Official Speculation Thread (Pt. XLV "Re-Building" Edition)

[OrlandO]

Those of you asking to trade JJ or Jameer, please answer this question for me; Who's jersey will the Orlando Magic ever retire?

Part of the problem with our culture is that we have no identity, and that we have no record of showing loyalty to any of our players (besides Dwight). We will never keep stars until we have an identity.

You don't retire a number simply because of their loyalty. If JJ and Jameer finish their careers here and never contribute in a major way to a title, they will not be retired. While some Magic fans may appreciate the gesture, jersey retirements should only go to players putting up impressive numbers for around a decade (if they leave, it needs to be on good terms) or players who bring us a championship. It would be embarrassing to celebrate anything less. Nelson/JJ can get a plaque on a wall or something if they stick around.

[PeePee la Fritz]

If you dont already know i am a supporters of this trade i believe Henny went out and assembled this trade himself because he feels this is a good deal. I believe just like the Pau Gasol trade the real ramification wont be felt till later and after we see what henny does with the flexibilty this deal creates. That being said how do u guys feel about an additial trade.

http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=94tav7f
plus a first round pick protected by LA

I think this is a great deal for LAC they get a veteran who can hit the three at the SF on a better contract to play with CP3 and Griffin will only make him better and JJ for the same reasons alot of open 3s with CP3 passing you the ball what do u think. Clippers also clear salary for next year. What do u think?

I personally love Eric Bledsoe. But with Billups' uncertainty and Paul always being an injury risk, I do not see the Clips trading him

[bigdogdylan5]

If you dont already know i am a supporters of this trade i believe Henny went out and assembled this trade himself because he feels this is a good deal. I believe just like the Pau Gasol trade the real ramification wont be felt till later and after we see what henny does with the flexibilty this deal creates. That being said how do u guys feel about an additial trade.

http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=94tav7f
plus a first round pick protected by LA

I think this is a great deal for LAC they get a veteran who can hit the three at the SF on a better contract to play with CP3 and Griffin will only make him better and JJ for the same reasons alot of open 3s with CP3 passing you the ball what do u think. Clippers also clear salary for next year. What do u think?

I personally love Eric Bledsoe. But with Billups' uncertainty and Paul always being an injury risk, I do not see the Clips trading him

Sorry i also misspoke i ment one of our protected picks preferably the LA or Philly one to LAC not LAC sending us a pick and i think you make a good point but remember they signed Jamal Crawford who can play PG with Billups and Paul

[ChildishGambino]

Hennigan said many of the reported deals for Howard were not truly available to the Magic and he had to separate ``theory’’ from ``reality.’’ He said he’s spent every day on the job since being hired working on the Howard saga, including July 25 when the star center reiterated his demands to be traded out of Orlando. The fact that Howard only wanted to play for the Brooklyn Nets, and then later, the Los Angeles Lakers, somewhat hamstrung the franchise’s options. But he said the Magic ultimately settled on a transaction that they could feel good about because it satisfied a lot of the aspects the team was seeking.

``We exhausted talks with a lot of different teams and we felt this was the best decision for us,’’ Hennigan said. ``We feel this was the best deal for us considering the circumstances. There were options that we looked at and explored and there were a lot of permeations that we looked at, but at the end of the day you look at what’s available in theory and what’s available in reality and sometimes those two things aren’t the same. We felt like of all the options we explored, this was the best one for us.’’

[pogiro]

As far as our venturing into free agency goes, I really don't want to see us make any big moves until we can get two max or near max guys in the same offseason. Lay low for a couple seasons and rake in as many young guys as we can...pounce in free agency...then re-sign some of our own youngsters as their rookie deals expire...should give us a 3-4 year window of being elite before the financial time bomb goes off.

We're in Orlando... we probably need to take what we can get when we can get it. So if only one attractive free agent actually wants to come here, then we need to grab him if we have room.

