Wilbur

The last 2 minutes or so is about his fit with the Kings at #4. Says he has exceptionally high off-the-ball IQ. He doesn't have to have the ball in his hands. He is going to get his points without having to be ball dominant. Perfect running mate for Fox. Seems as though that would also apply to Fultz/Suggs.

The rub on trading down is there is no guaranty a future pick will ever get you exactly the player you wanted. In this draft there is supposedly a top 3 (but really a top 2). In order to be willing to trade down the Magic have to be assured they will get one of those top guys they are comfortable are interchangeable for them. If they aren't interchangeable, you have to get your guy. Thus, the Magic can really only look past 2 if they like someone else as much as they like Smith and Chet. Looking at those other teams is fun if you think there is a way to pry their pick away, but realistically, Sac is the only team that appears to be out of rebuilding mode and they likely have their sites on #4 getting them a really good established player.

I've almost sold myself on Chet at #1, despite the frame issues, based simply on the fadeaway I see on tape. Sort of like Dirk's fadeaway or Kareem's hook, it isn't defensible. So if he can hit it consistently enough, you instantly have a player that can get a quality shot at anytime without having to worry about who has the ball in their hands, spacing, etc. Obviously he is hitting the shot on the tape I'm watching. Does anyone have access to metrics on his percentage on that shot at Gonzaga? I do hate the frame. Again, I've almost talked myself out of it being a problem if he is playing the 4. There are of course plenty of 4's that could still body him but not like at 5. I also think the frame might work to his advantage at times. NBA bigs won't expect him to be able to fit through the small cracks, but his rail thin frame and coordination will provide plenty of room. I don't want Paolo. Isn't he Vuc all over again? A ball dominant big? Carter is close enough to that for me to be more than willing to ship him out if it gives us a chance at Sharpe. No way i want two of them on the roster.

That's the issue with Sharpe. You go watch his film and it is at least 5 months old. Sure you can identify problems with his handle, shot selection and defense in high school and AAU games. But that was six months ago. You'd think the college work at UK would have made him better than the 6 month old film. If it didn't, that's a huge red flag. This is one where teams are going to have to tailor his workouts to evaluate whether those items remain problems. The six month old film shows he's a legit 6'5", long, leap out of the gym type finisher, with a good outside stroke and the ability to generate space to get off a shot. That puts him in the top 10 even if he didn't improve over the last 6 months in any other area... which is what Wasserman is assuming. But where does he belong if the workout shows the "gym rat" has spent the last 5 months improving his game? I watch him shoot and finish and I think he's a lottery ticket worth having. Not necessarily at #1, which is why I posed the question about Carter for #4.

I think dealing Carter for #4 makes sense for Sacramento. They get a young (23) big to couple with Sabonis and the backcourt on a cheap contract. I just don't know if it makes sense for the Magic. I guess it depends on how they scout Ivey, Sharpe, Mathurin, Davis and Griffin. The Magic currently seem to have two waves of talent: 1st wave - Anthony (22), Carter (23), Fultz (23), Okeke (23), Isaac (24), Bamba (24) 2nd wave - Suggs (20), Wagner (20), #1 pick The Magic are currently sorting through that 1st wave. Some of them are good players that could be a significant part of a playoff caliber team. Of that first wave, Fultz and Isaac put the best claim on foundational piece and then promptly got injured. Carter is the best of the rest. If the Magic want the second wave to have as many lottery tickets as the first wave and scout any of Ivey, Sharpe, Mathurin, Davis and Griffin as a potential #1 scoring option, the Magic could decide the potential reward is worth moving on from Carter. Carter's minutes would be consumed by the #1 pick, Okeke and Isaac... or even give Mo the tender for a year and see if he can be dumped later in the year for assets once JI and the #1 are ready for more minutes. A second wave of Suggs, Sharpe, Wagner and Chet/Jabari is some pretty high upside stuff. Especially if Fultz, Isaac, Okeke and Anthony are hanging around.

Just for discussion sake only. If Sacramento called and offered Orlando the 4th pick for Carter, would Orlando make that deal?

Nembhard is Calathes. Calabrese is Nembhard.

He is 18 and wants assurances on draft slot before writing off playing at UK next season. That doesn't bother me so much, especially with the *****iness of UK fans. What was posted a few pages back is Cal didn't want to upset his team chemistry by playing a kid that joins the team in January. So the agreement was he'd come practice, but wouldn't play. Then at the end of the year supposedly Cal was considering playing him because he was that good. From a competitiveness standpoint, he was getting better competition at UK in practice than he would have gotten almost anywhere else. Athletic 2/3's with size that can shoot, dribble and pass are coveted in the NBA. He probably won't go 1. But if he crushes his interviews and workouts, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if someone falls in love with the potential. I read on here a few pages ago that Smith has the "highest floor". I've heard the argument Chet has the "highest ceiling". I could see a team convincing itself Sharpe has a sufficiently high floor and significant upside to make him the compromise #1 overall pick. That highest floor moniker is a killer. Remember when Okafor had the highest floor? No team ever won a championship saying well, at least I'll get a decent roll player with the #1 pick.

Awesome. Can't wait to start drafting eurotrash that show as a cap hold for decades as they refuse to cross the pond.

So UK fans are mad at Sharpe because Cal changed his mind and wanted to play him at the end of the year after Cal previously assured the team he wouldn't play? Classic Cal.

