jmmagicfan

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/23377655/nick-calathes-plans-return-nba-euroleague ; but it doesn't say anything about the Magic being interested/making the pitch. Definitely an interesting idea. Not sure if Dallas still owns his rights though.

Here is your list of free agent point guards currently available this summer. So, let's see our options. 1) Anyone over 30 is probably out - too old to fit in with the prime of our core, already declining, or only a backup. We can't afford them, or they aren't going to want to spend their prime when we aren't ready to take a big step. 2) Can't get off their current teams bench for any significant minutes. (Under 13 MPG) We don't need another backup unless we waive Mack, and pay him the $1M guarantee to go away. 3) Career 3 PT under 33.3% PLAYER (30) TEAM POS. AGE EXP TYPE RIGHTS GP MPG PPG RPG APG SPG BPG 2017-2018 AAV Tony Parker SAS PG 36 16 UFA Bird 55 19.5 7.7 1.7 3.5 0.5 0.0 $14,445,313 Jose Calderon CLE PG 36 12 UFA Non-Bird 57 16.0 4.5 1.5 2.1 0.5 0.0 $2,328,652 Jameer Nelson DET PG 36 13 UFA Non-Bird 50 20.3 4.9 2.1 3.6 0.5 0.1 $2,262,871 Devin Harris DEN PG 35 13 UFA Bird 71 18.9 8.4 1.8 2.1 0.7 0.2 $4,140,721 Jarrett Jack NYK PG 34 12 UFA Non-Bird 62 25.0 7.5 3.1 5.6 0.6 0.1 $2,328,652 Chris Paul HOU PG 33 12 UFA Bird 58 31.8 18.6 5.4 7.9 1.7 0.2 $21,468,695 Raymond Felton OKC PG 33 12 UFA Non-Bird 82 16.6 6.9 1.9 2.5 0.6 0.2 $2,328,652 Aaron Brooks MIN PG 33 9 UFA Non-Bird 32 5.9 2.3 0.5 0.6 0.2 $2,116,955 Rajon Rondo NOP PG 32 11 UFA Non-Bird 65 26.2 8.3 4.0 8.2 1.1 0.2 $3,300,000 Mario Chalmers MEM PG 32 8 UFA Non-Bird 66 21.5 7.7 2.4 3.0 1.2 0.2 $2,106,470 Ramon Sessions WAS PG 32 10 UFA Non-Bird 28 14.0 4.9 1.4 2.8 0.5 0.1 $355,218 Ty Lawson WAS PG 30 8 UFA Non-Bird $1,315,448 Jonathan Gibson BOS PG 30 1 RFA Non-Bird 4 9.8 8.5 0.8 1.0 $44,495 Isaiah Thomas LAL PG 29 6 UFA Bird 33 26.4 14.7 2.0 4.6 0.5 0.1 $6,750,001 Julyan Stone CHA PG 29 4 UFA Non-Bird 23 7.6 0.8 1.3 1.1 0.2 0.1 $762,153 Derrick Rose MIN PG 29 8 UFA Non-Bird 25 16.8 8.4 1.4 1.5 0.3 0.2 $418,607 Tim Frazier WAS PG 27 3 UFA Bird 59 14.2 3.0 1.9 3.3 0.8 0.1 $2,045,000 Lorenzo Brown TOR PG 27 3 UFA Non-Bird 14 9.9 2.3 1.0 0.9 0.4 $8,612 Michael Carter-Williams CHA PG 26 4 UFA Non-Bird 52 16.0 4.6 2.7 2.2 0.9 0.4 $2,700,000 Shabazz Napier POR PG 26 3 RFA Bird 74 20.7 8.7 2.3 2.0 1.1 0.2 $1,561,140 Raul Neto UTH PG 26 2 RFA Bird 41 12.1 4.5 1.2 1.8 0.3 0.1 $910,849 David Stockton UTH PG 26 1 RFA Non-Bird 3 3.0 3.3 $7,416 Shane Larkin BOS PG 25 3 UFA Non-Bird 54 14.4 4.3 1.7 1.8 0.5 0.1 $1,524,305 Yogi Ferrell DAL PG 25 1 RFA Early Bird 82 27.8 10.2 3.0 2.5 0.8 0.1 $207,798 Marcus Smart BOS PG 24 3 RFA Bird 54 29.9 10.2 3.5 4.8 1.3 0.4 $3,707,815 Elfrid Payton PHX PG 24 3 RFA Bird 63 28.7 12.7 4.3 6.2 1.3 0.3 $2,712,375 Fred VanVleet TOR PG 24 1 RFA Early Bird 76 20.0 8.6 2.4 3.2 0.9 0.3 $724,360 Ryan Arcidiacono CHI PG 24 1 RFA 24 12.7 2.0 1.0 1.5 0.5 - Dante Exum UTH PG 22 3 RFA Bird 14 16.7 8.1 1.9 3.1 0.6 0.2 $4,081,356 Wade Baldwin POR PG 22 1 RFA Non-Bird 7 11.4 5.4 1.1 0.7 0.3 0.1 $229,892 So, that leaves Thomas and Larkin as the UFA possibilities; and Napier, Ferrell, and VanVleet as your RFAs that meet those requirements. I think Larkin is destined to be a career backup, the productivity just isn't there. I'm not sure we have seen enough of Ferrell or VanVleet to know if they have starter potential. Napier's numbers are comparable to Ferrell/VanVleet, with more experience; but he just put it together, and we let him go once. Would he even be interested in coming back? Yes, Thomas was very rusty when he came back, but that is why we might get him on a reasonable offer, as he has something to prove; and that drive to prove himself is what made a #60 pick into an all-star. Rose's career 3pt shot isn't very good, but he is still a former MVP with something to prove, which is why I might take a flier.

