The Close Up with Keith Smith – Magic Trade Deadline Special
All right all right all right welcome back to another episode of the closeup a part of the Orlando Magic HQ network uh we got a great show today we have one of my favorite guests who’s I’ve had on the show of my old generation this is the
First time with Keith on on the new version since I’ve joined HQ uh Keith Smith what’s going on Keith how you doing today I’m doing great yeah happy to be here with with you and I’m glad we uh found time to make this work yeah yeah we are recording this on Monday
January 15th um bright and early for the for the people living on my side of town the West Coast uh it’s 8:30 for Keith it’s 11:30 the magic play the the Nets later today on Martin Luther King Jr day um so Keith again thank you for taking
Out the time for those of you who are not familiar with Keith though I imagine you are if you were nerdy enough to listen to my show um he’s got a great daily podcast mostly I think it’s more like five days a week possibly Monday through Friday the front office show
Where they break down all the the transactions and rumors and latest goings around the league which is great I listen to that most days as well um and then he’s a contributor for spot track with all the cap stuff and and contracts and and those types of things
And I’m sure we’ll get into all that but if you’ve read If youve ever clicked on that website and clicked on an NBA player you’ve probably read Keith’s work so uh that’s the way I like to look at it um before we get into the conversation with Keith I just want to
Remind all of the listeners of a few things that we have going on at HQ um first off our Instagram subscriber program it’s been going off we’ve been getting a few new uh subscribers the last couple of days so shout out out to you all but if you don’t know about it
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Out and then finally um we have this podcast is sponsored by bet online um the playoffs are in big action right now uh and the NBA is in full swing bet online has you covered with all the up to top to the second odds news and scores with the additional odds lines
Trends and information on both desktop and mobile you can access the world’s best wagering information anytime um sports betting is a little bit challenging for me out here in California so bet online is where I go uh it’s a little bit easier for Keith over in Florida I’m not sure Keith are
You using bet online or are you using other platforms or do you not Sports bet yeah I’m not a sports Gambler I I keep keep my money in my pocket that’s the smart way to do it that’s that’s really the smart way so I I do the same since I
Simply can’t most of the time but if I choose to I would use bet online um head over there today to get into into the action and see all the updated odds remember to use promo code believe that’s B A V believe to receive your 50% welcome bonus on your first deposit bet
Online where the game starts and yeah we’re also part of the believe podcast Network so all right Keith we got all that out of the way now we can talk some Magic basketball um before we get into the trade stuff and and and listeners that’s what this show is going to mostly
Be about is kind of the trade season and how that shaping up uh Keith is a local to Orlando uh been you know he’s he covers the league in a wide way but you know he does get to see a lot of closer content with the magic and and and go to
Games and cover them when he chooses to um Keith the magic are 21 and 18 uh they obviously had the strong start to the season they hit the injury bug really hard recently um just in general how are you feeling about this team this season and also kind of like in this moment
Yeah for the season great step forward season for the magic I think we’re all looking for them to give us signs of we’re ready to turn the rebuild in a different direction right toward towards more positive towards winning less about development development still there of course they’ve got so many young guys
But really let’s start seeing results that that are positive in the standings and they get off to the incredible start unfortunately over the last comat been been a month or more because there’s been at least one key guy out it feels like every game if not multiple key guys
And that’s caught up with them a little bit the depth is I I hesitate to say the depth is bad or it’s not there it’s just very young and unproven for the most part so what you’re seeing is a guy like Anthony black who I think the team’s
Hope was if he forces his way into the lineup it’s because he’s great and he made it past a bunch of guys but instead he’s playing lot because we don’t have anybody else at the guard position so you have to play a lot so in the long
Run it’s probably going to be really good for Anthony black and good for the magic but right now in the short term it can be kind of messy at times and and and I’m only using him as one example of several you know they starting Caleb Houston and chumo KK recently like
That’s no that’s nowhere where the magic thought they would be at any point yeah and it and it’s it’s definitely cost them some wins and the like what’s good is they haven’t like gone through a free fall it’s not like they’ve been on a 10 game losing streak and now they’re under
500 and they’re down around the 9 10 11 12 range and fighting for the playing tournament they’re still right there to be a top six team heck they were only a couple games behind the Cavs for a top four seeds so they’re they’re still very much in the mix and and that’s
Encouraging that it’s even though they’re going through this rough period which should eventually pass will knock up wood lightly so my dogs don’t go bananas um but we should get there eventually with them so that that part of it is is encouraging that they have yes they’ve
Slipped but they’re still kind of did they’re hanging in there I guess is the best way to put it over the last month or so yeah that that makes a lot of sense and I want to touch on a couple things you you mentioned there you you
Talked about how this is not a development year for the magic and and I agree to an extent that this is not development year where it’s like we’re forcing certain guys to get playing time that shouldn’t be normally if they were like trying to win um you know we’re not
Forcing jet Howard as frustrating as some fans are on the court to just you know play 25 minutes a game or or whatever um you know the magic team is trying to win but I have said this in a few you know a few states that you know
We are now developing for Paulo right and the best way for Paulo to develop right now is to get to the playoffs and learn what that is all about same with fron and Suggs right you know we’ve started to establish some of our core guys um you know there there’s two
Different types of development uh and I think the teams have to get to those stages organically and I think you know the team is doing what they’re doing now but I I truly think the best way for this team to develop at this point is to
Get to that playoff um you know or or playing however the season lays out you know but they got to get to those high pressure games where where it’s The Season’s on the line you know and and that’s sort of uh sort of where I think that like the next best stage of
Development is for this for this team um you’re right though Keith like we are playing guys at bigger roles we always talked about this depth on this team uh you know at least magic fans coming into the season I like oh it’s so much better
Than it used to be and you know from game five we we had uh two guys that were on on the third string of the bench um Anthony black and Goa baz entered into the starting lineup for for 20s something games until um you know wend
Carter has been back in and out of the lineup a little bit you know Markel Fitz just got back and we’re seeing how coaches integr ing um that so far Anthony black hasn’t been out of the lineup because folz came back in but that’s who black came in for initially
Was was Marquel folz so it’s been really interesting to see the you know coach get a little bit more experimental and and use his roster differently than I think he planned um what has been some of your takeaways from coach Mosley so far this season compared to like the last two
Seasons yeah I would say there were these signs in the last couple years where the team played hard under him the last couple years no matter what uh the situation was which is that’s always a good thing right they they were let’s call it what it is they were a teral
Team two years ago last year they played much better after the first third or so of the season when youo chocking you need guards in the NBA right surprisingly and all of ours were broken yeah I you know as much as I love Paulo and France I don’t love them as the one
