Where do you stand?

[Airgordon00]

What path would you take if you were in charge: Youth movement or keep what we have and go for playoffs

Youth movement:
Obviously we aren't winning the title any time soon with the warriors running the league for the next couple years. So this is the perfect time to go all in on youth. Put the ball in the hands of young guys( Gordon, elf, Mario, draft picks) and see if we can build a on court chemistry of the likes of the spurs and warriors. Trade some of the vets for picks or some young guys who haven't gotten a chance to breakout. Sign some vets that won't take away crucial playing time but that can command the respect of the young guys. Sure we might not be good for a couple of years but atleast we would have something to look forward to in the future.

Keep what we have:

We stay the course of pushing for a playoff spot. Keep the roster mostly in tact except for the new rookies and new vets. Keep riding the Fournier and vooch duo to see if they can lead us to the playoffs. Then hope for Gordon, elf, Mario and some of the rookies to step up. Hope biz and ross find some consistency.

What would you do? I'm curious to see where most of us stand. I personally would go youth movement and hope we are the next dynasty after the warriors.

[MagicStarwipe]

Youth movement. If your second scenario happens I'm not sure I'll be able to watch Magic basketball again next season. They've pushed me to my breaking point with that ****.

[MoGrAdY]

While I hate watching the playoffs while the Magic are sitting at home, we need to go youth movement. The previous rebuild sucked and for all the years of losing we have nothing to show for it. Ideally I would like to see Fournier, Vooch, And Biz moved for salary relief. We need to focus on maximizing cap space, stockpiling picks, and developing youth. I wouldn't hesitate to move anyone the current roster. I may be in the minority but I would love to see AG get moved. If we can replace Payton I'm fine with that as well.


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[Max Power]

I'd go somewhere in between. A full on youth movement cannot excite an already weary fan base. I would however do a pretty massive roster overhaul and only keep selective current pieces.

I'd end the Gordon/Payton era. 3 years, with minimal improvements. There's no reason to think year 4 they'll be different players. Use them as trade pieces to bring in a difference maker. Fournier as well.

Do our best to trade Biyombo. Horrible contract, but I fear we're stuck with him.

Vucevic I'd keep. Reasonable contract and daily double double players are becoming a rarity.

Draft Dennis Smith Jr. This team needs a killer on the court. Smith can be guy.

Try and move up to draft Giles.

A starting 5 could look like this...
Vuc
Giles
Gallinari ( possibility through sign and trade)
Ross
DSJr

This is obviously very hypothetical and I'm not gonna pretend to know about cap impacts. It's just what I'd like to see.


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[NBAchamps2017]

A starting 5 could look like this...
Vuc
Giles
Gallinari ( possibility through sign and trade)
Ross
DSJr

Can we trade with Philly for their 3rd? Say, send Gordon and Fournier to them then draft Josh Jackson at 3rd and DSJr at 6th. Sign and trade for Gallinari (max) and lure Jrue Holiday (Lowry will stay in Tor) with near max offer??? Sign Jerebko? Release some players. Can we do that?

Jrue / DSJr
Ross
Jackson
Gallinari
Jerebko (swagger, defense and occasional 3pt shooting)

[ralphie9898]

A starting 5 could look like this...
Vuc
Giles
Gallinari ( possibility through sign and trade)
Ross
DSJr

Can we trade with Philly for their 3rd? Say, send Gordon and Fournier to them then draft Josh Jackson at 3rd and DSJr at 6th. Sign and trade for Gallinari (max) and lure Jrue Holiday (Lowry will stay in Tor) with near max offer??? Sign Jerebko? Release some players. Can we do that?

Jrue / DSJr
Ross
Jackson
Gallinari
Jerebko (swagger, defense and occasional 3pt shooting)

Yeah I would hold onto Gordon though he isn't untouchable. I wouldn't trade up for Jackson. I like him as a player but not big on him for us. I would pass on Gallinari as he doesn't makes us that much better to make it even worth signing him unless he comes on a one year deal. I would simply try and clear cap space rather then complicate it further with Biyombo or Augustine like deals. I would try and use some of our young talent like Payton, Hezonja, Vuc to help rid us of Biyombo or Augustine while maybe netting a pick or two or young prospects. I would largely sit out this free agency as well except maybe one year deals or if we can get one of the younger guys on a reasonable smaller deal then ok but no thanks to the expensive older players who don't help us that much and could harm our draft position for next year. Give our new front office some time to make a couple drafts and hopefully we will be better positioned for free agents next year or the year after. But it time to try and start over and go for another rebuild even though it will be tough to watch.

