TrueBlueDrew

Yup. I think the moves we have made since then have been great. And the C on Bamba is only because he hasn’t been able to reach the potential he has. If the Magic fully commit to Bamba/WCJ as their centers and fill the rest of the roster with 1-4. That would be smart given the NBAs current drift to small ball

The main thing that I am worried about is picking another combo guard for our team. We need more balance for our team. PG - Fultz, Anthony, Randle (TW) SG - Harris, Bacon, Ross, Hampton, MCW, Thornwell (TW) SF - Ennis, Brazdeikis PF - Isaac, Porter, Okeke, C - Bamba, WCJ, Wagner I think we desperately need a SF who can score. I'm nervous about reaching on another relatively unknown (Kuminga) but I guess a lot of the draft picks this year are unknown just because of Covid but I've read that Kuminga struggles offensively and had to miss games because of knee soreness. I'm worried this is Isaac 2.0. I like Scottie Barnes, I like Corey Kispert and maybe even Moses Moody and Franz Wagner (Wagner duo!!!)

2020 - B+ -- I think Cole is the energetic spark we need and seems to have a little bit of a clutch gene in him. I'm hoping that is contagious for the rest of the team. The only player drafted relatively close after him that I would be interested in watching is Maxey. Also, not sure about long-term fit alongside Anthony and Fultz...but we also pulled Hampton who was drafted 9 spots after Cole. Overall, solid picks for this draft. 2019 - A -- I don't think there is anyone else drafted after Chuma who is anywhere close to his ceiling and he already seems to be putting up bigger numbers than the other guys (partly because of how we needed him to play after trading everyone) 2018 - C -- I'm interested to see where this team goes with Bamba now that we have WCJ. Having both #6 + #7 from this draft could be good but they could also stifle each others growth. WCJ seemed to be more offensively efficient last season. Overall, I'm disappointed with Bamba's development but he's been behind an All-Star and now alongside another 3rd year top-10 pick player at the same position. I would be surprised if both Bamba and WCJ are on the team after the deadline this upcoming year. 2017 - A -- I think this was an excellent draft for us... IFFFF... everyone from this draft can stay healthy. Isaac, when healthy, has a defensive player of the year capabilities, and Fultz, when healthy, can be a dynamic slashing PG with incredible vision. Looking at the picks after Isaac, obviously, Donovan Mitchell would be nice. I don't think Bam Adebayo would have flourished like he has anywhere other than Miami. Before we landed Fultz, I would've really liked to pursue Fox and still this Fox is a stud who is wasting a lot of his prime years in a bad place. But I'm still happy with this draft. 2016 - F -- This was a horrible trade and I think we got absolutely shafted by another GM who took advantage of Henny not knowing what the crap he was gonna do. Dipo and Sabonis both benefited from this trade and became betters players because of it but still. It would've been nice to at least stay in this trade and get someone like LaVert at #20. 2015 - F -- This was a reach. Looking back at it now, I think the hype around Luka is very similar to the same hype that Hezonja had. "He's so young...killing it overseas...scores with ease..." Hezonja has pretty much been a bust and literally any other pick from #6 (Mudiay) to #16 (Rozier) would have been a better pick. The obvious miss of the draft was Booker at #13. 2014 - C -- I love Gordon, just wish I could've seen him, Dipo, and Harris play together more. I think that would have eventually become a very fun trio to build around. I think they reached with Payton and Zach LaVine would have been a better pick. Imagine PG - Dipo, SG - LaVine, SF - Harris, PF - Gordon, C - Vucevic? All in all, I think we are hit and miss with top 10 picks. Other than obvious misses like Booker in 2015. I don't think we've done a bad job...just unfortunate with development and injuries.

This is a solid rebuttal. I agree with it. I think some fans tend to drift toward pessimism and others drift toward optimism so that will be the way they see the team and the decisions they make. In my opinion, I think the current FO has made a lot of good moves to get us to be more athletic (which matches the style of play in the NBA) and out of financial trouble. My one critique would be that we have focused a little too much on defense and need some offensive firepower. I think we held on just a little too long for Fournier and Vuc but Vuc was in the middle of an All-Star run so it was hard to convince yourself to cut ties.

