TreyMachine

I know it's been a topic of convo, but I'm watching my first full game, and it seems like Gordon / Fornier just tolerate each other more than anything. I wish there were more of a sense of camaraderie.

ATL is going hard for that 2019 #1 pick.

Agreed. Demar has the talent but lacks the mental edge. Pop is the greatest coach of all time. If anyone can get the best out of Demar, it's Pop.

Can anyone read what Kevin Pelton gave us on the trade grader? Don't have access and I'm intrigued by the perception of whom came out on top. http://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/24032491/trade-grades-chicago-bulls-orlando-magic-charlotte-hornets-deal-nba

This would be a classic Los Angeles / Albert Pujols deal. A 30 year old PG whom relies on quickness wanting a maximum 5 year deal? Pass.

DJ understands his place. He is a veteran leader whom has had some years to gel with the other players and I would argue will know to "get out of the way" to let the young guys start to develop and find their own identity. I.T. has a chip on his shoulder and will care about one thing while here: I.T. and whether he can generate enough buzz to get a big deal at the end of the year. I'm not opposed, but I'm going to pass b/c we probably are another year from taking the "competitive" jump and I care more about the development. I'm tired of losing, but I'm committed to the long-term success of this franchise rather than mere short-term.

It does give us the rights to sign for a longer term deal with more money, plus gives us an opportunity to share our basketball culture and for him to form relationships. With that being said, we aren't getting anyone of significance without giving up Gordon, Isaac, or Bamba, all I would not trade for anyone available over the age of 28 (that are obviously available).

Last time we decided to abort the long-term approach, we traded Victor Oladipo and a first round pick for Serge Ibaka because we wanted to go "win now" mode. How did that work out for us?

Not when we might be a potential lottery team next year and could get another piece for the next 10 years rather than Kemba Walker for the last three years of his prime while we are not competing for a championship. We aren’t beating Philadelphia or Boston in the next two years. Therefore, chasing Kemba at the expense of the future is short-sighted.

As has already been discussed, I.T. was going to be a potential hindrance to the development of our long-term players by his ball-dominant presence. Sure, he might push us to the playoffs, but the cost of long-term development was likely too much in a scenario where Thomas was looking to prove himself. I am not a very big fan of our point guard scenario right now, but as has already been said, we can address this in another season when we’re actually looking to compete for a legitimate shot at an eastern conference title. I’m still of the opinion I want Jameer Nelson to finish his career in an Orlando Magic uniform. Would love him as a veteran presence and third PG perhaps next year.

It should be easier to sell him on coming to Orlando if he spends his offseason time here. I'm in full-on belief that we will look to add him as offseason goal #1 in 2019 unless Grant becomes an All-star this season.

I was not and am not a fan of Dwight Howard after the Dwightmare, but I read over this article and believe he has taken a new leave starting in Charlotte. More open to the idea of him finishing his career here. https://www.si.com/nba/2017/09/19/dwight-howard-hornets-magic-lakers-james-harden-kobe-bryant

To be fair, he doesn’t even average two free throws per game compared to the other guys on this list who do not average 17 PPG because they’re FG% is terrible. His pure stats in terms of FG%, WS. Etc. are pretty high. If anything, this tells me that he is a 20 PPG scorer if he weren’t so soft (which bleeds into his defensive capabilities).

So are we all assuming right now that our team is finished with major offseason moves? We have seemingly our PG rotation deepened and our front court in-clogged - the two concerns we had at this point headed into the season.

I appreciate, unlike previous management, that the FO is willing to wait to get a player at the price they believe the player is worth. Very shrewd spending will go a long way in creating leverage on our roster.