? IF we do, I will put you in my sig somehow with a statement we agree on about you?

[InFlames]

i don't even want to admit this, but I am going to look myself in the mirror as a Magic fan and speak the truth...

Do you actually think we have any shot at a top free agent in 2014 no matter how good we play given what this franchise went through so recently with Dwight?

Sure I know Rob is running the show, but we are still the Magic, a team that has now lost 3 "IN THEIR PRIME" Top 3 players in Shaq, TMAC & Howard. That. Stain/scar cannot be removed in a matter of two years. If Rob accomplishes that, I will personally start a fundraising campaign to erect a gold statue in honor of him outside the Amway Center.

Do I want it to happen? Sure, but I am just being realistic... I would rather us go with the best odds. And if we are following the blueprint of one Sam Presti, we will not be signing ANY. Top free agents, but maybe trading for our last needed piece (i.e. Perkins) with the stock piled talent we have over the next two years.

As long as the tax laws stay the same and Florida doesn't fall off into the ocean we will always be able to attract free agents. We've been able to do it literally every time we have actually had the space to do so.

And for the thousandth time, a team doesn't go from winning 20 games, to making the playoffs the next season. We won 8 games after BBD wen't down. Let that sink in for a bit.

[LC_Magic]

BMP you in?

[InFlames]

http://www.nba.com/magic/news/denton-he ... ay-be-over

[KillMonger]

Interesting wiretap, Burke passed up being represented by LeBron's agency. Now half of me wants to say that it's a testament to his character to not automatically be enamored by a big name like Noel was. The other half of me is saying it means nothing and really he just made a choice

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[Noonskadoodle]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9qYwVoh7CU[/youtube]


2nd round?

[blue and white]

Interesting wiretap, Burke passed up being represented by LeBron's agency. Now half of me wants to say that it's a testament to his character to not automatically be enamored by a big name like Noel was. The other half of me is saying it means nothing and really he just made a choice

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I believe hes being represented by his dads agency so i think he just wants to keep the money in the family and trusts his dad more then some agent

[Bensational]

Wrong.

How many Superstars are guaranteed every draft?

The lottery is gambling.

I doubt the Magic get a superstar either draft. The odds are against them. I am also against forcing my players into a frustrating losing mentality. Thus, the proven way to win is by obtaining talent whenever you can get it, not by losing money and chemistry while praying to win a superstar. You either take it when you can or gamble. I take it when I can and that is Free Agency.

the lottery is gambling, but trying to push a team to become contenders without any kind of superstar is a gamble with worse odds. there's no point in trying to turn the corner on being winners without having a foundation piece.

and what FAs are worth targeting next summer. people don't realise that there aren't a lot of realistic options next summer.

LBJ/Wade/Melo/Dirk/Duncan/Kobe - none of these guys are leaving their teams to join us, and even if they did, we wouldn't want them because they'd be too old.

Bosh/Gasol - Neither are good enough to be your best player, and Gasol is too old for our team.

DMC/Wall - the most suitable options for us, but DMC is a headcase, and either way - both teams will match their deals. would take some creative GM work to get them away from teams with options.

so, what's the rush? we've got a GM who seems to have a great eye for identifying young prospects, so let's let him do his thing and build through the draft.

[KillMonger]

What are your thoughts on tyreke Evans everyone? Would you take him at the right price? Or want no part of him?

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[OrlChamps2030]

What are your thoughts on tyreke Evans everyone? Would you take him at the right price? Or want no part of him?

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If the price is right ($8-$10mill range), yeah I would. He is coming off a pretty nice year where he showed a lot of maturity on the court. Still only 23. Can play and defend either guard position. We probably won't go after him but I think a change of scenery will do good things for him.

Wrong.

How many Superstars are guaranteed every draft?

The lottery is gambling.

I doubt the Magic get a superstar either draft. The odds are against them. I am also against forcing my players into a frustrating losing mentality. Thus, the proven way to win is by obtaining talent whenever you can get it, not by losing money and chemistry while praying to win a superstar. You either take it when you can or gamble. I take it when I can and that is Free Agency.

I definitely agree that the lottery is a complete crapshoot and that the Thunder are an anomaly but I think with the youth on our team and the current make-up of our roster, the draft is the only way we can build. The upcoming FA classes are weak and there doesn't seem to be a James Harden situation arising anytime soon.

[Skin]

This team is not building through FA. I don't know why people talk about it. The money that we clear up in 2014 will be pocketed until it's time to extend our own young players. Otherwise, we'll end up like the Thunder who were forced to trade Harden. That is not the goal. The goal is to acquire, develop and then retain our young talent. Hopefully, over time we build a cohesive unit that knows how to play with each other. That is the plan for sustainable success that Hennigan speaks of. Now the trick right now is acquiring the talent. So far, we've done more than a solid job.