[NBAchamps2017]

Can we trade with Philly for their 3rd? Say, send Gordon and Fournier to them then draft Josh Jackson at 3rd and DSJr at 6th. Sign and trade for Gallinari (max) and lure Jrue Holiday (Lowry will stay in Tor) with near max offer??? Sign Jerebko? Release some players. Can we do that?

Jrue / DSJr
Ross
Jackson
Gallinari
Jerebko (swagger, defense and occasional 3pt shooting)

Yeah I would hold onto Gordon though he isn't untouchable. I wouldn't trade up for Jackson. I like him as a player but not big on him for us. I would pass on Gallinari as he doesn't makes us that much better to make it even worth signing him unless he comes on a one year deal. I would simply try and clear cap space rather then complicate it further with Biyombo or Augustine like deals. I would try and use some of our young talent like Payton, Hezonja, Vuc to help rid us of Biyombo or Augustine while maybe netting a pick or two or young prospects. I would largely sit out this free agency as well except maybe one year deals or if we can get one of the younger guys on a reasonable smaller deal then ok but no thanks to the expensive older players who don't help us that much and could harm our draft position for next year. Give our new front office some time to make a couple drafts and hopefully we will be better positioned for free agents next year or the year after. But it time to try and start over and go for another rebuild even though it will be tough to watch.

It only make sense that the new PBO & GM will clean up the house and get rid of a crappy roster. Under new management! Can't have a 'band-aid' solution once again! Can't wait for another year or two to make a move though (as you have suggested). I was hoping the new managers are far more experienced than the one we fired! They have to start somewhere this year. I wont be greedy, I will settle for the second best. Jrue and Gallinari can be a second best where we can build around.

[JF5]

They have no other choice but to go with the youth movement... I don't understand this notion I've seen from a couple of threads that this team is going to somehow win with the roster they currently have. This team is the least talented team in the league and not even a decent starter would come here willingly unless they're completely overpaid.

When you're overpaying guys like Biyombo to come to your squad for 17 million a year, and he's still coming off the bench only playing 22-23 minutes a game on a team that finished the 5th worst in the NBA. That just indicates the organization is a dumpster fire.

[ralphie9898]

Can we trade with Philly for their 3rd? Say, send Gordon and Fournier to them then draft Josh Jackson at 3rd and DSJr at 6th. Sign and trade for Gallinari (max) and lure Jrue Holiday (Lowry will stay in Tor) with near max offer??? Sign Jerebko? Release some players. Can we do that?

Jrue / DSJr
Ross
Jackson
Gallinari
Jerebko (swagger, defense and occasional 3pt shooting)

Yeah I would hold onto Gordon though he isn't untouchable. I wouldn't trade up for Jackson. I like him as a player but not big on him for us. I would pass on Gallinari as he doesn't makes us that much better to make it even worth signing him unless he comes on a one year deal. I would simply try and clear cap space rather then complicate it further with Biyombo or Augustine like deals. I would try and use some of our young talent like Payton, Hezonja, Vuc to help rid us of Biyombo or Augustine while maybe netting a pick or two or young prospects. I would largely sit out this free agency as well except maybe one year deals or if we can get one of the younger guys on a reasonable smaller deal then ok but no thanks to the expensive older players who don't help us that much and could harm our draft position for next year. Give our new front office some time to make a couple drafts and hopefully we will be better positioned for free agents next year or the year after. But it time to try and start over and go for another rebuild even though it will be tough to watch.

It only make sense that the new PBO & GM will clean up the house and get rid of a crappy roster. Under new management! Can't have a 'band-aid' solution once again! Can't wait for another year or two to make a move though (as you have suggested). I was hoping the new managers are far more experienced than the one we fired! They have to start somewhere this year. I wont be greedy, I will settle for the second best. Jrue and Gallinari can be a second best where we can build around.

Build around Jrue and and Gallinari? They are not that good plus they probably consume up most of our cap space to where we wouldn't be able to add much to them while they are on the books. It is going to take a lot of money to lure them here. At best we would be a team stuck in the middle for a few years just waiting for another rebuild while also missing out on higher picks that have better chances of actually reeling in a star. Those two don't make us that much better. We did this last year when we gave money to Biyombo and Augustin and it didn't turn out well did it. Jrue is better than DJ and yes we have a hole at SF where Gallinari would fill but I don't see them making us that much better.