And the two that was you know in these ridiculous lineups that quite frankly they really had no other choice so it is you know it in again some some respects I would say that’s making you know taking lemon lemons and making lemonade because follow and Fran’s got a ton a
Ton of on ball reps which certainly helped them was it super messy yeah it was super messy because you’re talking about a three and a four doing most of your primary playmaking but they got a lot out of it this year now you’re seeing some of the stuff where it is all
Right getting the guys has to play hard getting guys in the right spots those are all still there now what you’re starting to see is some game management stuff to your point some creativity I think the idea of over the last what’s it been about a week and a half or so of
Let’s put Suggs more on the ball in the point guard Ro somewhat driven out of necessity but Cole Anthony’s still there the easy trigger would have been just put Cole in the starting group and we’ll we’ll move forward that way but I think they’ve hit a point where it’s calling
Anon’s best role for this team in particular and probably in my opinion his best role period is as a high usage six man and that’s that’s sometimes people take that as like a criticism of a guy and I always point to Jamal Crawford and Lou Williams had like
20-year careers as high usage six men like there’s no reason that it’s a bad thing good teams have players like that now kind of is in that role I mean granted he his team’s now but before that very competitive teams with him there those yeah Malik monk plays that
Role for the Kings who who are a pretty good team right now so yeah there’s a lot of guys who who that’s the role they fill and that’s that’s just fine so I I think that creativity to say you know we’re going to go with some different
Options right now and and I think a lot of it would for Jamal Mosley especially over the last couple of weeks has been let’s see what we got in a couple of these guys and to your point if this was a full scale Development season still we
Would see jet Howard playing 25 minutes a night because why not right plug them in there and just see what it looks like but instead it’s Caleb Houston and chumo KK and the opinion of the coaching staff are they’re a little bit closer to helping us win games today so or maybe a
Lot I don’t really know where they’re fully at with jet Howard but so that’s those are the guys we’re going to play and we’re going to move forward with that so that that becomes the interesting stuff and now you’re seeing this game management skills come to
Shine where it is all right we’re trying to actually win so I can’t just let Paulo play through follow trouble because if he follows out who cares it doesn’t matter right now I’ve we’re I want him in there in the fourth quarter so I’m going to sit him and I’m going to
Try some different stuff I thought going to bad uh versus going to Mo was kind of an inspired Choice there again leave Mo in the role where he’s super comfortable invaluable as the energy big and all the things he brings to the floor that way
So I think all that stuff is showing all right this guy came in right away with the he’s great with people he’s going to be good with the kids he’s going to make them work hard but now you’re seeing he’s more than that as a coach he’s
Actually a pretty good game coach too and a pretty good uh navigating the ups and downs through a season which that to me is that becomes for where the magic are going almost more valuable because now it’s now you’ve set the tone ofy if you don’t work here you’re not going to
Be here you’re you’re just or you may be here but you’re not gonna play and that those things are now that’s established so now it’s all about all right that’s great you did that but that’s only going to take us so far how how can you get us
Even further and I think he’s done a great job with that he’s definitely I I was pretty critical of him in many aspects over the last couple of years not that I was like calling for his head or anything but just like you know the the areas of calling out areas of
Improvement and it’s great because granted you know that the team has taken a step too but it’s like he came in as a rookie and I’ve gotten to see him grow as a coach too you know coaches grow too they don’t in as polished products ready
To win the bring a team to a finals you know and in year one they have to grow as well and and you’ve really seen that with with Coach Mosley too had sorry to interrupt you but yeah it’s it’s like we everybody’s like hey Paulo might take
Two three years to really figure it out but for some reason we’re like coach better have it down game two like you had a game what’s your problem now right and it’s like and that’s not a magic thing that is a League wide thing every team’s fan base feels that way you you
Know I used to I’m a Celtics guy because I grew up in Boston but I used to cover them dayto day up until this season and covering them dayto day through the EM udoka experience followed by the Joe Missoula experience one was very much the same stuff people were like how does
This guy not get it and it’s like because he he’s he’s in his first year as a coach and he’s only got 20 games under his belt and then in Missoula it’s like well he got the job like a week ago where are we where are we going with
This so sorry you but yeah I mean that’s it is funny how that is like a very much a consistent fan thing around the NBA of like the coach better figured out way faster than the players and yeah he probably should but it still takes time
To learn how to coach too and let’s be realistic with Moe he wasn’t coaching under the best circumstances in his first couple years out like we touched on last year was like hey guess what you’re going to have to figure this out and you don’t have anybody who’s
Dribbled the ball more than three times consecutively than their life like good luck coach you know see see you see you in a few weeks yeah yeah you know who who’s going to look good in that situation I was actually going to bring it to the Joe Missoula aspect on how
You’ve you know you’ve seen that firsthand as well from from your perspective from the Celtics years um it’s yeah it’s it’s been fun to see him grow um it’s fun to see him actually have like a competent roster that you know granted the last two three weeks
Have been a show with with injuries um it’s gotten it you know it was manageable up and kind of to till about fron rolling his ankle and then like in the Sacramento we started like there was like a you know a cold or some sort of bug that’s been going around the entire
Team um thankfully though like when we played the heat the other night um on Friday that the magic got Mark hel fultz back and Joe Engles back they rested them on the back toback with OKC uh but they brought Jonathan Isaac back that game and now today when they play the
Knicks they’re starting to get some bodies back all three of those guys are expected to play and be in the rotation today with Jonathan Isaac Mark Holz and Joe Engles that second unit really thrives with Joe Engles kind of being that secondary ball handler which I
Think you know allows Cole to be his best self even more having someone to help you know like I describe it like this Keith like the front the the the starting lineup has a lot more uh people that can make decisions with the balls in their hands where the second unit has
Like one or two of those guys and then people that can make a a you know make a it’s more catch and shoot more you know cut to the basket but less playmy as as the front the starting lineup has but now that we got Joe back it’s it really
Helps mold that second unit around a bit and helps such a good passer right when you watch him dayto day like yeah he’s just it’s people focus now especially at his age on all the things he can’t do yeah and because of that they miss all
The things he does do like and that was when they signed him I was like all right it’s a little bit of an odd signing the amount of money they gave him sure but you had to spend it on somebody and my thought was hey if
That’s hey we got to overpay you a little bit to get you I was like he because a lot of people like well he’s never gonna play I was like oh he’s gonna play because he’s GNA be a stabilizing Force when he’s in there just because of all the different stuff
He does and that’s been that has been great to see because to your point yeah now it doesn’t all fall on Cole’s shoulders of all right you got to figure it all out man like you got the next eight minutes of game time and it’s you it’s still you like you’re still going
To be kind of the primary guy here and we’ll see and I think one adjustment I think I want to see Mosley make and we’ll see when if this team’s ever fully healthy or at least mostly healthy or whatever their kind of final form looks
Like is and I think it’ll come is when you’re playing the really big games against really good teams which are kind of your playoff proxies and what it might look like in the postseason staggering pooll frons a little bit more yeah where one of them like to go back
