TrueBlueDrew

That seems like a trade deadline deal to me. Even though reports out of Cleveland are that they want to keep love. Probably just word play to raise the asking price later on.

I just don't understand this move for the Raptors. If you were going to make a trade...I'd say you move Lowry before you move DeRozan. Maybe the Spurs didn't want Lowry but man this just seems like a dumb move for the Raptors. I do think it is kinda funny that Leonard is like "I want to go to L.A." Spurs FO... "Okay...go to Toronto" haha

So I have been MIA for a few days while on vacation (actually down in Florida, off the coast of Jacksonville). Looks like IT went somewhere else, I’m okay with that. If they weren’t sold on the medicals, then there is no point in paying a player to sit on the bench. Denver’s medical team has to be a little more liberal with what they think is okay...MPJ and IT...maybe it’ll workout for them maybe it won’t. As far as we are considered: I would be really interested to see if our Front Office is getting respect from anyone else and maybe that respect starts to earn us some consideration from Free Agents? I’m a Kentucky football fan (which is another painful subject) but they’re rebuilding motto has been “Why Kentucky? Why Not?” I think it would be interesting to see if some players in the West start coming to the East and why not have some guards like Irving/Butler come to Orlando to help our young core of big men take the next step in their career. Irving/Butler/Isaac/Gordon/Bamba —> that could compete in the East for sure. I think that’s the pitch to potential free agents and one year rentals we get in trades...”look, we’re building something here...the East is wide open...stay here, help us build, and recruit the final few pieces we need.”

I mean I guess you sign him to some sort of deal...but he's going to have the same minutes that he got in Boston. He won't start over Fox or Hield. I like the move because I like Smart as a backup, but for some reason I don't like him in Sac.

Wouldn't you say he's our most consistent offensive player? Fournier is close but even he was streaky at times.

Iwundu doesn’t look bad to me. I don’t think he is starting anytime soon but he can be a specific role player. bamba looked good on that fader briscoe and their PG are getting into it early. This one already feels intense haha

https://orlandomagicdaily.com/2018/07/07/orlando-magic-rumors-orlando-magic-trade-bismack-biyombo-acquire-jerian-grant-three-team-trade/ That article is all for the trade we just made. At the end they mention buying out Mosgov's contract...is that an option? I'd be down for that, but if we weren't considering that with Biz, why would we then for Moz?

I disagree with that. Low risk. He's coming in here with 0 expectation to be the STAR PG. He is on a rookie contract. It's the final year of that contract. We aren't committing to him as our franchise guy. He's literally a rental...who has nothing to prove other than he's better than we all expect. Low risk, high reward type player if there ever was one.

Yeah, but at least he is able to get a shot. He could have filled a void at the 3 that is currently being filled by Terrance Ross. Dipo, Fournier, Harris, AG, Vuc --> That is a team that could've done some damage under the right coaching I believe. Payton was never the PG we needed. I am happy for this new team though. I'm interested to see if Fournier is still apart of the Magic's long-term goal. Filler PG/Fournier/Isaac/AG/Bamba will work until we trade Vuc/Ross probably for a wing. I think we hold off on any major PG move unless one just kinda falls in our lap like Rozier or Kemba. Then next season, we aim for our franchise PG in what I believe will be a PG-heavy draft. I wouldn't even be surprised if we combine Fournier + 1st round picks to move up if we don't like our draft position because I think next draft is the one where you HAVE to address the PG issue. Then you just continue to build consistency and slowly that Magic culture is developed.

You think? I'm hesitant to say that now. I hope that turns out to be true. I also think the argument can be made that Dipo never becomes the player he is today if he didn't spend one year next to Westbrook and have some of that hunger ignite for him. I just don't like that we gave those two away for bags of chips. Put Dipo on our team as a hybrid PG. Dipo/Fournier/Issac/AG/Bamba..... ugh

Exactly. I personally believe we had our nice young core when we had Dipo/Harris/AG...but we squandered 2 of those 3 away. Now we have another group. Time to start over. And it sucks, because the faithful Magic fans have become the joke of the NBA along with the Nets + Suns. But all we can do is put our faith in this FO (which seem to be doing an excellent job so far in my amateur assessment) and hope that player development, coaching hires, and team culture/chemistry all work out.

As long as it isn't next year. I'm actually perfectly fine with that. I'm hoping that in the next year or two, our first round picks will finally have us in a competing place and we'll go back to not necessarily NEEDING every pick to be a crucial one.

I think everyone needs to chill the heck out haha I'm not sure, but someone a few pages back said this was a positive move. It was a small positive move, but it was positive. We were literally all moaning and groaning during the season. Then we get near the draft and everyone is filled with hope again. Then we draft Bamba and we post a workout video where he is hitting three point shots and everyone swears we're going to win now and this is it. Then we resign AG and everyone just starts freaking out about a PG. We throw out names like Kemba, Lillard, IT, Lonzo... (I'm guilty just like everyone else). Then we make a move we werent expecting. We save some money, get rid of a player who was not motivated to play for our organization anymore and get back two players. 1) is an athletic young point guard on an expiring contract that at least has some potential and 2) a guy who has been the butt of jokes in the NBA for a few seasons, however all we can hope for is that he is motivated to prove people wrong since his contract is about to run out. We weren't going to make a move for Dam Lillard or Carmelo or someone else and just automatically be a contender next season. This is going to be slow. I'm actually happy we have a Front Office that isn't going to throw a 4 year 40 million dollar contract at someone like Isaiah Thomas, because previous FO personnel would have. So lets all take a breath and try to be optimistic here. We have a good looking cluster of big men in AG/Isaac/Bamba. We still have guards who play hard for us every night in Simmons/Fournier/DJ. Ross/Vuc are vets on expiring contracts, they'll want to play well hoping their next contract gets them as much money as possible. And now we have 2 new PGs who have something to prove. We are building a TEAM. That happens one piece at a time. Have a little faith. Have a little patience. And dare I say it? Trust the process.

I know it would be dangerous haha I don't think we'd do it, but I don't think Vuc or Biz are in our long term plans. I don't see them with us much longer. I'm not sure Birch is in our long terms plans either, but I've liked him when he got minutes last year and he looked good yesterday. If Mo Bamba is our next Dwight Howard (aka a big man who gets our hopes up) then we need to find the right Gortat to back him up.

You know I was thinking about Lillard the other day and while I never think that he would leave a playoff team in the West for a team that has been on the bottom of the East. I do think if there is an all-star calibur player who will leave the craziness of the West and make a run in the East for a while...Dam Lillard makes sense to me. I don't think that team as it is assembled will ever be more than a 5-8 seed playoff team that gets bounced in the first round year after year. I think someone like Lillard would be the ideal scenario for the Magic........but it'll never happen haha