If you're talking about stars only wanting to go to big markets, I think that thought is overrated. Dwight would have stayed if it weren't for the inability to build a better supporting cast around him. It does play a factor but the focus needs to be on the next batch of stars. Draft well and go after Wall or Irving when their contracts are up. I woudl like to bring Gortat back when that chance comes though.

[silent1900]

As far as our venturing into free agency goes, I really don't want to see us make any big moves until we can get two max or near max guys in the same offseason. Lay low for a couple seasons and rake in as many young guys as we can...pounce in free agency...then re-sign some of our own youngsters as their rookie deals expire...should give us a 3-4 year window of being elite before the financial time bomb goes off.

We're in Orlando... we probably need to take what we can get when we can get it. So if only one attractive free agent actually wants to come here, then we need to grab him if we have room.

I just don't feel the Orlando/small market curse that some do. I think there are plenty of guys who wouldn't mind playing here if we show some competence in management. Maybe my memory is bad, but I don't ever remember us being slighted in FA. I could be wrong...

[jfinley88]

Man putting a line-up like this out there next year is certainly within reach. Still have cap room to sign stud PG in 2014. And should have a late lotto pick teens pick with that line up. But we'll definitely at least have building blocks with Nerlens Noel and James Harden with some solid support players in Harkless, Vucevic, Adonis and Nicholson. All we have to do is suck as much as expected and convince Harden to come to ORL which shouldn't be too difficult.

Jameer Nelson - Jonny Flynn - Ish Smith
James Harden - Aaron Afflalo
Moe Harkless - Adonis Thomas
Andrew Nicholson - Glen Davis - Kyle O'Quinn
Nerlens Noel - Nikola Vucevic - Gustavo Ayon

[cvMagic]

From Part XLV


Deezy wrote:
This trade put us in a worse cap situation, not better. How do people still not understand that concept?

Idunkonyou2 wrote:
They're in denial.

Also the people still upset over the trade are the true Magic fans IMO. The people rolling their eyes as if this is no big deal are the ones who need to get the f**k off the board.

I would give this a +10 if possible. Well said, Idunk. Short and sweet.

Wow i dont even know where to begin. You are very ignorant good sir the people who are true fans are the ones standing here believeing that hennigan built this trade for a purpose and that he has a plan and are optimistic. Not being all butt hurt about it. And i only wish that when Henny uses this flexibilty to rebuild this team that u would be accountable for your rude comments. That when Harkless develops and when he moves Harrington and Affalo at their peak value for younger talent. Alot of us ate crow after he drafted Nicholson and alot of you will be doing the same. Because if you remember the Pau Gasol trade which everyone thought was high way robbery ended up not being so bad for Memphis so shut your mouth stop bitching grow up and root on and support our young rookies as they develop. you sir are not acting like a true fan

Let's see if I have this right...

The biggest music fans are the hardest to impress because they know what great music sounds like.

The biggest movie fans are usually the toughest critics because they've seen enough films to know what stands out.

But in basketball, even though knowledgable fans have seen hundreds of trades and prospects over the years, the best fans are the ones who blindly applaud every single move their team makes as an act of genius so surpassing in its intelligence, that the world has never seen anything like it before?

Okay, thanks for clearing that up for me.

[cvMagic]

I've been here nearly nine years and have over 27000 posts, but I'm not a true fan. It's just something I've learned to live with. Some guys have it and some don't. Like being good with women. Coincidentally, I don't have that either.

I have a solution for you. Kill two birds with one stone.
Come out to LA.
Go to a club.
Tell the girls you're an Orlando fan. Look sad.
Pity works.

[PeePee la Fritz]

I'm gonna pistol whip the next person who says "true fan"

[bigdogdylan5]

From Part XLV


Deezy wrote:
This trade put us in a worse cap situation, not better. How do people still not understand that concept?

Idunkonyou2 wrote:
They're in denial.

Also the people still upset over the trade are the true Magic fans IMO. The people rolling their eyes as if this is no big deal are the ones who need to get the f**k off the board.