Maybe we move into the late lottery but that is where we would remain as adding those two aren't that enticing for players to join them nor would we have that much money to offer them. Sorry but this is our fate. Free agency isn't the answer right now. I know it will it will be tough to watch but that is sports. That is just where we are. I am not talking about a band-aid approach. That kind of approach means you are just targeting a couple guys. Which is what you are talking about which would simply be band-aid to another rebuild. We need to get out of this rebuild and adding a couple decent but not great free agents doesn't do that. We need more than those two to become a good team that free agents might want to actually join. I would rather try and clear some space for the coming years while trying to get the best pick for next year. Hopefully we get better lottery luck and we add that pick to the one we get this year as well as Gordon and whatever else remains from hopefully getting rid of contracts like Biyombo and Augustin. Gallinari and Holiday would simply be bandaids added to a bad team making us at best an average team.

No thanks but free agency isn't the answer. Yeah the draft may not be either but I would rather go with potential to be great rather than good but not great vets that don't help us that much. It is how we got out of the rebuild we faced after Shaq left. We went to the draft and got Dwight and we were able to build around him. We are not going to build much around those two.

[pepe1991]

Draft DSjr with 6#
Sign Robert Covington
later picks can adress backup PF position ( or use FA to do it)
Explore trade options for Vučević , Ross,Biyombo , Fournier and Payton with main focus on future first round picks.

We all know that Magic are going to be lottery team next year as well, so why not use it and actually develop and play young guys?

[LBPTarHeel27]

Regardless, we end up in the same spot next year. We are still going to be a team that wins around 30 games. If there is one route where you end up with more future picks/better prospects...you go that route.

[Mike1989]

What path would you take if you were in charge: Youth movement or keep what we have and go for playoffs

Youth movement:
Obviously we aren't winning the title any time soon with the warriors running the league for the next couple years. So this is the perfect time to go all in on youth. Put the ball in the hands of young guys( Gordon, elf, Mario, draft picks) and see if we can build a on court chemistry of the likes of the spurs and warriors. Trade some of the vets for picks or some young guys who haven't gotten a chance to breakout. Sign some vets that won't take away crucial playing time but that can command the respect of the young guys. Sure we might not be good for a couple of years but atleast we would have something to look forward to in the future.

Keep what we have:

We stay the course of pushing for a playoff spot. Keep the roster mostly in tact except for the new rookies and new vets. Keep riding the Fournier and vooch duo to see if they can lead us to the playoffs. Then hope for Gordon, elf, Mario and some of the rookies to step up. Hope biz and ross find some consistency.

What would you do? I'm curious to see where most of us stand. I personally would go youth movement and hope we are the next dynasty after the warriors.

Things can obviously change between now and the start of the season to influence what team's rosters will look like in the east, but I honestly do not see us cracking the top four in the eastern conference any time soon with our current base roster even if we manage to add someone like Gordon Hayward in free agency. The best we can hope for is that we put together a season similar to the Pacers and Bulls and make the play offs as a 7th or 8th seed. Now perhaps that is what our team needs after a number of down years, but look at Charlotte as an example. They went out and signed Al Jefferson and made the play offs in their final season as the Bobcats as the 7th seed and got swept by the Heat. The following season they fell to 11th in the east, followed it up with a 6th seed and got beat 4-3 by the Heat, and this season they fell to 11th in the east again. So essentially what we don't want to become is the next Charlotte Hornets that are not good enough to be a perennial play off team and are unlikely to be able to change that because they are cap strapped.

For me, what the Magic need to do is invest their time in developing their young talent and continuing to try and rebuild through the draft. If we could end up with the following starting five - Payton, Fournier, Hayward (or Gallinari), Gordon, Vucevic - and find two high upside talents at 6 and 25 in the draft, while continuing to develop Hezonja, and round off the bench with decent veterans, then maybe we can make the play offs as a 7th or 8th seed but also retain greater upside if the young talent develop into really good players. So in a sense I want to see us invest in our young players but also try to look for ways to be competitive like the Celtics and Heat have tried to do.

[Furinkazan]

Im undecided.I do know though We need to choose one option and follow it through ...no middle ground.We were on the middle ground last few years and created nothing.Barely had any youth movement and not even close to the playoffs.This needs to stop either somehow magically go all in or go youth movement.

[MagicalPatience]

I would go youth movement. As you said, the league will belong to the Warriors and Cavs for the next few seasons. Our best bet is to accumulate talented youth and try to create a young team with a future. At this point, trade anybody to get another lottery pick. I'm even almost done with Gordon. He had flashes of greatness last year, so I'm willing to wait another season. Same thing with Elf.