To Boston one of the things Missoula does and he’s kind of this was a brad Stevens thing that carried to eeme carried over to Missoula is Tatum or brown comes out about six minutes into the first quarter and then the other one basically finishes out the first quarter
Or very close and then the other one comes in and then they they get about six minutes or so to themselves you know what I mean when I say to themselves tot kind of keying the second unit and then they close out the half together um for the final six
Minutes and that’s what I would like to see mosle go to a little bit there’s a little bit too much of still too many all or almost all bench lineups for me where once you’re into the stage of we’re trying to win games and I think it’ll come because the rotation will
Naturally shrink a couple guys who are getting 10 minutes a game we just won’t get any and that’s where you do but that’s where I’d like to see him stagger that out a little bit more with Paulo and Fran just cuz we’re to the point
Where those are the two best guys on the team one of the two of them should probably be on the floor at almost all times yeah no I agree with that too that’s a that’s a sentiment I’ve I’ve said on this show a few times now um and
Will continue to say as well like he staggers him a bit can he stagger them even harder um and and and as you mentioned you know right now he’s playing a 10-man lineup sometimes 11 man sometimes he’ll sneak a guy in there for like six minutes and and you know when
We get to that last quarter of the Season Maybe even sooner when the playoffs you know standings really start counting for this team that should be in the playoffs um you know hopefully he’s narrowing it down to a solid 10 or ninan rotation and we see that staggering a
Little bit harder we saw it more last season um I think that was a little bit out of necessity though just because of of injuries and the like a lot of lineups just being weird I mean you know it’s like you can’t we learned pretty
Quick that bu ball was not the option um and so like you had to stagger them a little a little bit more uh last year but but I agree with you 100% on that Keith I’d love for him to to push it even harder in that envelope with or
With that area in in with with with fron and Paulo a little bit more they had a lot of success with that last year and and I think they can bring it back this year even harder but I think that’s probably like a second half or type of
Move that he pulls you know even maybe the last third of the season is is when we might see that um it’s yeah we’ll see I’m excited for it it’s going to be really cool to see him like get aggressive towards the end of the season with his rotations and see how that
Plays out I’m looking forward to it Keith so um the the main topic uh and one of the reasons I love tuning into your show you break everything down so well um you know I actually didn’t get a chance to listen to yesterday’s show unless you maybe you didn’t put out a
Show yet but you know we had a we had a trade yesterday with with yeah we haven’t done it yet we’re going to record a little later this afternoon that wasn’t like emergency Worthy you know yeah that one was was was that was a couple tiers under
Needing to jump on the mics on a Sunday afternoon especially when like we’re both running around doing stuff on the weekends all that holiday weekend you know probably not probably don’t need to do an emergency podcast uh on a trade between two of the worst teams in the
League so be before we get into like magic specifically uh specifics on on trades and rumors and potentials and all that stuff how is this trade season shaped up so far um between you know like the floodgates are like kind of opened earlier in December with I think it was
Like December 18th or the 8th or whatever when when uh a bunch of people were trade eligible and then just yesterday um a a bunch more were eligible guys that resigned contracts with their same teams like for the magic that would be a mo Vagner being eligible
To be traded not saying he’s going to be traded but he’s now eligible to be traded um you know today so just in general how’s this how’s this landscape of trade season shaping up in your opinion it’s really interesting uh trade market this year what’s happened over
The last few seasons is the Advent to the play in tournament more teams are alive longer usually by the time you get to J the beginning part of January middle of January certainly by the time you get to the trade deadline in early February you’ve got about almost a third
Of the team that the third of the league that’s kind of like all right we’re out of it like let’s rep prioritize for the rest of this year over the last couple years instead of being a third of the league that’s been like four or five
Teams because teams are still kind of in there like good example last year’s magic they made such a good run that it was not necessarily the place to be like all right let’s start selling off pieces like they did a couple years prior when was for and Vu and all the guys got
Mooved when that was just a okay the read on this team is we’re not going to be good enough let’s start moving guys this one was a spot where or or last year especially was so many teams were in it so now we’re in a spa where this
Year is starting to shape up a little bit differently we have had some truly terrible teams this year we’ve had San Antonio Detroit Charlotte Washington Port yeah Portland yeah so so we’re getting CL it’s not it’s not gonna be a third but it’s probably going to be more
Like seven eight teams that are sitting there and you may have a couple teams that are kind of hanging in the fringes of the race that then look at and say yeah not for us not where we really want to be not what’s best for us as a
Franchise let’s move like you could still see Toronto say hey we’re taking a step back the rest of this season but it’s in hopes of being able to take a big step forward next year and get back to the level we’re used to being at Atlanta is in the same boat Atlanta
Might by the time we get to the trade deadline it might be too far gone for them to make a trade to save this year so you might see them make a trade where it is hey this is designed the rest of this year will be what it’ll be and then
We’ll go Memphis is a perfect example of that I mean the wheels have come off for them injury-wise they’ve got more guys hurt than than aren’t hurt right now it’s ridiculous and it’s like every starter and you know key player that they have has some kind of injury so for
Them I think it’s yeah we’re really rep prioritizing and saying it’s over this season like this year is done we’ll figure it out so that’s going to add to you had that amount of teams two there’s got to be probably I know off the top of my head talking to teams around the
League seven eight teams that are like we’re in it we have a chance so now you’ve got a third of the league is or maybe even slightly slightly less but in that range that feel like yeah we’re in it then you have teams like Orlando that are if we’re being honest probably not
Title cont contenders this year but contenders to play important games all the way through the season and into the postseason so for them making a trade it is probably not the time and then we’re probably stepping on a future topic here okay but it’s probably not the time to
Make the soul Allin trade and here it is we traded all our picks and we did everything we had to to you know go all in it’s probably a year too early for that but a smaller trade where it is this establishes us as a playoff team
That’s important to them and that makes sense so those are the kind of different tiers you have of teams and to me that says we’re going to have a really interesting trade market I’ll also add I think we’ve got teams that are very unbalanced rosters meaning we’ve got
Some teams that they’ve just got too many forwards other teams have too many guards other teams have too many bigs and not enough playmaking or whatever it may be and I think we could even see some te some trades where it’s like the Orlando of the worlds trade with
The uh who’s it like a Dallas and I’m just I’m picking that out of thin air sure but hey we’re just doing a little bit of a rebalancing trait we need this and then you’ve got it you need this and we’ve got it it’s it’s not going to impact probably ultimately where either
One of us finishes as far as we’re now a finals favorite or anything but it helps both of us firm up what we are because you’re trading from a position of strength and so are we in we we’re a good match I think we’re going to see
Some trades like that too which have been somewhat uncommon in the NBA over the years where teams are basically it’s always almost always the typical good team is trading with bad team because good team offers draft picks young players to bad team bad team offers win