I would give this a +10 if possible. Well said, Idunk. Short and sweet.

Wow i dont even know where to begin. You are very ignorant good sir the people who are true fans are the ones standing here believeing that hennigan built this trade for a purpose and that he has a plan and are optimistic. Not being all butt hurt about it. And i only wish that when Henny uses this flexibilty to rebuild this team that u would be accountable for your rude comments. That when Harkless develops and when he moves Harrington and Affalo at their peak value for younger talent. Alot of us ate crow after he drafted Nicholson and alot of you will be doing the same. Because if you remember the Pau Gasol trade which everyone thought was high way robbery ended up not being so bad for Memphis so shut your mouth stop bitching grow up and root on and support our young rookies as they develop. you sir are not acting like a true fan

Let's see if I have this right...

The biggest music fans are the hardest to impress because they know what great music sounds like.

The biggest movie fans are usually the toughest critics because they've seen enough films to know what stands out.

But in basketball, even though knowledgable fans have seen hundreds of trades and prospects over the years, the best fans are the ones who blindly applaud every single move their team makes as an act of genius so surpassing in its intelligence, that the world has never seen anything like it before?

Okay, thanks for clearing that up for me.

I am sorry we dont agree like you i was a little shocked at the deal we got but as i continued to look at it the more and more i feel this was the best we could do and that in the end this could be a great deal. All i know for sure is in life you can be positive or negative and i am choosing to be positive and to give this deal a chance and to see what Henny can do. If you choose to be negative and continue to complain and bitch then thats your character flaw but dont critize us because of it

[pogiro]

As far as our venturing into free agency goes, I really don't want to see us make any big moves until we can get two max or near max guys in the same offseason. Lay low for a couple seasons and rake in as many young guys as we can...pounce in free agency...then re-sign some of our own youngsters as their rookie deals expire...should give us a 3-4 year window of being elite before the financial time bomb goes off.

We're in Orlando... we probably need to take what we can get when we can get it. So if only one attractive free agent actually wants to come here, then we need to grab him if we have room.

I just don't feel the Orlando/small market curse that some do. I think there are plenty of guys who wouldn't mind playing here if we show some competence in management. Maybe my memory is bad, but I don't ever remember us being slighted in FA. I could be wrong...

Duncan. But I agree with you. This big market having such a huge advantage is kind of too simplified. Dwight wanted Brooklyn because of Deron Williams mainly, not because it's NY. He initially didn't want LA because he didn't want to be in anyone's shadow, same with Chicago I think. LeBron didn't exactly run to a huge market. Melo wanted to go to the Knicks because he's a New Yorker, he could be teamed up with Amare, and wanted to be the one to resurrect the franchise. Bottom line, if the franchise is run well, we have a roster full of talent, and have cap space, free agents will come.

[OrlandO]

If you're talking about stars only wanting to go to big markets, I think that thought is overrated. Dwight would have stayed if it weren't for the inability to build a better supporting cast around him. It does play a factor but the focus needs to be on the next batch of stars. Draft well and go after Wall or Irving when their contracts are up. I woudl like to bring Gortat back when that chance comes though.

I just don't feel the Orlando/small market curse that some do. I think there are plenty of guys who wouldn't mind playing here if we show some competence in management. Maybe my memory is bad, but I don't ever remember us being slighted in FA. I could be wrong...

I'm not saying we're in the bottom half the league for free agents. I'm just saying we do not have the luxury to be choosy. There are almost always a handful of teams ahead of us on stars' wishlists. It takes a special kind of star player to want to come to Orlando over other top destinations who would also be recruiting them. Those stars are a rarity in today's NBA. So if an attractive piece shows interest in us and we have the flexibility to sign that player to a long term contract, we should do it and try to add more from there. We may not be able to land two big names in the same offseason. It should be a fluid situation. Strike when we can, but only for the right player(s).

[NickAnderson]

I'm a fake fan.

