Catledge wrote:Knightro wrote:OrlandO wrote:Always so over the top. There is a scenario where we re-sign Vuc for the present and develop Bamba for the future.
100% this.
Bamba is 20 years old and the Magic have him under control for the next four years after this one.
If they retain Vuc, then Bamba plays as a backup for 15-20 minutes a night for the time being. That’s about all he’s really capable of anyway at this time, so what’s the problem?
Once Vucevic’s new contract runs out, Bamba - who will be all of 24 years old if Vucevic plays out a 4 year deal - can take the reigns and be the center for the next 5-7 years.
Beyond that, just because Vucevic signs a 4 or even 5 year deal (I don’t expect this, but it’s possible) doesn’t mean he is guaranteed to be in Orlando that entire time.
If two years from now Bamba is looking like Gobert with a 3PT shot and the Magic can’t afford to keep him off the court, then you just trade Vucevic away and get the Bamba era started earlier.
Yes, and I would also add that if Bamba starts to show signs of being as good or better than Vooch, then Bamba will be a very valuable trade asset that can be used to upgrade a guard position.
And if Bamba becomes so good that we want to make him our centerpiece (doesn't seem likely), the worst of the likely scenarios is that we trade Vooch in a deal similar to when we traded Harris, meaning that we might not get much back, but it's unlikely that we'll be stuck with a contract we don't want.
Locking in to Vuc for 4 years does make Bamba a wasted prospect, though. Especially with someone like Birch offering great hustle and impact and likely costing a pittance on his next contract. If they sign Vuc, then trading Bamba for the best SG they can get should be the priority. For a couple of reasons:
Firstly, because even the recent-form Fournier isn't enough to be the reliable perimeter scorer we need, and the rest of the backcourt is prayers (Fultz) or an adequate-but-not-great PG.
Secondly, because Ross, who has been the 2nd most impactful player on the team in our wins, is an option we probably can't afford to retain with Vuc, whilst preserving any future flexibility.
But I would be shocked if WeHam gave up on their drafted prospect. Which would leave us completely invested in the frontcourt and empty in the backcourt. And I can't envision them waiting 4 years to see if he can cut it, or wanting to deal with trying to trade a C on a big contract (in the event they want to ship Vuc).
So my guess is their offer will either be a short term massive pay offer, like 2 years MAX. Or 3 years starting in the high 20's and decreasing. The summer of 2020 will be when we're best poised to chase free agents, so I can only imagine that they'll want to structure contracts towards that, for now.