MagicFan101 wrote:Def Swami wrote:I think in most seasons, a trade of Gordon for a top 5 pick would be asinine. This is a bit of an unusual draft. There's no consensus top 3 in the draft. There's no home run pick. Odds are, the player drafted may not be more talented or valuable than Gordon. The top 2 teams in the draft this year are both trying to make the playoffs next year.
In the case of the Warriors, any trade with them would assuredly require taking back Wiggins' mammoth contract. It's still one of the worst contracts in the league. There's some rationale for Gordon + Bamba for Wiggins + #2. Gordon is a better, more valuable player on a much cheaper contract than Wiggins. The move could save the Warriors a huge tax bill. And Gordon helps them win games tomorrow, unlike Wiggins or the #2 pick. I think it's a rather unique situation that poses an interesting possibility. A lot that has to do with the diminished value of the #2 pick in a weak draft and where the Warriors happen to be with their cap flexibility and aspirations.
So what is your opinion?
Let’s say Edwards is off the board and Golden State calls you, Def Swami, and offers you the #2 overall pick + Wiggins for AG + Bamba (+ fillers as needed).
... do you take it and if so, who do you select?
It's tough. I'm not sure I have settled on one yet for this hypothetical scenario. I lean toward accepting this deal and taking James Wiseman. Having a crack at the #2 pick, getting a player on a rookie salary and having control of that player's contract for about 8 years is valuable. I'd imagine Weltman and Hammond and their scouting staff would relish the opportunity to pick what they would believe to be the 1st or 2nd best player in this draft. At that point, you give them the pick of the litter and tell them to earn their pay check and find the future all-star. It's all about raising the ceiling of the team. Trying to find high end talent that has all-NBA potential. And I think going to the draft gives us a better shot at that than holding steady with Gordon (as much as I really like him as a player).
Taking on the Wiggins contract could be a killer though. It's a real problem. And that's the real sticking point. Maybe the change of scenery and playing under Clifford helps develop his game and gets him to buy in on defense. There's no reason he shouldn't be an A1 defender. This is my main issue with this deal. You could ask me 2 hours from now about this whole deal and I'd probably change my mind and say we should abort.
Personally, I'm really down on most of the top players in this draft. There's a couple things about Anthony Edwards game that scares me. One being his questionable motor, and two being his pretty poor shooting percentages. Three being him not really being a playmaker (oddly, sounds similar to Wiggins). LaMelo Ball's inability to shoot is also concerning.
Wiseman is a behemoth of a human. He's huge at 7'1" and 235 lbs. And he's really quick and agile for his size. I think he should have good potential as a defensive anchor and there's some potential with his soft touch around the basket for his offensive game to develop. His motor and energy level is unquestionable. I'd bank on him to figure out being the best version of himself and his physical attributes give his career a steady floor. I don't think he's going to be the lengthy project that Mo Bamba is proving to be. And I think (strong emphasis on think) he might have the highest upside among the Ball, Edwards, Wiseman trio.
At the same time, I actually think the real value in the draft is somewhere in the middle of the first round, squarely where we are. I really like guys like Aaron Nesmith, Devin Vassell, and Kira Lewis Jr. I won't be surprised if the best player from the draft comes from outside the top 10.
My other hesitancy with this deal is Bamba. My gut tells me that Mo Bamba is not going to be the player that James Wiseman will be. At the same time, we've seen so little of him over 2 seasons that I don't have a great sense of what his realistic ceiling is. There's a world where Bamba actually puts it all together as a defender and 3 point shooter and becomes an extremely valuable player in the league. I wish I had seen more from Bamba. At the same time, maybe how little we've seen is an indication of how good he is.
And just because we draft Wiseman doesn't mean I think we need to trade Vucevic ASAP. I think the Magic have to use their assets wisely. If they move Vucevic, it needs to be for good, young wing players that would compliment this team. If there's a good deal to be made, then we should take it. But, I wouldn't feel any pressure to just trade Vucevic for the sake of it to open up playing time for Wiseman. Wiseman is 19 years old and his time will come. If he needs to come off the bench for a season, then that's okay. If he proves to be really good and Vucevic expendable, then that will naturally play out. Bamba never did that. I do believe that the best way to develop young players is in a winning context and if the team wants to maintain some competitiveness next season by starting Fultz/Fournier/Wiggins/Okeke/Vucevic, with a bench of Ross, Lewis Jr., and Wiseman, then that's fine.
I've always thought that there is a middle ground the front office can play where they don't tear the whole team down, but make a move that improves the long term ceiling of the team. So I wouldn't make this move with the intention of going into a full rebuild. But, if the Magic wanted to, then trading Vucevic and starting Wiseman would be one way to kick start it.
