Wilbur

It makes sense if you start with the presumption the Magic started with the presumption Jabari, Chet and Paolo were interchangeable and wanted to judge the value of moving down. It makes sense if you start with the presumption the Magic started with the presumption they wanted Paolo, but wanted a chance to get him at 3. It makes sense if you start with the presumption the Magic had no idea who they were going to draft. It blew up in their faces. Jabari thought he was going 1 and was clearly upset on draft night. Paolo was so convinced he wasn't going 1 he canceled his trip to Orlando.

That's how I read it. Undoubtedly, there were early discussions, but Houston has content to get their guy at 3. When they got wind he wasn't going to be there at 3, they asked about the cost and quickly realized the Magic had decided Paolo was better than Jabari. I happened into a telephone call yesterday with an NBA agent on behalf of a client. The client told me the agent was purportedly in the final list for Paolo. I said "I'm guessing Mike Miller is pretty smooth." Response: "Mike's a good guy. A really good guy. Orlando is going to love Paolo."

As he currently exists, I like Anthony in that change of pace uber aggressive scorer coming off the bench. If he learns how to consistently involve others in the offense, then there is reason to consider playing him with the starters. I expect Suggs to be the most improved player on the Magic next year. That said, if we aren't in tank mode, the starter at SG should be Harris until Suggs takes it away. I want Okeke/Hampton/Bol as the main back-ups to Franz. Ross has been great but he needs a new venue. I expect Bol to get abused defensively, but he will either get better or follow Ross out the door. We need to know sooner than later if he has a future. That four man big rotation is pretty good. Assuming he can stay on the floor, I'd really like to see how Paolo and Isaac can play together. That seems like a matchup nightmare for other teams. Most fours can't handle them. A traditional 5 doesn't stand a chance. Do you try to put a 3 on them?

You all are sleeping on Suggs. I'm expecting big things from him this year.

Those same dolts probably wanted Chet. VIC had way more upside... but we were building around a traditional C when other teams were moving to small ball and Fournier was Vuc's buddy.

Oladipo and Harris wouldn't have been all that rebuild version would've had going for it. Whatever trades of Vuc and Fournier produced plus whatever the draft produced. I agree a tank has many things that can go wrong. That said, our 10 year tank isn't on the tank its on the scouting/development folks that spent the assets unwisely.

Someone on here brought up the young guns. Of those 5 guys 2 proved good role players in the NBA (Harkless and O'Quinn) and two turned into good NBA players for other teams (Oladipo and Harris). The Magic chose to build around Vuc and Fournier. They made the playoffs, but don't you sort of wonder what if they'd chosen to build around Oladipo and Harris? The problem hasn't been the tank, it was the failure to back the right horses. Hoping they saddle up the right ones currently in the barn and sell the rest when they are at peak value.

So that's 16 under contract, right? So either Canady gets released or there is a trade coming down the tracks?

Good for RJ. I don't know that he needs to look dominant. But getting minutes is important.

I was more thinking Mo's market being less than TPE, Mo could pick a destination, we could take on equal or more salary and get picks. Other team still have full MLE. If we had QO, does that limit us to teams that submit offers?

Is a sign and trade much easier to accomplish if there isn't a Qualifying Offer?

Why's Mo playing a team of umpa loompas? Franz is going to play the 3 and get his minutes. Paolo is in a 4 man rotation at the 4/5. He gets force fed minutes and the ability to earn more at the expense of others. If you bring Mo back and have a 5th big man in need of minutes, JI and Okeke can handle some minutes at 3. Franz won't play 48 a game. This of course assumes everyone stays healthy... which they won't. Mo Wagner and Bol Bol are depth at this point, but with big upside. If the Magic resign Bamba it has to be with the expectation that either he or Carter are going to be trade bait in the future. Which is not a bad thing. Letting talent walk for no return is the bad thing.

JI being back healthy is absolutely the best thing that could happen to Paolo. Everyday in practice he is going against one of the best defenders in the NBA. That will make him that much more effective on offense and should jump start the effort on defense. No one wants to be shown up in practice. I don't see a log jam. Carter, JI, Okeke and Paolo are a pretty solid 4 man rotation assuming you can pencil JI in as part of it. A decision needs to be made on Bamba, but Bol and Wagner make pretty good 5 men for cheap. Since JI and Okeke can also give minutes at the 3, keeping Bamba doesn't really screw up the four man rotation.

Terrence Ross? Are his bags still packed?