[Cigamodnalro]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcgpIuD_JyQ&feature=related[/youtube]

[cvMagic]

I just don't understand why people are still so angry a this trade. I figured that once everyone calmed down they would have analysed it and see that the Magic got all the elements they wanted from a trade and then some. Not only did they get Cap space+Picks+Prospects, but they got tradeable assests on reasonabe contracts that can be parlayed into more picks. Is it a great trade? No. But it satisfies our requirements. By the way, why would Bynum want to go to Houston anyway? He'd never start at an All-Star game and constantly be in Dwight shadow. Once Dwight went west Bynum was destined to go East. Philly gave up Harkless, Vuvecic, Igoudala, a pick and took on a bad contract for him. Hopefully, you guys who are still not onboard can get past this soon so we can start focusing on Magic Basketball again, and not some fiticious Houston trade rumoured to be on the table.

I'll do my part to clear this up and represent the people who didn't like the trade...
Forget the Houston trade.

The trade is unprecedentedly bad for this reason...

The Magic did not receive a single lottery pick.
The Magic did not receive a single young talent that was drafted in the lottery.
For arguably the 3rd best player in the NBA.

Make all the excuses as to why this didn't happen. It's unprecedented.
No one can say that Henny's plan was to NOT get back a lottery pick or an actual player drafted in the lottery.
He simply couldn't pull it off.
So he settled for this trade.
Whether he had a choice or not is irrelevant.
It's a bottom line business.
If this trade was pulled off at the deadline, or at the very least right before training camp - I'd understand. I'd accept it was the best they could do.
It was made on August 9th.
I've combed the internet. I haven't found an August 9th NBA deadline anywhere.

[bigdogdylan5]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcgpIuD_JyQ&feature=related[/youtube]

This is very encouraging i think this guy will suprise some people i wouldnt rule out Pau Gasol as a possible ceiling i think people that are calling him at best a career backup center are completely wrong he has upside and here if we can trade Davis he will be our starting center

[magicike]

I just don't understand why people are still so angry a this trade. I figured that once everyone calmed down they would have analysed it and see that the Magic got all the elements they wanted from a trade and then some. Not only did they get Cap space+Picks+Prospects, but they got tradeable assests on reasonabe contracts that can be parlayed into more picks. Is it a great trade? No. But it satisfies our requirements. By the way, why would Bynum want to go to Houston anyway? He'd never start at an All-Star game and constantly be in Dwight shadow. Once Dwight went west Bynum was destined to go East. Philly gave up Harkless, Vuvecic, Igoudala, a pick and took on a bad contract for him. Hopefully, you guys who are still not onboard can get past this soon so we can start focusing on Magic Basketball again, and not some fiticious Houston trade rumoured to be on the table.

I'll do my part to clear this up and represent the people who didn't like the trade...
Forget the Houston trade.

The trade is unprecedentedly bad for this reason...

The Magic did not receive a single lottery pick.
The Magic did not receive a single young talent that was drafted in the lottery.
For arguably the 3rd best player in the NBA.

Make all the excuses as to why this didn't happen. It's unprecedented.
No one can say that Henny's plan was to NOT get back a lottery pick or an actual player drafted in the lottery.
He simply couldn't pull it off.
So he settled for this trade.
Whether he had a choice or not is irrelevant.
It's a bottom line business.
If this trade was pulled off at the deadline, or at the very least right before training camp - I'd understand. I'd accept it was the best they could do.
It was made on August 9th.
I've combed the internet. I haven't found an August 9th NBA deadline anywhere.

Seriously can we get over how bad this trade is. We all know that the trade was bad but it is all we were going to get. Let's move forward and talk about where we are going and what we are going to do from here. This is a speculation thread not a whine and moan thread about the past. There are about 4 people that I have read that keep bringing up how bad the trade was. The trade is done.

[Nyce_1]

"Rob Henningan's an unbelievable executive and will be in the league for a long time."

- Daryl Morey

[Rick Rolled]

I wonder if we will get a press conference introducing some new guys.