Orlando Magic Free Agency Guide (Cap Info UPDATED page 37)

[ezzzp]

Horford really shouldn't be worth max dollars. He's not a star, and I'm not sure he's a massive difference maker as an individual, and he's had big issues with injuries in recent years, and he's going to be 30.

Yeah, he's a good player, and he'd be good as a 3rd option on a Big 3 (like in OKC with Durant and Westbrook, or in Chicago with Rose and Butler, etc), but we need to prioritize getting the Big 2 first and foremost. Adding an expensive 3rd option like that just makes it harder to obtain a legit star.

I was high on him coming here but recently started feeling the same way as you do. It just doesn't seem like he would put us over the top. I'd rather keep the Vooch + AG pairing and try to improve elsewhere if possible.

I agree as well, I have never been on the Horford to Orlando train. He'd be a nice player to have, but the money to pry him from Atlanta vs the bump this team would get just doesn't look like much now and less so in the future.

[Mc-o]

Horford really shouldn't be worth max dollars. He's not a star, and I'm not sure he's a massive difference maker as an individual, and he's had big issues with injuries in recent years, and he's going to be 30.

Yeah, he's a good player, and he'd be good as a 3rd option on a Big 3 (like in OKC with Durant and Westbrook, or in Chicago with Rose and Butler, etc), but we need to prioritize getting the Big 2 first and foremost. Adding an expensive 3rd option like that just makes it harder to obtain a legit star.

I was high on him coming here but recently started feeling the same way as you do. It just doesn't seem like he would put us over the top. I'd rather keep the Vooch + AG pairing and try to improve elsewhere if possible.

I agree as well, I have never been on the Horford to Orlando train. He'd be a nice player to have, but the money to pry him from Atlanta vs the bump this team would get just doesn't look like much now and less so in the future.

I don't see how Horford fills A need for us because AG and illy our better suited for PF and vucevic is better than Horford at this point at C , if we get a big fA it will probably be CONLEY

[ezzzp]

My primary target would still be Conley.


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Conley is who I've been a proponent of. I love EP, but if Conley was on this unit he makes this team way better. A quality veteran PG running the offense makes a substantial impact.

[NBlue]

I guess my concern with Conley is -- why?

He is middle of the pack or at best lower 1st third in about every offensive category.
18.8 PER and .536 TS% 37% from 3 career (little lower this year)
Amongst pgs this year:
13th in PER
39th in ts%
23rd in assist ratio (EP is 18th)
12th in 3pt percentage
10th in assists

He seems like a slightly above average point guard. Do we really want to commit the $150 million over 5 years to get him? Cause that what it will take (Starting at 27.6 and going up from there).

[npiper17]

Conley would be an upgrade and may well fit as a non-ball dominant point guard who still is a threat from 3. It depends on how our guard rotation finish out the year IMO.

[ezzzp]

I guess my concern with Conley is -- why?

He is middle of the pack or at best lower 1st third in about every offensive category.
18.8 PER and .536 TS% 37% from 3 career (little lower this year)
Amongst pgs this year:
13th in PER
39th in ts%
23rd in assist ratio (EP is 18th)
12th in 3pt percentage
10th in assists

He seems like a slightly above average point guard. Do we really want to commit the $150 million over 5 years to get him? Cause that what it will take (Starting at 27.6 and going up from there).

Here's how I arrived at him:

1. He's not the best PG in the NBA, but he's definitely the best one available.

2. Max is probably high, but to lure him - that's what it will take.

3. He's a true floor general - team captain type of player...this has real impact on teams and outside of Durant could have the most impact on the team's performance and on luring that second player.

4. He's 28 and a respected veteran that has competed in the deep playoffs. This matters in how it impacts Elfrid Payton. When such a proven vet comes in, EP's ego/confidence is less impacted than if another young guy takes his spot. Conley's age assures EP that he will eventually inherit the starting PG role as Conley fades.

5. His skill set is near perfect for this team, a 3-D point guard that will allow either Oladipo/Hezonja/Fournier to get theirs without commanding shots.