Now player we’re gonna get some of those too don’t get me wrong but I think there are the potential exists to have some more rebalancing type trades as well as we go yeah it it it’s interesting too because you have you know some big big teams that are clearly going to make
Moves like you know the the Lakers are going to make a move there’s tons of Buzz around the Warriors that are going to make a move um you know there’s there’s the question mark teams like you were mentioning you mentioned Toronto I’m gonna throw out Chicago out there
There’s that’s still a the a big question mark on how they’re gonna act I don’t know so much about teams in the west which ones kind of fit into that question mark Utah is a team are kind of looking at their great right now but the question is they’re kind of going to
Have to make the decision of is this really sustainable are we playing a little over our heads you know right now in the moment totally you know we’ll see where that goes because it’s it would be very Danny AED to say yeah we’re in the playoffs right now but it’s we’re just
Going to get bounced so I’m gonna move guys and get draft picks and we’ll figure this out instead so we we we’ll see but yeah they’re that kind of team and then and then there’s a few teams you know as you were mentioning wanting to make the jump like you know like the
Kings have been in that that like they want to go from we’re a playoff team to we’re we’re you know take that really next step and and push for for top team in the you not top team but to be a more competitive team at a higher level so
I’m looking forward to to all the noise we’ve we’ve had a few moves already which is really exciting um just just to because any move is a fun move even if it’s minor I love thinking about the Detroit move yesterday and what that meant for them no not on the Marvin
Baggley contract anymore and and there’s bigs in the rotation but now they have these other vets maybe it’s maybe it’s veteran stability for them like I I I well I’ll get my geek out when you release your next episode on that trade but that’s like you know that it’s it’s
Fun it’s exciting trades are great um I I want to think about the magic for a second right so um it’s it’s interesting because you know the magic have done the this front office I’m I’m trying to phrase my thoughts correctly this front office has been in in town
For the magic kind sevenish years now I forget the exact year they showed up but they’ve been around for a little bit and they’ve done a trade every single year they’ve been around the first trade was moving Victor or um Alfred pton um you know I think that the year after that
Was uh James Enis coming or or maybe that was the year after that I’m not exactly sure um but they they’ve done something every single year whether it’s moving a guy that they didn’t see a part of their future for you know some sort of draft asset coming back um or or
Something a little bit more uh fun like getting going and getting Marquel Foltz or the big one where they blew up the team they’ve done something every single year um and so first off I think my My just My overall thought that I want to
Get out to to the magic Community is I would expect a trade I don’t know how big and I don’t know how small but something will happen because we have you know sevenish years of evidence of it happening um I think when I I I look at this magic
Team we have a lot of Like I don’t want to step on on on what you’re going to stay in but like we have a lot of tools that we can use for our advantage right now and I do think I am in alignment with you that I’d be surprised if they did the big all-in
Move where they’re trading multiple picks and players to get that Third Kind of solidified star um for this roster right you know Shoring up the point guard position or or the center roll or something like that or just getting another really great two-way Wing player uh to to add
Into the lineup so I don’t I agree with you I don’t think that’s what we’re gonna see but there’s that doesn’t mean we’re not going to see something and I think what we do see is probably going to be pretty exciting um I have my
Thoughts on this but I want to pitch it to you first when you look at this Magic roster what what kind of draft or sorry what kind of trade assets do you see um being at this team’s availability right now for for them and this deadline and
You know even even going forward to an extent we can talk a little bit about how these are applicable to the to the offseason as well yeah it’s funny because you kind of foreshadowed a little bit when you said draft and then change to trade because draft assets are
Part of this for the magic right they they have all of their own first round picks they’ve got that extra Denver pick that’ll come probably uh next year I think that’s the first year they can get it in the the baring disaster I’m pretty sure Denver’s not going to be a bottom
Five team um so they’re going to get that so I would say of their draft assets outside of the trade where it’s like hey we threw a second round pick in to grease the skids that happens every year with multiple teams I think that Denver pick could move because I think
If you’re the magic it’s one where if a team’s like hey we got a sell we got a first round pick for player X in this trade in addition to whatever the matching salary is you could trade that pick because one doesn’t really hurt you because you’re you have all your own
Picks nothing prevents you from doing anything else and now you move that one and it’s realistically it’s going to be somewhere probably in the bottom five picks of the first round so you kind of toss that in as the little extra you know in a trade um there if that’s what
They want to do but as far as players go there’s a lot more tradable guys on this Magic roster as far as ease of trading not saying they will trade them not saying they want to or anything like that but just ease of trading guys they don’t have a single bad contract that
They’re sitting on nothing even approaching a bad contractor pretty much the front office has done such a good job with it I didn’t mean to interrupt but it’s like you you that’s one thing a lot of people like magic fans can get scared of is oh you know they’re going
To do something that that hurts us I’m like where’s the evidence of that because they haven’t done anything that hurts us contract wise they’ve been so smart with with how they’ve done this in even the ones where it’s maybe they they they paid a little more um for for a guy
Than what we thought they kept it to like one or two years or with a club option on the second year exactly and I like I like to call those pseudo expiring contracts cuz they’re not really but they might as well be so even then they’re protected or they do the
Non- guarantees they love a non- guarantee on the end of a contract so I think what’s important there is that just makes it very easy and they a ton of contracts that are sitting right there in that sweet spot it doesn’t do great to have a whole bunch of dudes who
Make three or four million because in order to make any significant trade you have to put like four of them into a trade in a four for one trade in season it’s just hard to pull off you don’t have the extra roster spots that means guys get waved it just gets very messy
To do something like that but what the magic have is they’ve got a bunch of guys that make between like n and 15 million which that’s sweet spot so you could basically take almost any two guys and get to 25 30 40 million if that’s
Where you need to be and you’re in a really good place with that they are also miles under the luxury tax so bringing in some extra salary and trades for some teams that might be a little harder they might be like bringing on five extra million this year that’s
Going to put us right at the tax or even over the tax the magic don’t have to worry about that so these are all the positive things for if they want to make a trade now as you start going through the players you start looking at and
You’re like all right folz 17 million expiring Harris 13 million expiring Eng Les I don’t think going to go anywhere but 11 million pseudo expiring because he’s got that team option on the next year uh same thing with Mo Vagner he’s eight million but got the team option
Then you have Isaac 17.4 million and his contract’s fully non- guaranteed you even have a guy like chumo KK at 5.3 million that’s that’s just a nice piece to be able to throw in if you need to get something over the top where I know the last week and a half he’s been
Starting but in general not a rotation guy right he’s somebody who’s at the back of the bench and is kind of out of it so that’s where I think they’re well positioned if and when they feel ready to make a move they can make a move and
You could kind of do it with trading away a handful of those guys I just ran through not that they’re bad players or or anything like that but they are they’re guys you they’re not core rotation guys because in the case of like Isaac and folz they’re just not always there so
