TreyMachine

I haven’t refreshed Twitter so much in over a decade on a single day

Does this mean Magic are out or that they have no confirmation of our meeting time? Or is Orlando actually not interested and never was?

It could just be that they connected in person (workout? Met in Orlando?), but that does give me some great hope. i will say he does not follow Paolo nor does Paolo follow him.

Either they met with wives to discuss this off the record a while ago and they both liked each other regardless or… this decision is already over. Ugh

I don’t think the Clippers with a core of Leonard (33) and Harden (34) is going to be competitive for a championship at this point (if that’s what he cares about). If he cares about the money, he’ll keep a lot more money by moving to FL. If it’s about family, Orlando is extremely family oriented and a safe space for kids. Here’s where i think that we actually lose (and it’s a big one): his wife of a decade, Daniela, is an influencer. You look at her instagram and she loves going to fancy restaurants and showing off her wealth. This is NOT a place for someone like that who wants pretty things and that kind of clout. I could be wrong, but if anyone else here is married, you know a move somewhere is just as important to your spouse as it is to you, and I see her totally rejecting Orlando. My heart sinks thinking this could be the weight that tips the scale towards the bigger markets. Ugh.

This is such a good explanation of why PG is the perfect signing for the Magic and for Paul George himself. https://x.com/thelando__/status/1807208479679037777?s=46

I think with our team, depth, and growth, we are contending now with PG. PG + Paolo + some great defensive, team-oriented players = contention. Look at Philly, Milwaukee, Mavericks, Denver, and Boston - all have two strong players at the nucleus with good role players around them. We don’t necessarily win but we are in semi’s if not finals of the East with the team we have.

On a different note, I’m wondering how Joe Ingles fits in with our future. He bought a really nice $6M house in Winter Park (notably above market value) last year. Maybe it’s because he’s got a family and he didn’t want to live in an apartment but from all indications of the circle his family runs in over here it seems like he wanted to be in Orlando for the foreseeable future. Curious if maybe he could retire next year or just keep his family in Orlando while he works somewhere else for a year? Just two cents on my local perspective on the topic.

Here’s what I’m doing if I’m Orlando: lay out the welcome mat and show him around. Have a team highlight video, history of the Magic, and using analytics show that we were basically a playmaker away from being the clear #2 team in the East. Have him meet directly with Paolo, Franz, and Jalen. Have them take him out to lunch. Or maybe just Paolo (though I think Jalen would be the better salesman for the team chemistry and philosophy) Discuss our team philosophy with Coach Mose + the core players there Discuss the Pro/Con of our roster and cap flexibility to create a TEAM vs. Philadelphia. Really emphasize the tax status of our state and how much he makes living in FL on his contract vs. California or Pennsylvania (note - it’s A LOT more)

Boys - it’s true. Strap in. https://x.com/bxnchero/status/1807206482301087817?s=46

This kind of moment doesn’t happen to us. I’m trying to look at this objectively, but I think the Embiid deal at $50M and Maxey at $35M really caps how good the team can be and what kind of players they can get with the rest of the cap space. Orlando has some really, really good young players on great salary deals for the next 2-3 years. We’ve seen how these “super teams” of scorers have failed in the last 5+ years with scrubs in their 2nd unit and how they’ve all failed, including the Clippers. i imagine the pitch from the Magic is just that. Join our TEAM with our team being one great piece away from being competitive for the finals consistently in the East.

Philly Pros: - Better top 2 players (Embiid and Maxey) - Team is in its prime - Better sports city (fans + marketability) Orlando Pros: Better team depth (Philly is basically Phoenix / Nets / Clippers with their big 3 and no room for other players I think with all salaries coming off the books) Team has lots of young up-and-coming talent that could value his mentorship and experience… also best days are ahead. No state income tax (he takes home more money)

I’m not overly surprised by Moe Wagner. I think that ultimately we will end up bringing him back as he’s a priority with Franz on the team but it gives us more flexibility. I’m 95% sure Moe will be back next year.

I didn’t realize free agency starts tomorrow. Really exciting and feels crazy we’re less than 12 hours away from likely some major announcements.

I’ve been stating it for a while: this administration is a “create a culture, bring in young talent, and watch it bloom.” If you don’t have a “team first” family-friendly mentality, then you don’t get to come in and mess with the core’s chemistry. We’re also a small market. We’re not going deep into the luxury tax. Sure, we have cap room now, but they’re looking at in 3 years they’re paying Jalen, Paolo, and Suggs’s hefty deals and if they sign big long term contracts now to fill up our cap space, we are 100% in the luxury tax. We are the Athletics with Moneyball - not the Yankees. Understanding these two things give perspective on the highest likelihood of our summer - big short term contracts with complimentary guys who won’t be ball dominant and will be good for the locker room while helping our core take that next step. Thats it.

We've all stated we need someone who is a floor general who initiates the offense and knows how to calm things down. Paul is one of the smartest basketball minds in the history of the NBA. Even if he's old, he's shot 37%-40% from 3PT every year, which is what we want. He's a veteran locker room presence who would push the team, lead the locker room well, and give us what we need in a PG - someone who makes good passes and decisions while hitting the open 3. He's a bit of a defensive liability these days, but I think the pro's for what we need (and what is alternatively available) outweighs the cons and alternatives.

With the amount of money being thrown around, I think both will want longer deals than basically a 1 year deal with a team option unless we're paying them their market value for two years in one.

Per reports, give me a trade for Chris Paul. 2 years on a big number. He's the PG we need to get this team to the next level until Anthony Black matures (of which Paul would be a phenomenal mentor to him). Give me that ALL DAY LONG over a signing of KCP and Klay with our cap room.

I think for where we are and what our identity is, this is clearly a player our team would have picked, and I think we would have taken Da Silva even if Dalton K was on the board. It's Fran's game but for the 2nd unit. We still need a PG. I expect we go after one in Free Agency unless we think Anthony Black is ready to take that next step (which I don't think is the case yet).

Was thinking we had a chance at him too. Highest ceiling at this point in the draft. Makes sense that OKC would also be interesting.

I have to believe that teams are starting to sign players assuming a giant bump to the salary cap upcoming. Or it could just be the Knicks are crazy as they have made both big deals the last 24 hours. Lol

Mikal Bridges for FIVE first round picks to the Knicks. Holy cow - the cost of a great player is way too much in this league.

Unrelated to Magic items (because we don't really go to the NBA side here in the forum), what does everyone think about the JJ Redick hire for the Lakers? Personally (and you might have guesses it from my profile pic), I've been calling for JJ to be a head coach for YEARS. He needs some elite assistants next to help him, but he's one of those guys who can both motivate guys (great passionate speaker and mentor) and is just a really smart basketball junkie. Like the hire of Dan Campbell in Detroit, I think JJ is going to be a really, really good coach that will surprise a lot of guys, even if there's certainly truth to the fact that a strong reason he got hired is also because LeBron likes and respects him.

Agreed, but I just don't see us trading any notable assets for PG. He's opting in and then we're trading some 1sts. I just don't see us giving us much to disrupt the locker room.

If we sign Paul George to a 4 year max deal, do we have enough cap space to sign Paolo, Wagner, and Suggs to their expected high value deals while having enough money for good role players? I don’t see Magic ownership, with how poorly Amway has done the last few years, looking to splurge into the luxury tax notably. My gut tells me PG doesn’t align with our timeline and we’d rather not hurry our timeline, bet on our young homegrown nucleus, and sign them at the right time.