[Max Power]

I think Hennigan has a plan, clearing all this cap space smells of a huge plan. Does the plan work? We'll see. I'm of the opinion that Kevin Durant won't sign here, but you at least try to sign him because you never know. You may win the lottery and he chooses Orlando.

I'm ok with Al Horford, he upgrades our front court significantly, but I'm not signing him for the max either, he's 30 and his value won't increase with his contract. I'm ok if we get him along with a Durant, Derozan or even a Harrison Barnes or Parsons. If he's the prize free agent, I'll be disappointed.


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[NBlue]

Listening to NBA radio this morning and they peppered the Griz VP on Conley FA questions. He basically indicated they would give Conley the full max (which is more than we can give under the cap) and that they certainly expected Conley to stay in Memphis though he would likely visit other teams. Isola afterwards appeared to be of the same conclusion and noted that the league chatter is that Conley will stay though, of course, the Knicks and Nets think he is coming there.

[ralphie9898]

Right or Wrong.... If I were the GM of the Magic, I'd take ya'll on a wild ride this offseason!

First thing I do is recruit the hell out of Whiteside starting at 12:01 midnight and offer him the max. I know this is not a popular decision, but I'm willing to take the risk. His talent is too rare. Vucevic starts to play a little more PF depending on the match up.



Next, I offer Brandon Jennings a contract between $10-12M per year for 4 years.

Then, I exercise the Team Option on Ersan Ilyasova at $8M.

Happily match whatever contract Evan Fournier receives. At this point the Magic are over the cap

Draft Ivan Rabb, currently #13 at DX.

PG Brandon Jennings / Elfrid Payton / CJ Watson
SG Victor Oladipo / Mario Hezonja / CJ Watson
SF Evan Fournier / Aaron Gordon / Mario Hezonja
PF Aaron Gordon / Nikola Vucevic / Ersan Ilyasova / Ivan Rabb
C Hassan Whiteside / Nikola Vucevic

Still loaded with youth in a model that is built for long term sustainability.

Yeah I am with you on Whiteside. I would make him priority number one. We need his interior D. adding Horford means are interior defense probably isn't that good. Though I don't think Vuc is a PF at all and we would probably have to trade him. I have no interest in bringing back Jennings or Ilyasova as I think we waive our rights to both of them in order to free up the max money we can get which was probably why we did that trade and the trade of Frye. We would have room for one max deal and then one close to the max deal so maybe we could still lure Horford or another very good PF. Trade Vuc for something valuable. Shooters would be needed. Rabb is on my radar for where we currently are. Deyonta Davis and Thomas Bryant are other big men in our area that I am looking at. Labissiere is falling so maybe we consider him if he comes out. Chiek Diallo is falling too so he is another consideration. Though I also have to consider shooters and Buddy Hield and Furkan Korkmaz are two options as well.

[ralphie9898]

Imo durant is not leaving westbrook. He signs a 1 and 1 deal like lebron and him and westbrook either stays in okc or leave together for another team.

yeah I totally agree. Plus it just makes economic sense as the cap is going up again next offseason so why not cash in on that rise in max numbers.

[NBlue]

I think Hennigan has a plan, clearing all this cap space smells of a huge plan. Does the plan work? We'll see. I'm of the opinion that Kevin Durant won't sign here, but you at least try to sign him because you never know. You may win the lottery and he chooses Orlando.

I'm ok with Al Horford, he upgrades our front court significantly, but I'm not signing him for the max either, he's 30 and his value won't increase with his contract. I'm ok if we get him along with a Durant, Derozan or even a Harrison Barnes or Parsons. If he's the prize free agent, I'll be disappointed.


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I agree with you. My sense is Horford is the target as well. Would not be surprised if it ends up being him and Noah though that would mean AG at the 3 which I don't like as much.

[ralphie9898]

I think Hennigan has a plan, clearing all this cap space smells of a huge plan. Does the plan work? We'll see. I'm of the opinion that Kevin Durant won't sign here, but you at least try to sign him because you never know. You may win the lottery and he chooses Orlando.