[Skin]

What are your thoughts on tyreke Evans everyone? Would you take him at the right price? Or want no part of him?

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Stay the heck away. OMG what a team cancer, black hole and poster child for inefficiency and terrible shot selection.

[Def Swami]

Chad Ford ‏@chadfordinsider 42m
NBA Draft Combine is on ESPNU Thurs/Fri next week from 10 am ET to 3 pm ET.

[RapHippy]

What are your thoughts on tyreke Evans everyone? Would you take him at the right price? Or want no part of him?

Sent from my expensive a$$ phone

Stay the heck away. OMG what a team cancer, black hole and poster child for inefficiency and terrible shot selection.

Which is something you could have said before this season started, however as the season went by this year, he's improved his shot selection and efficiency, he hasn't improved so much that he is considered a high level of efficiency, but he sure is talented and has the tools to be. He's shown great potential with his unbelievable rookie year and is still a young player.

He's also went through a significant position change (from PG to SF) along with really bad management/coaching. Our coaching/management is just taking a turn for the better, but being part of the growth into a respectable franchise could be a big part in developing an "immature" player. I think that for the right price (which is low at this point) we should get him.

[Skin]

What are your thoughts on tyreke Evans everyone? Would you take him at the right price? Or want no part of him?

Sent from my expensive a$$ phone

Stay the heck away. OMG what a team cancer, black hole and poster child for inefficiency and terrible shot selection.

Which is something you could have said before this season started, however as the season went by this year, he's improved his shot selection and efficiency, he hasn't improved so much that he is considered a high level of efficiency, but he sure is talented and has the tools to be. He's shown great potential with his unbelievable rookie year and is still a young player.

He's also went through a significant position change (from PG to SF) along with really bad management/coaching. Our coaching/management is just taking a turn for the better, but being part of the growth into a respectable franchise could be a big part in developing an "immature" player. I think that for the right price (which is low at this point) we should get him.

Well, he's got enough stock that he'll probably be out priced for even somebody like you since you admit it's low. I know with 100% confidence that I don't want him as our PG. SG? How would his budget fit in between what we've got in Afflalo and Harkless? Not only that. Would he want to come here? Low money, tight fit.

I don't see him as a Henny type of player either.

[RapHippy]

Well, he's got enough stock that he'll probably be out priced for even somebody like you since you admit it's low. I know with 100% confidence that I don't want him as our PG. SG? How would his budget fit in between what we've got in Afflalo and Harkless? Not only that. Would he want to come here? Low money, tight fit.

I don't see him as a Henny type of player either.

He's probably worth as much as Afflalo and maybe a 2nd round pick.

As SG, having a second ball handler would be great. Having another potential asset would be good too, so I'm saying we should buy low, and have a low-risk/high-reward type player since Tyreke's already shown to be at least a starter which is an asset to our team already.

Why he would want to come here? idk, someone asked for an opinion on Tyreke Evans, I answered, and stated my opinion about your comment about him.

Also the possibility of starting;
Burke,Evans,Harkless,Harris,Vucevic is promising. Both as a young team, and also as a lottery team going for a good pick.

[Skin]

Well, he's got enough stock that he'll probably be out priced for even somebody like you since you admit it's low. I know with 100% confidence that I don't want him as our PG. SG? How would his budget fit in between what we've got in Afflalo and Harkless? Not only that. Would he want to come here? Low money, tight fit.

I don't see him as a Henny type of player either.

He's probably worth as much as Afflalo and maybe a 2nd round pick.

As SG, having a second ball handler would be great. Having another potential asset would be good too, so I'm saying we should buy low, and have a low-risk/high-reward type player since Tyreke's already shown to be at least a starter which is an asset to our team already.

Why he would want to come here? idk, someone asked for an opinion on Tyreke Evans, I answered, and stated my opinion about your comment about him.

Also the possibility of starting;
Burke,Evans,Harkless,Harris,Vucevic is promising. Both as a young team, and also as a lottery team going for a good pick.

Are you saying you would give him the same money that Afflalo is making? yikes. I hope not. Tyreke thinks he's a superstar, but he's not. I think he's worth less than what Dallas gave Mayo last year.

[RapHippy]

Are you saying you would give him the same money that Afflalo is making? yikes. I hope not. Tyreke thinks he's a superstar, but he's not. I think he's worth less than what Dallas gave Mayo last year.

I'll agree to disagree about our opinions on Tyreke tbh.

However, I don't even think Afflalo is worth what he's being paid. He underachieved on Orlando in my opinion, he was supposed to come as a defense-first player, however has apparently has turned the corner to become a offensive player. He's also shot his 2nd worse 3pt% and 3rd lowest 2pt%.