I wouldn't mind watching a rebuild if the pieces weren't crap. The worst part about last season was WE WERE ACTUALLY TRYING TO GO ALL IN, and we looked like we've never played basketball before. At least with a solid youth movement, you can forgive mistakes because they're learning. Last season was just.. eh.

[tiderulz]

What path would you take if you were in charge: Youth movement or keep what we have and go for playoffs

Youth movement:
Obviously we aren't winning the title any time soon with the warriors running the league for the next couple years. So this is the perfect time to go all in on youth. Put the ball in the hands of young guys( Gordon, elf, Mario, draft picks) and see if we can build a on court chemistry of the likes of the spurs and warriors. Trade some of the vets for picks or some young guys who haven't gotten a chance to breakout. Sign some vets that won't take away crucial playing time but that can command the respect of the young guys. Sure we might not be good for a couple of years but atleast we would have something to look forward to in the future.

Keep what we have:

We stay the course of pushing for a playoff spot. Keep the roster mostly in tact except for the new rookies and new vets. Keep riding the Fournier and vooch duo to see if they can lead us to the playoffs. Then hope for Gordon, elf, Mario and some of the rookies to step up. Hope biz and ross find some consistency.

What would you do? I'm curious to see where most of us stand. I personally would go youth movement and hope we are the next dynasty after the warriors.

Things can obviously change between now and the start of the season to influence what team's rosters will look like in the east, but I honestly do not see us cracking the top four in the eastern conference any time soon with our current base roster even if we manage to add someone like Gordon Hayward in free agency. The best we can hope for is that we put together a season similar to the Pacers and Bulls and make the play offs as a 7th or 8th seed. Now perhaps that is what our team needs after a number of down years, but look at Charlotte as an example. They went out and signed Al Jefferson and made the play offs in their final season as the Bobcats as the 7th seed and got swept by the Heat. The following season they fell to 11th in the east, followed it up with a 6th seed and got beat 4-3 by the Heat, and this season they fell to 11th in the east again. So essentially what we don't want to become is the next Charlotte Hornets that are not good enough to be a perennial play off team and are unlikely to be able to change that because they are cap strapped.

For me, what the Magic need to do is invest their time in developing their young talent and continuing to try and rebuild through the draft. If we could end up with the following starting five - Payton, Fournier, Hayward (or Gallinari), Gordon, Vucevic - and find two high upside talents at 6 and 25 in the draft, while continuing to develop Hezonja, and round off the bench with decent veterans, then maybe we can make the play offs as a 7th or 8th seed but also retain greater upside if the young talent develop into really good players. So in a sense I want to see us invest in our young players but also try to look for ways to be competitive like the Celtics and Heat have tried to do.

Hayward or Gallinari? neither are even going to look at Orlando. They will want to go to a place where they can win.

[fendilim]

I'm all for total re-build.

The current group is good enough not to be a top that will play top 3 in lottery.

[Nemesis21]

Youth movement + acquiring picks for Biz, Fournier, Vucevic, maybe Payton. Keep AG!

[MagicalPatience]

Youth movement + acquiring picks for Biz, Fournier, Vucevic, maybe Payton. Keep AG!

Agreed. Clean house from top to bottom. Somewhere in that locker room there's a charmin cancer making everyone quit like toddlers half way through the season. Only way to know for sure it's gone is to purge the team and start fresh. Though I doubt it's AG.

[MMFla]

I would like to go young, before we traded Dipo that team even though we were losing(most games by 3 or less points) were fun to watch it gave me at least something to look forward to. We need a superstar and the best way I can think of is by drafting I think the days of getting a TMac through free agency may be done.

[Orange Ave.]

YEAR 3 of their careers pts per game:

Aaron Gordon - 12pts
Elfrid Payton - 13pts
Jimmy Butler - 13pts
Bradley Beal - 15pts
Draymond Green - 11pts
Mike Conley - 12pts
Steph Curry - 14 pts

Aaron and Payton are where they need to be on the development curve. Mario is two years and consistent playing time away from arriving. We're sort of dawning out of the youth movement and you don't want to stunt that. There's a time to add a Paul George/Jimmy Butler caliber veteran, but for our team, I think it's AFTER your prospects have matured.

So if "Going Youth" means blowing it up and trading AG and Payton for draft picks, I say no. If "Playoff Push" means adding minute and ball hungry vets, I say no too.

Maybe I'm saying stay the course until the right time to unload the Vooch/Fournier/Ross's of our team for the right asset.