I'm ok with Al Horford, he upgrades our front court significantly, but I'm not signing him for the max either, he's 30 and his value won't increase with his contract. I'm ok if we get him along with a Durant, Derozan or even a Harrison Barnes or Parsons. If he's the prize free agent, I'll be disappointed.


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I agree with you. My sense is Horford is the target as well. Would not be surprised if it ends up being him and Noah though that would mean AG at the 3 which I don't like as much.

yeah I think Gordon would make for a very good three. He has incredible athleticism and can match up with any 3 defensively once he learns better technique which Skiles should be able to teach him. Offensively he may not be a great shooter but he should still be able to score and if he improves his shooting he would make for an ideal 3 as he would also have a height advantage over a lot of guys.

[NBlue]

I think Hennigan has a plan, clearing all this cap space smells of a huge plan. Does the plan work? We'll see. I'm of the opinion that Kevin Durant won't sign here, but you at least try to sign him because you never know. You may win the lottery and he chooses Orlando.

I'm ok with Al Horford, he upgrades our front court significantly, but I'm not signing him for the max either, he's 30 and his value won't increase with his contract. I'm ok if we get him along with a Durant, Derozan or even a Harrison Barnes or Parsons. If he's the prize free agent, I'll be disappointed.


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I agree with you. My sense is Horford is the target as well. Would not be surprised if it ends up being him and Noah though that would mean AG at the 3 which I don't like as much.

yeah I think Gordon would make for a very good three. He has incredible athleticism and can match up with any 3 defensively once he learns better technique which Skiles should be able to teach him. Offensively he may not be a great shooter but he should still be able to score and if he improves his shooting he would make for an ideal 3 as he would also have a height advantage over a lot of guys.

Of course this brings back up the age old argument as to whether AG is a 3 or a 4. Presumably the acquisition of Horford would mean he will play primarily at the 3.

I think -- clearly -- no one is debating whether he would be a good 3. Of course he would. The issue is that with him at the 3 you have a substantial dirth of quality 3 pt shooting if you have Horford and Vooch as the rest of your front line. Conversely, with him at the 4 you are able to have a dead eye 3 pt shooter at the 3.

There is no question that AG can guard the 3 or the 4 just fine. Obviously.

[Patrick1978]

I agree with you. My sense is Horford is the target as well. Would not be surprised if it ends up being him and Noah though that would mean AG at the 3 which I don't like as much.

yeah I think Gordon would make for a very good three. He has incredible athleticism and can match up with any 3 defensively once he learns better technique which Skiles should be able to teach him. Offensively he may not be a great shooter but he should still be able to score and if he improves his shooting he would make for an ideal 3 as he would also have a height advantage over a lot of guys.

Of course this brings back up the age old argument as to whether AG is a 3 or a 4. Presumably the acquisition of Horford would mean he will play primarily at the 3.

I think -- clearly -- no one is debating whether he would be a good 3. Of course he would. The issue is that with him at the 3 you have a substantial dirth of quality 3 pt shooting if you have Horford and Vooch as the rest of your front line. Conversely, with him at the 4 you are able to have a dead eye 3 pt shooter at the 3.

There is no question that AG can guard the 3 or the 4 just fine. Obviously.

I would go for whiteside in free agency. Aaron gordon stays at the 4.so we could draft a shooter like valentine or korkmaz

[ralphie9898]

I agree with you. My sense is Horford is the target as well. Would not be surprised if it ends up being him and Noah though that would mean AG at the 3 which I don't like as much.

yeah I think Gordon would make for a very good three. He has incredible athleticism and can match up with any 3 defensively once he learns better technique which Skiles should be able to teach him. Offensively he may not be a great shooter but he should still be able to score and if he improves his shooting he would make for an ideal 3 as he would also have a height advantage over a lot of guys.

Of course this brings back up the age old argument as to whether AG is a 3 or a 4. Presumably the acquisition of Horford would mean he will play primarily at the 3.

I think -- clearly -- no one is debating whether he would be a good 3. Of course he would. The issue is that with him at the 3 you have a substantial dirth of quality 3 pt shooting if you have Horford and Vooch as the rest of your front line. Conversely, with him at the 4 you are able to have a dead eye 3 pt shooter at the 3.

