Hypothetical - Re-draft the last few years (and un-do trades if you like)

[Def Swami]

I'll do this based on guys I had on my own radar during the drafts, not necessarily taking best players; I acknowledge I had some misses, but also feel like we would have hit on higher ceiling guys too.

2012 Draft: Perry Jones III, Kyle O'Quinn
2013 Draft: CJ McCollum
2014 Draft: Dante Exum, Adriene Payne (really wanted Porzingis to stay in for that 2nd pick)
2015 Draft: Myles Turner
2016 Draft: Trade the pick (I was uninterested in this draft after Thon Maker was gone)

Keep trade of JJ Redick and fluff for Tobias Harris.
Keep trade of Aaron Afflalo for Evan Fournier.
Keep trade for Jodie Meeks.
Keep trade for CJ Wilcox.
Un-trade Moe Harkless away for nothing.
Un-trade Tobias Harris away for nothing.

Keep letting Nicholson and O'Quinn walk.
Keep signing of CJ Watson.
Keep signing of DJ Augustin.
Keep signing of Bismack Biyombo.
Re-sign Fournier.
Un-sign Channing Frye.
Un-sign Jeff Green.


Final Roster:
Dante Exum/DJ Augustin/CJ Watson
CJ McCollum/Evan Fournier/Jodie Meeks/CJ Wilcox
Tobias Harris/Moe Harkless/PJIII
Myles Turner/Adriene Payne
Nikola Vucevic/Bismack Biyombo

2016, 11th pick to trade still. This roster is still a mix of awkward fit, but McCollum and Turner have shown higher upsides than our own draft picks and can change games on each side of the court, respectively. We'd have a balanced scoring attack between McCollum, Harris, and Vucevic. Our depth would be great with Founier and Biz off the bench. Exum would probably do the same thing he does now and similar things as Payton; struggle to shoot, try to get others involved. More importantly, we'd be set up to consolidate this roster with a big trade. There's a trove of assets on this team that could be moved for veteran talent.

More hypothetical games: Could trade Vucevic, Turner, and Fournier, and 2016 1st for Boogie Cousins? Maybe some other star? Hard to top that offer. Or make a simple tweaks.

Fun thread.

[fendilim]

Fun little hypothetical exercise.
Build your own Magic team from our draft positions the last 4-5 years and un-do trades that we may have done.
(Do not make trades. This is based purely on draft opportunities, and then whether to keep players we've had based on the different roster from those picks.)
This is meant to be some reflective fun, not a Hennigan bash.

I'll have a go 1st.
2013 - Giannis Antetkounpo
(disclaimer: I liked Oladipo at the time, wanted him, was happy we took him. Also, I'm aware that everyone missed on Giannis, not just us. But this is not about that.)
2014 - Dante Exum & Rodney Hood
(Again - I really like Gordon, have hoped for the best with Payton and liked what he's done at times. Also, I think Payton might be the better player right now, but again that's not what this is about.)
2015 - Devin Booker
(I'm not closed to the idea Mario could still end up being better, but it's not looking that way right now.)
2016 - Juan Hernangomez

Trades to nix: Tobias Harris to DET. Harkless for nothing (though I'm not sure I'd re-sign him at his current contract.)

Sign Biyombo & possibly Augustin (not sure the cap space would be the same...)

2016-17 roster
PG - Exum / Giannis / Augustin
SG - Fournier / Booker
SF - Hood / Harris / Booker
PF - Giannis / Harris / Harkless
C - Biyombo / Vucevic

Shooting, length... not sure it's a playoff team still but it would be damned fun, full of potential and wouldn't be far off.

2013 - Nerlens. I'd pick Giannis, but he really wasn't on the 2nd pick draft range. So I don't think that would be realistic.
2014- Exum and Lavine
2015 - Hezonja
2016- Sabonis

I'd keep Ryan Anderson and Tobias too.

Exum/DJ
Lavine/Hezona
Tobias/hezonja
Nerlens/Ryan
Vuc/Sabonis

[Furinkazan]

ugh this thread is so annoying ... just angers me ... how many good players we passed on draft time

[1eyedjake]

ugh this thread is so annoying ... just angers me ... how many good players we passed on draft time

Lots of teams did.
That's what makes it fun. Instead of complaining about where the team is at, think reflexively about what could have been different. If the organisation does this kind of thing, maybe they find ways to get it more right in the future?
They've done a lot of things right, but we all agree they've made some big errors, too.

I've been doing this exercise for a while with Philly - I keep thinking they could have Giannis, Embiid, Porzingis and Simmons on the same team! I know they considered Porzingis. He'd be a great fit next to Simmons and Embiid, if they could all move their feet enough to guard smaller players. Booker would have been a great fit there, too.