2023 NBA Free Agency Thread

[CTMagicUK 1,489]

10 minutes ago, TreyMachine said:

If this is the rest of our summer, I would consider it to be a successful off-season. Ingles / Williams / Wagner as a second unit brings tons of energy and high BBIQ, which is what you want in a second unit.

Plus locking up Fultz and Anthony at non-outrageous pricing for the future as growth happens would surely be a success. But with how money has been thrown around this off-season, I just don't see either settling as one more season of growth and the Magic making the playoffs could boost their stock. 

Very good point on Fultz/Anthony. Cole in particular I can imagine trying to play out the year to improve his stock.

[orlandoholic 135]

As of right now, this is our roster 

PG: Fultz, Anthony, Black

SG: Harris, Fultz, Howard, Harris (Two Way)

SF: Wagner, Ingles, Houstan

PF: Banchero, Isaac, Okeke

C: WCJ, Bitadze

 

looks like we are healthy for the first time in a while too. So it’s going to be tough for these rookies to get minutes. I think we have to package some of these players and add an upgrade to this roster. 

Also i’m on the Valanciunas band wagon. He’d be a great veteran for this team. 

[CTMagicUK 1,489]

9 minutes ago, orlandoholic said:

As of right now, this is our roster 

PG: Fultz, Anthony, Black

SG: Harris, Fultz, Howard, Harris (Two Way)

SF: Wagner, Ingles, Houstan

PF: Banchero, Isaac, Okeke

C: WCJ, Bitadze

 

looks like we are healthy for the first time in a while too. So it’s going to be tough for these rookies to get minutes. I think we have to package some of these players and add an upgrade to this roster. 

Also i’m on the Valanciunas band wagon. He’d be a great veteran for this team. 

Missing Suggs, is he supposed to be where Fultz is at SG? 

[Jon 30]

9 hours ago, jmmagicfan said:

Jon, I respect everyone's right to their own opinion, but damn, I don't think I've seen a positive post or opinion from you yet, man. If you're that negative about the roster, the management, and everyone else's opinions, why are you here? Do we need to start calling you Debbie Downer? In all seriousness though;

1) When you have this many young players, many of whom can be "loaned" to the G-League affiliate, I agree it could be difficult to find everyone playing time. So maybe Black, Howard, and Houstan all spend some time in Osceola, or maybe they just work in practice learning habits from veterans like G Harris, Ingles, and to a lesser extent, Fultz, and WCJ.

2) Considering how many "player injury games" we have lost over the last few years, having extra young talent for depth is a benefit. Also, if they're all competing for minutes, nobody is getting complacent - everyone keeps working to earn their minutes. Plus, if guys do get injured, they can spend time down in Osceola when they are "ramping up" playing time for their return - like Isaac and Okeke did for a bit last season. 

3) We don't know yet that the front office is done. Currently we seem to have a roster full of guys that can switch and play/guard multiple positions. That's not a bad thing, either. I expect that they will try to bring back Moe Wagner as well, and I wouldn't be surprised if they give Kevon Harris at least a training camp and/or 2-way contract again. Doing both would bring us up to 16 players - you're allowed about 20 for training camp. Once you get to the season you get 15 on the roster, and I think with the new CBA you get three 2-way contracts for a total of 18 players. We will probably still see some action on the free agent and/or trade market before we get to opening day. 

4) We don't know if Isaac is going to be back healthy - if he isn't, I would not be surprised to see them release him. He is "only" guaranteed $7.6M until 1/10/24, if they cut him before that, the remaining $9.8M can be used elsewhere. We are currently sitting at 14 players (counting Black, Howard and Ingles) and just barely over the league-mandated minimum of $122.4K. If we sign Moe to about $3.5M, that still leaves us about $10K under the cap, in a great position to trade with someone needing to cut salary, or as a third team to grab additional assets. I personally don't think we are done, and my bet is that they do move a backcourt guy or two to try and balance the roster a little more evenly. I could see someone doing a trade to free up space and take a chance on continued improvement from Anthony, Suggs, or a healthy Okeke. I can see a path to a trade involving G Harris for a SF/PF who might be getting similar numbers but making $4-5M more, with the other team throwing in a top-20 protected first. With the new CBA and the (extremely) punitive 2nd apron, I think there may be some trades to be made that would both better balance the roster and bring additional assets. 

I do think that the front office moved a little slower rebuilding this roster than I would have liked; but, we also have to think about where we were when they were hired - over the cap with few prospects to get better. I would have liked to see Payton, Vuc, Gordon, and Fournier all moved sooner than they were, but sometimes the moves just aren't there, or the return just makes you worse without actually giving you a path to improve. I think they have done a reasonable job, and have (with some luck) put us in a position to really make another jump this year. I think G Harris needs to be more active without the ball, running off of screens to find open shots (a la Reddick), I think both Anthony and G Harris are a little undersized to play the SG, but I think with Gary's improved health and if Anthony can improve his shot selection/play less "hero-ball", we can definitely expect to see some improvement from that position. I think the game was starting to slow down for Suggs near the end of the season, he seemed to be playing with the same drive, but less frantic. I think Moe is important to bring back for several reasons beyond the obvious connection with Franz - he gives us additional backup for the PF, where we've had health issues with both Isaac and Okeke; and he gives us a faster backup at C than Bitadze. Also, he definitely plays with more attitude than most of our team - Ingles should contribute that as well. 