My thought was that I don't really see our long-term solution at PG as being available this year, so if we are going to pick up someone in the interim, Thomas and/or Rose both are in a position to have something to prove and might be both available and amenable to a one year deal to "prove it" to the rest of the league. Both are only 29, which should be the prime of their careers, and would really want to option to excel so they can get bigger FA deals next summer with less questions about them going forward. Rose actually had a decent year in Minn, but they have too much offence for him to be showcased, we don't. Same with Thomas, we can use the offense, and both are actually decent distributors. Yes, Thomas' defense is questionable, but I think it is still better than Payton's was.

I like most of your thoughts, though I'm not sure about your second choice of Exum. I might make a fast play for Isaiah Thomas, since the Lakers may not want to commit their money too early to him, and he may take a mid-level, one year plus player option to show the league he is back after his injury. For that matter, Derrick Rose is still a serviceable point guard; not the MVP he once was, but not sure how much it would take to pry him loose from Minn.

I don't think we can stretch Vuc, we already stretched CJ Watson a year or two ago, and I think that was a one-time thing.

I said that a couple of weeks ago, before the draft, that that was a trade I would like to see. I guess it depends on whether they do buy out Dwight, though. I can't see them doing it if they are keeping him on the roster.

No, he's in his final year.

Actually, Mario played quite well in a starting role, but the problem is that was mostly at the 4 filling in while AG was out. I'm not really sure that he is a 2 or even a 3 anymore.

I see your point, but these aren't the traditional, back-to-the-basket, over-power-you centers of the past. The Ewing, Shaq, Dwight, type of "power" center is mostly gone. Hakeem Olajuwan, Yao Ming and Tim Duncan sort of started that move to pull the centers farther out from the basket, and the Gasols and others have continued that trend. Ayton, JJJ, Bamba are much more this era of PF/C. They are more like the Rashard Lewis, Dirk Nowitski, Kevin Garnett, Chris Bosh, mold. The tall athletic, combo SF/PF/C that has become this era's mold for the center.

I don't think so, he doesn't seem to have the temperament to ever be the back-up, strong veteran presence that you would want there. I think Speights was great in that roll for us, though, and would love to see him return if we have a roster spot available for him.

I think that your top five is going to be Ayton, Bagley, Doncic, JJJ, Bamba; probably in that order, though I can see 3-5 going in almost any order. Ayton to Phoenix looks to be a consensus. Since Bagley had a good workout for them and has said good things about Sac, and their front office has been less than glowing in their comments about Doncic; that makes Bagley at #2 a pretty solid bet as well. Atlanta seems to be focusing in on Doncic, though I could also see them going with either of JJJ or Bamba given their current roster. I think Young at #3 is just a smokescreen. I think Memphis is the first real up in the air pick. Since both JJJ and Bamba have not released medical, or worked out for them I can see them grabbing Doncic if he's there, possibly grabbing Porter, or trading the pick rather than reach for someone else. I can see Mikal Bridges working in that roster/system, but that seems like too much of a reach; and I don't know if they would take JJJ/Bamba given the circumstances. I could see JJJ being a workable option, but not sure they would pull that trigger. I really hope our FO is on the phone with them talking about that pick.