Yeah they’ve clearly learned how to get byy without them so if you could move them in a trade to get somebody who’s much more St available a stable player like that and has a better health track record that’s feels like almost an upgrade without without saying man but
We had to trade away player X who plays 30 minutes A Night to get there because that’s just not where they’ve been with these guys so that’s that’s also sounds weird to say it because it’s almost saying like injured players who aren’t available lot what a good thing to have
But it’s almost like if you could twist it a little bit as far as trades go that is a kind of good thing to be be in position wise yeah man you said a lot right there that that resonates well with this team um you know breaking down
Kind of movable players we have right now and whatnot I I do think that it’s premature for Isaac um just guar like he could be moved I’d be surprised if he would be moved they seem so um they so seem so invested into him on a different
Level uh than they would someone like Markel folz not that they’re not invested Markel fultz but like Isaac has another year on contract plus when you think about like Elite skill sets and how Isaac still does like help us so much um and when he’s out he’s come back
Relatively quickly like this is the longest stretch that he’s missed this this season was was 10 games um there was another time he went out was back within a game or two um and so it’s like I think they want to see him a little bit more throughout this season and and
Maybe next year is the year they might move on from him uh but his skill set is just so hard to replace but you’re right he’s never available and he has like 17 million on the cap sheets they they could uh use that if needed and and maybe maybe that’s like the offseason
Guy that they throw into a big trade where a team is wanting to like take a flyer and see if he can finally be stabilized healthwise you know long term and get them into his rotation um I’m making this up just but I think this this illustrates my my thought process
On this quite well let’s say because I don’t think this is where they’re at so I don’t want anybody getting crazy with this hypothetical guys yeah let’s say they were like Zack lavine’s the dude right we gotta go get Zack LaVine if that’s where the Magic’s mindset is they
Are not going to let Jonathan Isaac be the stumbling block to getting sure this is not we’re just not there anymore right it’s it’s just we’re too far down the road of all right what are we GNA have them for 50 games maybe on the high
End in the year and what’s that going to look like so I think it’s just we the mindset has changed I believe with that of yeah we’re not we’re no longer like where once this dude gets back because it’s like we when when tell me when that
Will happen and then you will all be fully bought in so I think I think that’s the slight difference I don’t think there I don’t think Jeff welman wakes up in the morning and starts calling the other 29 GMS and is like what do you want to give me for Isaac
What do you want to give me for Isaac I don’t think that’s the case but I think again let’s say was and the reason why I’m using Zack LaVine is it’s a big salary you need to send out big salaries so if your if it was I need or Pascal seak into that
Situation Chris Paul right I need you know I’m I’m I’m you going I’m going big game hunting after one of these guys then yeah then you have to offer bigger salaries to get there and I think that’s where it becomes all right if Jonathan Isaac is the cost of that because I
Think the other thing the magic can say at this point is look we did our best like we did our due diligence we tried and I don’t even think the magic are going to worry too much about man if that dude blows up like with team teamx
That we trade him to wow we’re gonna look stupid because I think they’re gonna be like hey we we did everything we could you know we gave it our best shot just didn’t go down that way so I think that’s that’s where I’d like to always kind of clarify the difference
Between we’re openly calling and shopping guys every single day versus when it when it gets down to it because the reality is the way the NBA trade rules work you have to send something right they’re not sitting $40 million under the salary cap or it’s just bring
Us your guys and we’ll go like that’s not a thing anymore so so that’s just that that’s why I like to kind of clarify that with some of their guys because I I I saw some of the reaction of Mark Stein’s reporting and some of the reaction to Jake’s reporting is the
Magic don’t leak they don’t they don’t call people that’s just not how it works like yeah I don’t think Jeff welman’s calling reporters and saying hey can you put it out there we’re shopping Carter and folz I think what’s probably more likely is happened is they’ve had a
Conversation with some other team and then other team was like yeah you know we were kind of talking Orlando about Carter or fs and that’s how that kind of comes back around to that I’m not gonna say I know for certain that’s how it happened because it’s not my reporting
It’s not my original reporting I I would I would I I I’m just I’ve been doing this a long time I’m kind of putting pieces together of that’s where I think this probably kind of came down is that’s probably kind of how it’s going so I just I think people get so caught
Up in yeah we can’t do this last piece they’ll say just as a trade deadline kind of rule I have is whatever amount of Untouchable players you think you have on your your roster it’s way less if any right like it’s it’s way less because I know magic fans will say
France Vagner is Untouchable so if the San Antonio Spurs said we’ll give you Victor wanyama for France Vagner you’re saying no you’re not right like they there is every player in the league outside of this is where I think people feel a lot of ways about Bill Simmons
But I thought his old trade value where it’s like if you’re first on the list you’re the most Untouchable player in the league you would only ever get traded for number two if you’re number two you don’t or you would never get traded if you’re number two you’d only
Get traded for number one if you’re three it’s only two or one and and even that is an imperfect way of ranking players by trade availability because yeah there there are certain teams like like is LeBron Untouchable yeah right there’s no realistic world where the Lakers are trading is Jason Tatum Untouchable yeah
There’s no realistic world where the Celtics are trading him Luca but there’s probably if we really sat down and what there probably 10ish guys like that in the entire NBA and that’s probably on the high side now Untouchable what I like to tell people is you better blow
Us away and you better be way overpaying and get real stupid that and realistic you know yeah like fron is not Untouchable but the things that would have to happen to move him are probably not going to happen anytime soon you know because they’re not going to happen
In a way that makes sense for the other team or more importantly that makes sense for the magic right we’re not in that position Paulo obviously in that exact same boat and I think there’s a couple other guys that are probably in similar type discussions there but it’s
Just I see way too many people are like n man this guy’s Untouchable in trading it’s like like he’s your like eighth man like it’s no he’s not Untouchable like would I be surprised yeah I’d probably be surprised if he gets traded but let’s not get a little too crazy with some of
This stuff you had mentioned it uh you know just a few moments ago about about Jake and Mark let’s let’s get into that for a moment so a little bit earlier um I think about a week ago now Jake fiser did a latest like you know updating on
His Intel on rumors around the league um and we could even mix in fols depending on how you want to break this down um Mark Stein yesterday had his trade report go out um uh Jake fiser mentioned that you I’ll quote it too wend Carter
Continues to be a name that a lot of League Executives talk about as a potential trade candidate this February being that Goa Paz has done a phenomenal job uh starting for Orlando Mark uh Mark Stein quote um you know a shorter quote Orlando is said to be exploring the
Trade market for guard Mark Hult to is playing on a 17 million expiring contract um when when you hear those and you kind of mentioned it earlier you have like what are you taking away from those from those quotes and do you actually think there might be something
There that that might happen this season I think what happens in trades quite often is let’s just say we throw the salary matching rules out the window but let’s say the magic called the Spurs said hey Isaac for one Bama in this spur say no and then the magic could they