There is no question that AG can guard the 3 or the 4 just fine. Obviously.

Yeah i hear u. That does leave us very thin on shooting. Add in Payton at PG and we won't have many shooters. That is why I am hoping we can get Whiteside and then try and trade Vuc for some more shooters. Maybe we bring back a guy like Ryan Anderson for the 4 spot. All I know is that it will be an interesting offseason for us.

[ezzzp]

In addition to potentially derailing any realistic notion the team had about competing for an NBA title in 2015/16, the injury to Gasol could also spell the end of point guard Mike Conley‘s tenure in Memphis.

Conley is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and any potential long term impact to Gasol’s health and productivity could nudge the point guard toward another franchise come July. While the Grizzlies remain publicly optimistic that Gasol will make a full recovery and be ready for the start of the 2016/17 season, a physical therapist who is well-versed in the recovery process the big man will undergo told Peter Edmiston of The Commercial Appeal that there is less than a 10% chance that the Spaniard will return to his pre-injury form. Only time will tell if Gasol will be the player we are used to seeing when he makes his way back, but this offseason will likely be Conley’s last chance at a significant long-term payday. He may decide that risking his last remaining peak seasons on the durability of Gasol’s right foot isn’t the smart play and bolt for what he perceives to be greener pastures.

http://www.hoopsrumors.com

[ezzzp]

First thing I do is recruit the hell out of Whiteside starting at 12:01 midnight and offer him the max. I know this is not a popular decision, but I'm willing to take the risk.

Yeah I am with you on Whiteside. I would make him priority number one. We need his interior D.

I don't think the Magic have any shot at Whiteside. He is even more of a longshot than Durant in my opinion.

Max money offers will be there for him from many teams; plus Miami can offer him higher raises, lifestyle and no state tax.

He is know for having a personality that is all about Hassan all the time. I don't really care about that - but that type of personality is going to want to live in a major city, not in a small conservative family community.

If he was all about winning, I'd say there was a chance as maybe RH can convince him of a future. But he doesn't care about basketball or winning - its just his meal ticket...and that's totally fine, but it again makes Orlando a very unlikely destination for him.

New York, Brooklyn and LA are already preparing offers. At the trade deadline, Lakers were rumored to have tried to trade for him.

I don't have as much trouble with his issues as others do, but I just don't think the Magic have any chance at signing him...but I do think RH at minimum calls his agent to test the water.

[ezzzp]

Teams with possible interest in Howard this summer if he opts out:

Rockets GM Daryl Morey said he never came close to trading Dwight Howard, but Morey and agent Dan Fegan were reportedly making a strong effort to find a new team for him in the hours leading up to last week’s deadline. Houston was in touch with the Mavericks, Bulls, Hawks, Celtics,Hornets, Heat, Bucks and Raptors about Howard as it sought to engage in trade talks about the former All-Star center, according to multiple reports, but the market for him was apparently soft.

http://www.hoopsrumors.com

[fendilim]

First and foremost, Whiteside's character will not fit into what Rob looks for in a player

I think Horford and Durant are our primary target. I'd be willing to pay Al, the max, provided Durant comes along tho.

[LBPTarHeel27]

Imo durant is not leaving westbrook. He signs a 1 and 1 deal like lebron and him and westbrook either stays in okc or leave together for another team.

yeah I totally agree. Plus it just makes economic sense as the cap is going up again next offseason so why not cash in on that rise in max numbers.

I really don't understand why you guys would think they'll stick together. They seem to have a good relationship where they can share the spotlight...but from a pure basketball perspective, they could each do much better. They don't fit together. They are both extremely ball dominant and while they can coexist on the floor, they don't play off of each other well. Contracts aside, I don't see why would they want to stay together after this summer or next. Let's say Durant takes the 1&1 deal and returns to OKC next year....and they don't win the title...again. If you are either of them...why would you want to keep trying the same thing. Isn't that the true definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over...and expecting different results? They are two of the NBA's best but they do not work as a unit.