I'd be ecstatic if we managed to get Doncic, but I don't believe that he will fall to #6.

Sporting News has us taking Bamba, Simons, and Trent, Jr.; Sports Illustrated has Bamba, Diallo, Milton. I personally would prefer Simons over Diallo, but I am okay with either of those groupings. After reading some of what Bamba is doing to prepare for the NBA, I am getting sold on this kid.

Yeah, but they also have us taking De'Anthony Melton #35 and Shake Milton #41. Does anyone really think we are going to take PG with all three picks?

Probably not. DeRozan is a good, regular season Star player, and would give us a step towards making the playoffs; but has already shown he can't take that next step to be a playoff stud/Superstar. I think #6, Biyombo, and Fournier is too much for that type of player.

It was interesting, because he said at #6 you have to go for the BPA, but sometimes that can also be a position of need; so that does seem to lean towards Young; but with this front office, I don't have a good read on them, so it may just be a smokescreen.

Larry Bird Magic Johnson Joe Dumars Robert Parrish Hakeem Olajuwan (never could spell it, though) David Robinson

You can swap one year and trade the next - you just can't trade away both without getting a first back in one of the two.

Expiring reasonable contract, solid offensive player, with enough 3-pt range to open up the middle if you have a solid defensive 4/5 next to him.

Evan Fournier for Faried and #14 would work for me. Then if we could just get rid of Vuc, say maybe trade straight up for Jeremy Lin and it looks like the beginnings of a plan. Alternatively, we could do Vuc for Faried & #14, but I'm not sure if that would work for salary matching reasons.

Except it's not in the middle of his season, this is from the press conference for the Euroleague Final Four, where he was asked if these would be his final two games for Real Madrid. Yes, it might just be a "politically correct" statement, since he is still under contract until these games are over, and he may have every intention of coming over; but a la Fran, it could be he is using the NBA draft as a bargaining tool for his next contract with Real Madrid. The actual statement that he made today could certainly be taken either way. “Ι’m not sure if these are the last two games [in EuroLeague]. We have yet to make this decision. Perhaps after the season,” Doncic said when asked if the Final Four matches are the last two he’ll play in EuroLeague.

Except that because of the rookie scale (see attached), the farther down he is picked, the less likely that he comes over; as the more likely that Real Madrid can/will offer him more to stay. The #1 pick maxes out at about $8.1M for his first year, #2 at about $7.24M, and #6 pick maxes out at $4.8M. I haven't seen anything about him hinting he might stay in Europe. If he does, then he is immediately off my list. We don't need another Fran Vazquez situation where it becomes a wasted pick. https://basketball.realgm.com/nba/info/rookie_scale/2019

I assume you mean Ayton, but they would draft Doncic for the same reason they might draft Ayton. Either is better than the player they currently have in that position.

I guess you forgot that that wasn't the current management; and most of us were not crazy about that trade to begin with. Also, I'm still not convinced that Oladipo becomes the player he now is without that year of working/practicing/learning from Russell Westbrook.

I see your point, and I think we just have different views on Isaac's future and long-term value. Either of us could be right, or we could both be wrong, it could end up somewhere in the middle. I see Isaac as a young man who is still growing, and currently suffering injuries that may be associated with that fact. I think another off-season working out and gaining muscle, plus the time to finish growing may result in a future defensive player of the year candidate. We have already seen some pretty amazing defensive instincts in his first season adapting to the speed and athleticism of the NBA. Supposing that we have pick #5, that gives us both Isaac and another young player with potential to hopefully become a star. You see a young man (Isaac) who has injury-prone ankles that may permanently limit his career. In Doncic you see a young player who has already done things in Europe no one ever has, and presumably, a better chance to become a star than either Isaac and/or whomever we might get at #5. I agree with you that Doncic has greater potential that anyone who is likely to be available to us at #5 (or #6-8 if we drop). He may even have a better chance of becoming a star than a healthy Isaac; but like any rookie, he may be over-whelmed by the speed and strength of NBA players.