Wouldn’t but they could leak hey we tried to trade for Victor wanyama right like sure we we had conversations about trading for him yeah the conversation lasted a second and the answer was no and the Spurs hung up and blocked your number and you can’t ever call him again
But like that’s that’s what happens sometimes I think when you start getting multiple reporters talking about a guy like Carter and I think Jake’s phrasing was interesting where it’s multiple League Executives that’s probably other teams are either doing one of two things either they’ve had some conversations probably likely clearly hasn’t gotten
Very far because we’re not we haven’t seen a trade nor have we gotten a like that’s the AUM Kings Trade like that was obviously got pretty close to be reported the way it was and then it didn’t happen we we’re not even there we’re not even at that level right right
So I think what there probably is is a big part of these guys jobs which especially at this time of year is you’re talking to somebody every single day about something and it could be as simple as a team called and said hey what would it take to get fron and the
Magic like it’s gonna take a lot you don’t have enough and there’s nothing we want from you okay well what about Carter oh okay well what are you thinking right and then that could be a way where then that comes out is yeah we had some conversation about wend Carter
Or it may even be just you know informed speculation of and bad’s played really well and they got Mo Vagner do they really need Carter anymore could he be a guy you can go get because he’s not sitting on a $40 million contract he’s makes a very reasonable salary so so
That’s where it’s it and then I think with fults it’s kind of a combination of that and some of the Isaac conversation we had of are we ever going to get him on the floor for enough games where we say yeah he is part of the core going
Forward I think we’re kind of getting to the point where that ship may be may have sailed and if not we’re like like a cruise ship making the like hey you better get on because we’re pulling out a port announcements a little bit because I just think that’s where we’re
Going and part of it driven with folz is he’s a free agent after the season we’ve heard nothing like and I haven’t heard even The Whisper of potential contract extension or anything like that so that tells me again I don’t know that they picking up the phone and calling the
Other 29 teams you want fols yet you want fols yet I think it might just be hey what are you looking for or hey we think you might be looking at a guard you we’ve got some like what where you at like let’s have a conversation and
That’s probably where where it kind of comes around to because I think they’d be Anthony’s a little harder to trade because of the poison pills so that kind of takes him semi off the table and then I I think they’re probably with Jaylen SGS in a spot where it’s h probably not
Right that would have to be a much bigger trade um for us to even consider that so I think that’s how we get there with guys like Carter and Fs personal opinion I think it makes a lot of sense to explore the trade market for both guys just because I think there
Are salary-wise and they have proven to be fairly replaceable in a reasonable way um I I think we’re in a spot where yeah we could see a trade that makes a lot of sense um for the magic where it’s maybe it’s the two of them together a deal
Maybe it’s separate deals I don’t know we’ll see but I do think it’s it’s different than like a year ago where it’s like H what are we gonna get out of this right now it could be yeah we could get somebody who could really help us
Step forward I think the big thing for the magic is you you threw cakam out there and we’re just kind of throwing out unrealistic dudes you put cakam out there if like for let and he wouldn’t make sense positionally or any that other stuff does not make sense but I
Also think he doesn’t make sense because they are not close enough to go trade for yakum and say he’s going to lift us into finals contention if he just walks who cares he did what he had to do he he did the kawhai Leonard for us that
Kawhai did for Toronto they’re not close enough to that so it has to be a deal that makes sense for not only the next four months five months of this season but for the year after and probably the year after that so that’s where those
Are the kind of guys I’d be be looking at there sure now that makes a lot of sense I I I think the magic you know coming into this season I’m going to shift a little bit away from marel Folton and wend Carter I mean they might
Come back up in conversation as we land This Plane here in the next you know 10 minutes um is I look at the Magic in a sense to be able to to to help teams that want to get under the cap right we do have a lot of Team like
Players on expiring contracts where a team might need to get under a cap move a player to help get them there um also a team might not want to resign a player like a buddy heel type situation where it’s like they know they’re not going to
Bring him back next year most likely the magic like hey let’s see how this works and if it works out maybe they would like to resign him in a situation like that yeah that’s a great example of a two teams in a similar place right making a trade that one of those almost
Rebalancing trades right where this helps both of us so that’s a perfect example of a guy you could Target the framework of a trade that myself and I’ll give a shout out to my friend Malik Grady um who’s really active in NBA like Twitter xor um is that you you have Gary
Harris who’s probably not going to be on this team next year um and then probably we mentioned him earlier chumo KK who’s played really nicely so far in this like little stretch but he’s also mostly sat at the end of the bench most of his career outside of this this little stick
Like segment here and you know you can just kind of see like he’s he might be an odd man out and so when you you put those two guys together plus the Denver pick and shoot maybe a second rounder or two or something like that but that
Could be a framework for something there you know that that those two guys on on their contracts get you about $17 million there’s a lot of guys that could be available around $17 million that gets you and gared I’m gonna throw names out there I don’t know if any of these
Are realistic but kind of guys I’ve been like oh that could be something you know is is Buddy heeled as I mentioned there’s the Malcolm Brogden in the world I get you into that salary range uh Gary Trent Jr in in Chicago he’s becoming a free agent do they want to keep him
There does him and his or Toronto yeah sorry thank you do they you know does he is is their agent interested in a change of scenery too does this make sense um is he a more like and like I don’t think we’re gonna see like I think the type of
Guys like you mentioned earlier are like better versions of a Gary Harris right that are that are maybe higher volume three-point Shooters and better better like Health like consistency for this team Maybe maybe it’s not like the two-way player he is like if we get buddy heeled but his offense is so much
Better than Garry’s right um and or something like that or like Gary Trent Jr again I don’t know if this is something the magic are even thinking but if they were to get him a healthier higher volume Gary Harris you know similar playing style but healthier and
Higher volume um you know and with the magic they need a little bit more volume from three they don’t have a single guy that averages more than like four or five attempts they could use someone that in that seven eight range of attempts from three and and those guys
Are kind of hitting that check what are some names around the league that you think the magic should uh or magic fan should like be interested in not saying we’re gonna go call these guys and or any of these trades are going to come to tuition like listeners please know this
Is all hypothetical between me and Keith I definitely don’t have league in sources around the the league and I’m sure Keith isn’t going to break any news on this podcast if even if he has in like sources so I’m gonna I’m just gonna like preference that for our listeners
What are what are some Frameworks and and some types of names that you think potentially could be on the Magic roster at the end of this deadline yeah let’s do let’s do some reckless speculation right you know but that’s the fun of this right that’s that’s part of the fun
Of this whole whole time of year so you mentioned a b you hit on a bunch of the names there so I the one I really like for the magic is Malcolm Brogden just because I think he feels a a number of needs he can also be if if you have a
Better guy in front of him he’s proven he could be a high value six man uh it gets a little bit messy with him and Cole but you could probably figure that out and he’s got a little bit more size there too though yeah a little bit more