So his camp wanted to get him time at UK, but Cal didn't want to upset his team and have him play? So they agreed he won't play. Now he's looking at being top 5 and UK fans are so incensed he's thinking of leaving without actually playing a game that they are running him out of town? The most important thing in there might have been the description of him as quiet and shy. That's probably a good fit with this current squad.

Sharpe won't be 19 until the end of this month. He's got good size for SG now and is likely to be even better size when fully mature. I see the question on Sharpe being more his leadership and intangibles. Does he have what it takes to come in and command the respect of his teammates. Maybe unfair, but choosing to sit out this season would seem to call into question his competitive nature.

Chris Weber was a PF, no? I think there are a couple of truths the team has to face: (1) there is not a single player currently on this team that has star written all over them so fit shouldn't be a primary concern; and (2) there is not a single player currently on this team that will consistently place the team on his back and get a bucket when the team absolutely must have one. There are a few that have shown signs, but not a single one that can be relied upon. If this team is going to get where it wants to go, you have to have one of those players. Chet is the only one I just don't see evolving into a player that will be able to consistently place the team on his back and get a bucket. He's a unicorn so maybe I'm being to harsh. I just see his advantages being taken away in the modern NBA that switches everything. Don't get me wrong, if I was the Thunder or Rockets GM and already had my scorer, Chet would be an easy pick as a complimentary guy that has huge upside. Banchero provides the offense, but his defense is a concern and the lack of effort on that end, makes me question how he'd fit in on this team. Reports are he's a leader and has great intangibles. Maybe the defensive issues can be overcome. He certainly could be an easy 20+ ppg scorer and has the size for PF. Pick and pop/roll with Smith and Fultz/Suggs (I've got Cole in the 6th man come in and let it rip role) would be really fun to watch. But Franz is 6'10" 220 lbs. Same as Smith. Smith is only 19, so he is likely to be able to put on some muscle and keep the athleticism. Ivey is Oladipo 2.0, right? Uber-athletic but with a questionable shot. Could be a PG, but probably more of a slashing SG without a pure stroke. Does he develop into anything significantly better than what the Magic still hope to get out of Fultz and Suggs? Are you moving one of them to find out? Sharpe is the wild card in this draft class. Is he just hype or the guy everyone is going to redraft #1 2 years from now. Solely drafting on need and potential, he seems to be the best fit for the Magic, but he'd have to absolutely crush the interviews and workouts the way Penny did. Assuming Sacramento sees one of the bigs as a missing piece, what's the package that would convince the Magic to go from 1-4? What's the line on this board? Strap in.

Fournier, Harris and Vuc? Maybe Simmons makes it all work, but we've seen that before and it was pretty bad. Orlando made them all very rich and I could never figure out why they weren't traded BEFORE they had to be resigned. Speaking of pretty bad, we've seen the current product and running it back again seems pointless... especially with Isaac's season next year in flux. If I'm GM I'm telling Fournier: (1) Vuc is on his way out; and (2) I'd love for you to opt in so I can deal you for assets, but you and Vuc deserve respect so gauge your market and decide whether you want to cut your own deal or make $17 million and get the Magic assets.

Florida's testing is way up, and cases are up yet its deaths per day are not seeing an increase.

Someone tell Weltman their exposed to risk of injury everytime they step on the court - practice or game.

I hope you all are right and NO is would be interested.

If you are NO, do you want a ball dominant expensive 5 when your future is built around a young ball dominant 4? I'd rather have cap space than Vuc if I'm NO. As I say, I'm in favor of anything... but I think we are stuck with him for at least another year. Hope I'm wrong.

It is really depressing when you look at possible landing spots for Vuc. Really few that make sense. Sort of makes you wonder what the market was really like for him last off-season. I just don't see upside to keeping Vuc and Fournier. Getting the 7th or 8 seed is fools gold. I'd rather get a higher draft pick to add to Isaac, Fultz, etc. I'd rather have cap flexibility. I'd rather make decisions on Bamba (increased minutes) and Gordon (increased usage as a facilitator). So yeah. I'm dealing Vuc to just about any landing spot and praying that deal convinces Evan to opt out.

Do you really care who SRP might be? Vuc's headed out. Yes. Do it.

I'd like for him to join his friend in Utah, for what ever that's worth. You think he wants to be there enough to opt out (Crossing fingers)?

Yeah. Sorry everyone. Apparently I inadvertently started this ruckus.

Are you sure they were blacked out. Maybe Hulu was doing you a favor stopping you from wasting your time on terrible football when better entertainment choices exist. Then again, Hulu has let me watch the Magic games this season without a problem (lord knows there are better entertainment choices at times) and with as many empty seats as the Seminoles and Bucs have had in recent seasons, they probably were simply blacked-out. Maybe it was Hulu rejecting all things Winston.

I wasn't initially a big believer that being slighted again in the dunk contest would have a significant impact on Gordon's in game play. I'm starting to come around. By all accounts he is a very nice person who is able to fit in well in a team setting by finding and filling an open niche. If being slighted in the dunk contest ticked him of sufficiently to give an edge to his personality, to make him believe he can't rely on people to give him what he has earned, to motivate him to attempt to impose his will on the Magic and the NBA in general, we may look back at that dunk contest and have to pat D-Wade on the back for finally breaking Gordon out of his shell and making him the player the Magic hoped he could be. Hulu has FSFLA.