Does anyone have thoughts on Terry Stotts? Is he able to bring us out of the depths or would we just maintain where we are?

Yeah, that article I mentioned earlier had this ranking (I removed Kidd and Udoka) 1) Atkinson (Clippers) 2) Ham (Bucks) 3) Hammon (Spurs) 4) Lee (Bucks) 5) Unseld Jr. (Nuggets) 6) Green (Suns) 7) Brooks 8) Billups

Yeah, I agree. Plus he has some Pacer history, so that should make the fanbase happy. I just don't know where the Magic go after this. I want to avoid Jason Kidd at all costs. I think Becky Hamm is the "cool pick" for the cultural moment which makes me hesitant about throwing a first-time head-coaching who is breaking into a male-dominated role, into a rebuilding effort. This article gave some interesting insight into some of the coaching candidates: https://orlandomagicdaily.com/2021/06/20/orlando-magic-coaching-search-power-rankings-more-competition-creates-focus/

Ime Udoka to the Celtics Rick Carlisle to the Pacers Those were probably #1 + #2 for me on my wish list.

If I'm Orlando, I'm trying to snag Carlisle with a massive check. I think he's the best coach currently on the market. Now if the Bucks lose and fire Bud...then I might go with him cause he's been awesome in Atlanta and Mil

Hey, I just saw a recent Instagram post by ESPN that had a mock draft. it showed us having the #4 and #8 pick. Is that right? Do we have 2 top 10 picks this year? One of them of traded to another team?

Looking at our current players and knowing what the front office likes (length and versatility)...who makes sense? There will always be the argument of "best available..." but I'm just thinking best fit. Anthony (6'2) Randle (6'2) Fultz (6'3) Mane (6'3) Hampton (6'4) Harris (6'4) MCW (6'5) Bacon (6'6) Ennis (6'6) Okeke (6'6) Ross (6'6) Porter (6'8) Birch (6'9) WCJ (6'10) Isaac (6'11) Bamba (7'0) We have a lot of youth (Fultz/Anthony/Hampton) that are under 6'5... so I think 6'6 and up will be the aim. Here's my top 5: Cade Cunningham (don't think he'll reach us) Jalen Green Scottie Barnes Jonathan Kuminga Jalen Suggs Cade Cunningham (6'8) -- unless we start majorly tanking and Minnesota wins...we will probably not land him. Especially if we are anywhere outside top 2. Minny could pass on him because I feel like he has a similar game to Anthony Edwards even though they play different positions but they're looking for anyone to pair alongside Towns/DJ. Jalen Suggs (6'4) -- I don't think we go here unless the FO is just in love with him. If they do, I expect we will see a trade of one of the younger guys. You don't want to have Fultz/Anthony/Hampton/Harris/Suggs/MCW -- that's a similar logjam to what we had at forward before all these trades. Scottie Barnes (6'5) -- could be an option but seems similar to Isaac...elite potential at everything but scoring. Not sure they want another one like that unless Okeke takes off as a star. Jalen Green (6'6) -- has already been in the G-League, so could be more pro-ready than some of the others since he's been around NBA level players. According to reports, looks good as a scorer, which is what we need at the 2 since we traded Evan. Jonathan Kuminga (6'7) -- don't know much about him but most of the reports say he's the one flying under the radar. If Okeke slides into the SG spot, Kuminga could be that SF alongside Isaac at 4 and Birch/Bamba/WCJ at 5. That gives a lot of quickness and length.

Yeah, I think between Fultz/Cole/Hampton... one of them will be the PG that we commit to. I find it hard to believe that none of them are going to at least be effective at running an offense.