Size yeah he’s a uh little bit more of a playmaker as far as he can be a pretty good passer he’d even be somebody where like I know you mentioned kind of the Harris oiki package Ork um I would probably think about that might be one where I think about fols yeah just
Because like that like one two you get BR for next year on a very fair number I don’t have to worry about what am I gonna do with marel folz in his next contract because I think that is a potential to just get very weird out
Where that could kind of go because I’d be terrified to lock in for more than a couple years uh for Marco folz at this point just the track record of availability is not there so brogen’s a guy I love for this team full disclosure I love BR for like 12 other teams too
Just because I think Portland’s gonna move him but go ahead and no I just want to say for magic fans this is not like a long-term move this is like a hey he could help us for the next couple years kind of move right and and and maybe
When this team is contending he’s probably not on the on the roster it’s like a either not on the roster or he’s on the roster in a lesser role on a lesser contract right exactly think Al Horford with the Celtics right now right really still a key important player but
He’s his numbers come way down that’s probably where we’re headed with a guy like Malcolm Brock as opposed to jumping into the Z LaVine Waters or something like that couple other guys who come to mind I think a guy like Luke Canard could really help
The magic and I already said it I mean Memphis might benefit from just hey these two guys actually can play like they they they can put sneakers on and get on the court it sounds a little weird because the magic have their own injury issues um but you we we could
Definitely see something like that if New Orleans wanted to do a guy like Naji Marsh that’s a very easily acquirable deal because he’s almost on a minimum that’s somebody who makes sense we I think Gary Trent Junior’s probably about the only guy from Toronto that I would really be
In on because a lot of other guys you’re starting to get too much duplication on the roster with what you’ve already got he gets messy if they wanted to Target a guy who I think can really play could help them right now guy like Javon Carter makes next to nothing for the
Bulls and he’s actually with the amount of guards the Bulls have he’s not playing very much and he’s somebody who could come in and why I like him is one he’s he would probably be right up there uh with Suggs as far as one of the best
Defensive guards um around and that you know Jamal Mosley would love all right deal with this for the next five minutes right like I’m gonna put these two guys on your ball handlers and good luck um he’s also very good off ball like he’s a really good spot up shooter and that’s
Where I’ve said this on Twitter the other day I’m very cautious with Orlando going too all in on a guy who is going to take the ball out of Paulo and Fran’s hands too much I don’t want the I think you can benefit from a little less from
The two of them where they’ve got to create everything but I don’t want it being hey you’re relegated to the corner for the next three minutes of game time and that’s where I think you got like Brogden could really help I think a guy like Carter could help um those are you
Know some of the ones you mentioned Trent I think is just he’s a good fit for a lot of teams who knows where Indiana’s goingon to go but like TJ McConnell like God the fans would love him because he’s just he’s such a pain in the butt to to go against and that’s
A huge compliment just because of the the way he plays everybody’s GNA be kind of looking at like Portland like what can we pick off there um San Antonio the the San Antonio’s challenges could Doug mcder help the magic yeah probably but that’s the kind of deal that you make at
2:30 on trade deadline day where it’s like all right yeah we’ll jump in we’ll grab a guy like him or Jetty Osman and we kind of go the Carter trade’s probably a little bit more in that vein uh the Pistons there’s just not great matches there Alec perks but again
That’s probably there you want to go a little bit bigger somebody like buam bogdanovich could really help this team just with his creation ability yeah and you probably put him on the second unit kind of like a biger yeah and that name’s been thrown around a little bit
For for with with magic Community too um bdan bogdanovich just you know another guy who I think could help this team I’ve seen some magic fans I’ve had some of them ask me like should they be in on dejonte Mari I don’t hate it right that’s the kind of that’s the kind of
Bigger is move I could probably get behind because he’s on a really good good value contract going forward I think he’s the kind of guy who um he compliments uh fron and apulo and lifts them without taking away too much from them I don’t love it because he’s just
Not great off ball so that’s where that part’s a little messy him and sugs if sugs shoots it the way he is capable of and spurts that becomes more consistent I feel a lot better about it otherwise you’re just a little too stressed with shooting uh there out of your back court
So I don’t hate it though especially if it was like they were trading fultz in that Denver first for Mari yeah sure all day like I don’t know that’s enough though right then then that’s where it does it get a little too sideways right are we like hey but if you could get
Mari and bogdanovich and it’s full it’s the Denver first and we throw in Gary Harris and I don’t know jet Howard just is kind of you want a younger guy to take a shot on those start to feel a lot more like all right that I can kind of
Get behind you know those kind of moves so those are kind of the guys I’d be be looking at it’s not I know some people and I’m sure you get this all the time covering the team and I know some of the other people who cover the team are like
Every day it’s Zack LaVine like why are we not going to get Zack LaVine I just don’t know that that’s perfect because if you do Zack LaVine that’s it yeah we now locked in for the next two three years this is the roster right yeah you can always make other trades and do
Stuff but it really is we traded most of our trade Capital to go get them as far as matching salaries in the like and now any chance of cap SPAC is out the window and where this is it right this is this is this is what we’ve got if you believe
Zack LaVine can be that guy and I do feel the discourse has turned too far on Zack LaVine where people now it’s like people are like he stinks he’s not even good at basketball it’s like what are we doing like this he’s still one of the
Best scorers in the game like this guy is still a very good player is he do his contract a little worrisome sure but it’s not it’s just gone way too far in my opinion I agree so that’s where like yeah I mean you could make a move like
That and go get him if you really wanted to because I think I mean it’s sounds like you’re kind of down to it could be something like folz Isaac and okk and you’re there matching salary-wise and it doesn’t even sound like you’d have to
Give up a lot of picks but you gotta be really sure that Zack LaVine is the guy to lift us to where we want to be over the next couple years and there’s not something else out there that you feel like is a better move because once you
Make a move for a guy like LaVine you can’t make that other move now now that that’s out the window and and then you have like the fit question a little bit too he’s really like high usage that’s going to take a lot of you know a lot of
The ball out of Paulo’s hands and also you know he’s never not really been the the best player on a team so could he come and and and be cool with with with like this still being Paulo’s team and you’re you’re second to him to an extent
Right and if not third right even exactly like I think I think you’d plug him in now one thing I will say LaVine is pretty he he is better than he gets credit for as an off ball guy like he is a pretty good off ball shooter so I if
If we’re sitting here three weeks from now and the magic have traded for Zack LaVine unless it gets stupid and this ront office is not going to do that they’re they’re they’re good I’m not going to be like killing them where like oh my God they ruined everything I just
I I I just don’t know that that’s the move feels too soon it’s probably there in the summer too you know I don’t really going to get moved this this deadline like it it’s there’s so little teams that have the ability to match salary um and then again there’s too
Many teams like us where it’s like a do we want to lock ourselves in right now that that that’s probably an offseason like acquisition in my opinion whereas a guy like Murray makes half what LaVine makes so you’re not really you’re not locking into anything where it’s like oh
Gosh move that contract so much easier yeah I’m going to throw one more makes half of that just in terms of length so that’s even easier one to swallow so yeah I think it’ll be more of a smaller move yet still impactful in terms of contract and length and all