Fultz/Black/Suggs

G Harris/Anthony/Howard

F Wagner/Ingles/Houstan/K Harris (2-Way?)

Banchero/Isaac/Okeke

Carter/Bitadze/M Wagner(?)

I don't think this is a championship roster yet, but I definitely think this is a playoff roster; and with a few more tweaks and internal growth, I think we could surprise a lot of people this year. 

It’s a log jam. You’re admitting that in chapter 4.

For chapter 1,  I disagree that sending guys you drafted 6 and 11 to the g league is a good thing.

BTW I’m not negative. I just don’t think some of y’all seeing the potential disaster that awaits if we don’t make a move with this log jam. There are two sides to a coin and y’all are rationalizing one. Awesome but don’t forget there’s another side and it’s one I’m afraid we might be headed towards.

 

 

 

[Luke_FfS 249]

I could understand that at every deadline there’s a little deception with the lack of big moves, but after FO doubled on their strategy on draft day (adding two young rookies when there were doubts about having so many young players in the roster) hoping for a big name now was honestly quite an illusion.

I’ve been sometimes critical of the path chosen by the FO (not sure we’ve enough TOP talent to build with that “wait and see” tactic), but at least they’re consistent in what they do, and that last move is in line with that. I actually would like them to be more active in other periods of the year, but in recent season skipping the FA period is actually a good decision, everytime we see a lot of crazy money spent that teams will regret. Market has been like that for free agents recently, so stay quiet is actually a positive in my mind.

Ingles is a smart addition that check a few boxes. There’re also concerns for age and recent injury, but with the kind of contract we signed him, there’s absolutely no risk, so I’ll consider it a positive FA move by management. Looking forward to eventual extensions and other decisions.

[All Eyes On Me 1,213]

31 minutes ago, orlandoholic said:

As of right now, this is our roster 

PG: Fultz, Anthony, Black

SG: Harris, Fultz, Howard, Harris (Two Way)

SF: Wagner, Ingles, Houstan

PF: Banchero, Isaac, Okeke

C: WCJ, Bitadze

 

looks like we are healthy for the first time in a while too. So it’s going to be tough for these rookies to get minutes. I think we have to package some of these players and add an upgrade to this roster. 

Also i’m on the Valanciunas band wagon. He’d be a great veteran for this team. 

We gotta add a vet 4. Injury prone behind Paolo is an understatement 

[CTMagicUK 1,489]

2 minutes ago, All Eyes On Me said:

We gotta add a vet 4. Injury prone behind Paolo is an understatement 

I'd like us to, as my post earlier suggests, but we could also slide some guys up a position in a pinch (Ingles to the 4, AB or Jett could play some 3 minutes)

[TreyMachine 398]

8 minutes ago, All Eyes On Me said:

We gotta add a vet 4. Injury prone behind Paolo is an understatement 

I'm still convinced that Grant Williams would be perfect, but I just don't know if we're going to want to shell out the money to pay him. 

[All Eyes On Me 1,213]

8 minutes ago, CTMagicUK said:

I'd like us to, as my post earlier suggests, but we could also slide some guys up a position in a pinch (Ingles to the 4, AB or Jett could play some 3 minutes)

Yeah, we could play Bol and Moe at the 4 too but I don’t think it’s a winning recipe. I like the idea of Grant I guess if the price is right 

[All Eyes On Me 1,213]

Jaxson Hayes to the Lakers

[Jon 30]

33 minutes ago, Luke_FfS said:

I could understand that at every deadline there’s a little deception with the lack of big moves, but after FO doubled on their strategy on draft day (adding two young rookies when there were doubts about having so many young players in the roster) hoping for a big name now was honestly quite an illusion.

I’ve been sometimes critical of the path chosen by the FO (not sure we’ve enough TOP talent to build with that “wait and see” tactic), but at least they’re consistent in what they do, and that last move is in line with that. I actually would like them to be more active in other periods of the year, but in recent season skipping the FA period is actually a good decision, everytime we see a lot of crazy money spent that teams will regret. Market has been like that for free agents recently, so stay quiet is actually a positive in my mind.

Ingles is a smart addition that check a few boxes. There’re also concerns for age and recent injury, but with the kind of contract we signed him, there’s absolutely no risk, so I’ll consider it a positive FA move by management. Looking forward to eventual extensions and other decisions.

The FA to me was exactly how I figured it would/should go. My issue is how the roster is currently constructed if no trade is to occur along with the potential disaster that could happen with an FO that spends a lot of time evaluating when they should be proactive.

[orlandoholic 135]

50 minutes ago, CTMagicUK said:

Missing Suggs, is he supposed to be where Fultz is at SG? 

oh yeah.. Thank you