I know we aren't supposed to be winning games right now, but.... As the eternal optimist, is anyone else feeling the excitement of Okeke? If we get healthy, we already have a nice young nucleus of guards/forwards. I weirdly like the rotation of Birch/WCJ/Bamba because there doesn't seem to be the dramatic dip in defense/rebounding like there was with Vuc. If those guys are just asked for rebounds, blocks, and defense...then if one of them gets hot (like WCJ was the other night) and has a 20 pt game, then that's just a plus. Fultz/Anthony/Hampton/Okeke/Isaac --> that's a fun rotation if everyone is healthy. Then mix in Harris/Ross/Bacon/Porter and the rest of the bigs...even before you get the draft picks. I'm not saying we soar to #1 in the East...but at least you have some excitement to build around (similar to what Memphis and Charlotte are doing)

Just to summarize: Leaving Orlando: Aaron Gordon Gary Clark Evan Fournier Nikola Vucevic Al Farouq-Aminu Joining Orlando: Otto Porter Jr. Wendell Carter Jr. Gary Harris R.J. Hampton Three 1st Round Picks Two 2nd Round Picks Ultimately, that isn't an awful haul. Does it include players that will ultimately transform our franchise in 2 years? Probably not. But in 3-5 years when some of these guys have matured a bit in their games, I think they could be valuable pieces. Otto Porter is enjoying the final year of his massive contract. He will probably be gone after this year but if he resigns, then he will take significantly less than he currently makes. Gary Harris is under contract through next season, so we could potentially see what a lineup with Fultz, Harris, Okeke, Isaac, and Birch/Bamba/Carter (whoever we decide is our center) could look like. WCJ is also under contract till 2022 and since it is a rookie deal, he has to prove his worth to earn his next contract. I'm hoping a new time sets a fire under him to be the player people think he could be. I'll be interested to see what the Magic do with Anthony, Hampton, and Fultz. Is that our guard core moving forward? Or does one of them fall out of rotation and eventually get moved? Hard to imagine since Anthony and Hampton are so green and Fultz seems to be revitalized in Orlando. However, time to accept the rebuild now that we are officially out of the Henny years. We can see if our front office can turn us into the Bucks or Raptors.

Okay, so seeing EF and AG traded wasn't really shocking since rumors around them strong in the last few weeks. I was surprised by Vuc and equally surprised that we didn't pull a trigger on Ross or Birch. The talent we got back is obviously not equal to the talent that left, but the priority seemed to be rewarding our vets to compete on playoff teams (yes, I think Chicago makes the playoffs) and clearing cap space/acquiring picks. I agree that Fultz/Isaac are the future of this team...IF (massive if) they can stay healthy. That is concerning. However, Hampton/Anthony/Fultz could be an exciting trio of guards to watch develop over the years. We definitely got a lot younger and more athletic with these moves. I'm hopeful...but also the eternal optimist.

Magic Trade - AG, Fournier, and Birch Trailblazers Trade - CJ, Gary Trent, and Enes Kanter https://tradenba.com/trades/BAIGOJmA- Thoughts?

Random thought. Would you do one or multiple of these trades? Trade with the Rockets - Fournier for Oladipo straight up? Trade with the Spurs - Vucevic + pick for Lamarcus Aldridge (expiring) and Keldon Johnson? Trade with the Suns - AG for Bridges and Crowder (can be traded after Feb. 26) and 2021 first/2022 second. I think it is time to move on from the old guard. While I love AG and would hate to see him leave. I think we build around Fultz/Isaac if they can be healthy (big question). Young players like Bridges and Johnson could help craft the next core.

Yeah I read this and thought similar things. I’ve checked the free agency updates pretty frequently to see if we have done anything or even made a trade. I honestly didn’t even know about the Bacon move. As a replacement for Iwundu, I guess that’s an improvement? I think it’s obvious we’re trying to reset and get out of the playoffs cause we are currently in no mans land. Good enough to barely make playoffs but not good enough to advance which means we are left out of lottery picks and any talent that might be transformational. I think my optimism about our team plummeted with JI’s second injury in the bubble. I think a healthy JI, AG, Fultz, and Bamba could make pushes. But without Isaac, I don’t think we have a star. Which is what you need in the nba to be relevant. So I think we stay the course this year and don’t make any moves till trade deadline. Then look to pull away from Vucevic and Fournier for first round draft picks. Then hold onto AG as long as we can.

Who do we think the Magic will select in this years draft? Will they keep both of their 2nd round picks?

Just saw this on TradeNba.com (Link) totally off of the rumor that Giannis is unfollowing teammates on social media. Warriors Get: Giannis Bucks Get: Evan Fournier, Aaron Gordon, Andrew Wiggins, Warriors 2020 #2, Magic #2020 1st Magic Get: Khris Middleton, Bucks 2020 1st from Indiana, and sign DeMar DeRozan in Free Agency to a 2 year 17.9M contract. I mean, I get it....it's a fantasy trade. However, I don't hate the idea?

Those are fair points. I honestly didn't know Buddy was that young. I guess I assumed he came in the league a year or two before Fox. But I forgot about his time in New Orleans. I just don't think a bench of "Ross, Bamba, Iwundu, Aminu, MCW, Okeke" pushes us into the top 5 In the East and I'm just not sure how the bench is improved unless you have a proven star.

I think it is pretty clear that this team needs an identity. We're the only team in the playoffs this year without a clear star: (1) Lakers - Lebron/AD and Bucks - Giannis, (2) Clippers - Kahwi/PG and Raptors - Lowry, (3) Nuggets - Murray/Jokic and Celtics - Tatum/Kemba, (4) Rockets - Harden/Westbrook and Pacers - Dipo/Warren, (5) Thunder - CP3 and Heat - Butler/Bam, (6) Jazz - Mitchell and Sixers - Simmons/Embiid, (7) Mavericks - Doncic/Porzingis and Nets - KD/Kyrie/Lavert, (8) Portland - Lillard/McCollum and Magic -- Vuc?? I think the teams that are left either have an supernatural star talent on their team (Lakers) or they're willing to play team basketball (Heat/Celtics) or they have a solid star big/guard combo (Nuggets). If the Magic want to turn this team around, we need to get away from this identity of making every single player on our team a 6'9 guy who has incredible reach and has been known to play defense but we will develop his offense...our development sucks and it has sucked for YEARS, there is a reason players leave and automatically get better (Howard is really the only one who got worse in recent history). Fultz is gaining his confidence back. I think he's going to be a great floor general (like a Goran Dragic) but will never be your #1 guy. Vuc has had flashes but he is what he is. I think he has maybe 2-3 good years left, so I don't think we can build around him. Gordon continues to improve and I understand he's our best trade asset but I don't want to see him go to another team and make a jump in effectiveness like Oladipo did. I think we can build around him as our #2 guy. I would love to believe that Isaac is our future #1 guy because the offensive game was getting there and defense was lethal. However, I'm afraid he's going to be Brandon Roy or Greg Oden. You see the talent but can never really see it come to fruition because of injuries. I really hope I'm wrong because I like JI a lot. Fournier just needs to go. I understand he's been big for us in moments, but he's never going to rise to be a Khris Middleton or Jimmy Butler like we need him to be. He will forever remain in the company of Bogdonavic or Buddy Hield (except at least Buddy has upside because of his youth). Outside of those guys, I think the rest of our team can be traded or cut. I want Ross because I think he's a leader and provides a great spark off the bench. I think Iwundu has shown promise but I don't know how else he'll advance other than being a 7-8th man off the bench. I don't think we can hope too much for Bamba until he puts on more muscle. We need him to be more Jokic and less Gobert. DJ has had a great run here but I think it's time we move on. MCW is a great role player and I'm fine with him on the team, if he's okay knowing he's a third string PG/SG. Ennis is fine but he isn't a starter for a playoff team. He's your 7th guy. I don't think Aminu needs to be on the team. He's also too injury prone and doesn't give us much more than Iwundu or Ennis. If we're keeping Birch, then we need to trade Bamba. If we're keeping Bamba, then we need to trade Birch. Cut/Trade Frazier and Clark. In a world of small ball, we can't keep selling the fans on "rebuilding" if we're going to continue to invest in PFs and Cs.

Watching the playoffs this year, I was thinking the same thing. But I wondered if VanVleet is an extension of the coaching staff since he's basically been with two coaches in the same system.

Anything shared/posted by ESPN seems stupid at this point. Everything is cancelled/postponed, so they're just showing history highlights to keep their brand relevant. I get why they're doing it but it's dumb. I went to ESPN's website to see if they'll mention anything about straight up cancelling the season or what they'll do. I miss the NBA...our team was starting to click. We were gonna get the 7 seed and win a first round series...shock the world by beating Toronto.

Update... we went 3-1 haha The battle for the 7 seed and avoid getting swept by the Bucks starts now! Can Fournier miss another 10 games?