Those things I just I just don’t know that they’re ready to make the Allin trade right now totally I honestly there was a world where I was like for a little bit there he’s kind of playing pretty well and I was like man they need more depth go get Chris Paul because the
Warriors could probably do something along the lines of all you know what we just need to take a swing at adding depth so we’ll take folz and Harris and if I was the magic it’s like yeah it sucks giving the those two guys up but
Chris Paul if it is like hey he come in there for two years this year will’ll guarantee his deal for next year and then if it’s not working out guess what now he’s a $30 million expiring contract we could flip next season if we needed to now that he’s
Hurt 2025 which is a great free agent year yep yeah now that Chris Paul’s H I’m kind of off that because I’m like I just you know another hand injury for this guy like where where are we going with this but but there was a point in
Time where I was like that’s even a kind of move I could make because again it’s not an all-in move you’re not locking in anything beyond the next year or two no I no I agree um if he was healthy I would be a little more semiopen to that
I just have a hard time with Chris Paul in general um but but yeah maybe you know he’d get he’d help this team get to where they’re trying to go yeah he’s a floor riser for sure he’s good yeah I mean you may like Paulo may want to
Punch him in the head by the end of the season just because he’s been screamed at every day but you know I’ll say DeAndre Aon got Chris Paul came and DeAndre immediately started playing the best basketball he’s ever played totally yeah and that’s you know Chris Paul’s
Not Chris Paul anymore he not the point God anymore but he makes people a lot better pretty good but yeah but now I’m off that just with the injury yeah no me too um one last thing I want to throw at you just because I’d be uh in trouble
With the magic Community if I didn’t bring this name up um is is uh uh gosh and now I’m spacing on his name um the point guard in Washington tus uh tus Jones tus Jones Thank you thank you um he’s been linked at I have my questions
About it like I was really high on it in the beginning and then I’ve like I’ve slowly come down on on him um as a Target I’m not anti it but I’m not like in love with the idea what are your thoughts before I give mine on on tyus
Jones if you could could God it sounds like I’m picking on marel FZ here and I and I hate that because because I want I think any point guard coming in means you have to move fults going out as much as a good story as fults is yeah that’s
My opinion I’ll say magic be mad at me right my ideal world would be tomorrow Marquel folz wakes up and he’s like holy cow I’m fully healthy and I’m going to be for the next 5 years and the magic just lock in and they’re happy and we go cuz I really like
Barels but be we don’t live in fantasy land even though we’re right down the road um it’s it’s uh I I am very much in the mindset of if it was like folon maybe the Denver pick but ideally maybe folson a couple seconds done go get tyus Jones cuz
One then you get you’re going to get his Bird right so you have the leg up on resigning him which is really good if if if it fits and it works and the way it is and I think he’s a guy who would really come in help stabilize the
Position he’s a pretty good player he’s he’s he’s not perfect by any means but he’s a pretty good solid player he’s going to help you he’s reliable he’s a guy who’s just he’s available every night pretty much and and no one’s going to be like oh my God you know start
Planting the parade down orange a no one’s going to do that if you trade for tus Jones but you’re just going to be in a position where you’re a better team than you are today if you go get him so yeah I’d be all over that now I’m not
Going nuts I’m not trading one of my own first round picks or multiple first round picks I’m not giving up any one of the younger players in a deal for him and I’m sure Washington would be like okay yeah matching salary and Anthony black like give us that I wouldn’t do
That that doesn’t make sense to me I’d even be hesitant to do jet Howard just because you just invested a good first picking at him so I would be but yeah if it was like folon a single pick again I keep kind of throwing the Denver pick in
There and it’s not it’s just because it’s an extra a lot of fans are throwing that pick in I’ve even thrown in the the we haven’t even talked about it the the the sort of weird Phoenix Suns pick that we kind of have um that’s I mean that
Pick is so protected in like a bazillion different ways it probably won’t convey but it’s like you know it’s sort of there um my worries with javante Carter is not that he’s a bad basketball player is that he is another 61 guard and we already like just committed you know 30
Something million dollars to to Cole Anthony and like the same size um and and he’s due for you know he’s a free agent this summer so Javon Carter or sorry not Javon Carter tus Jones I yeah I meant tus Jones I’m having a hard time with his name today it’s like thousand I
Made you record early yeah I’m I’m thankful for it so tus Jones is you know he’s he’s like 61 well Cole yeah you know Cole Anthony is is that same size we just paid us you know a point guard that size you know an extension with Cole Anthony um is that
It’ll help us in the regular season I I wonder how it helps us in the playoffs when you know you have two 61 guys on the floor potentially at the same time during certainment over and over you know I want if I’m tra for a point guard I
That’s why Malcolm Brogden I know he’s got a little bit of you know not a little bit he’s got some injury issues you know over his years too but you know he’s like 6’4 65 at least with a plus Wings span you know can guard a couple
Positions and and honestly last year and this year he’s been really healthy like he had a little bit of a thing with his hand at the end of last year but he’s not missed a large chunk of time in a couple of Seasons now it’s been a game
Here maybe three or four games there but then he’s back so um yeah anyways that’s kind of like i’ be all over Malcolm Brogden dude yeah that’s I’d be all over him can get him yeah and it’s it’s just one where feels like he’s pretty acquirable it’s not going to cost you an
Arm and a leg to go get him and I the bit my my biggest takeaway that I would say that I want like magic fans to know is I trust in this front office to make the right decisions I just I they’re just they’re not going to make the
All-in trade where when I sit down to break it down I’m like what did you do what happened like what was the thought process here I there may be a move where I’m a little like huh that’s interesting but I’m gonna put my faith in sure it’s going to be okay like I’m
Sure they’ve got a plan and a a vision for where this is going to go I just I trust in what these guys do and how they do it I think we’re the track record is now too long this is not one season where we kind of tore the team apart and
Then you know went forward from there and and now it’s like they’ve done that part of it now it’s about adding pieces to keep things moving forward uh for these guys and I think they’re going to do it in a smart responsible way I don’t I don’t think we’re gonna see them go
Youo Bonkers over ah let’s go go get like they’re not g to trade a bunch of stuff for KY kosma because it’s yeah KY kzu scores 20 points per game right they right that’s that’s that’s the old magic not this front office and that takes on a national level people years to think
Differently about a team where it’s like this this just isn’t the same team I I’ll leave it with this go get some form of shooting for the love of God thank you like I I just I can’t yeah it’s starting there are times when watching their games is like watching the MBI I
Grew up on in the 90s just at a faster Pace like they don’t just walk the ball up the floor but the results are become the same a lot in a lot of these possessions where it’s like there’s also too much good offense that they run that
Ends in a clanked jump shot yeah and it’s like I i’ I’ve started at the point where unless it’s Gary Harris four times a game maybe or fron Vagner I just don’t really trust that it’s going in when the ball swings to somebody Caleb Houston I’m starting to believe a little bit
More that’s real this he’s been great exactly yeah I’m happy to see it’s funny because I saw someone say the other day like Caleb Houston needs to calm down no he does not because that’s what you do I don’t think magic fans realize how little volume we shoot of threes when we’re all
Healthy right we’re not we’re like the lowest in percentage and lowest in takes and like just getting up the takes up will help the percentage up if the shooter’s decent right um the yeah I don’t want goab baz take a 10 threes game starting tomorrow which is weird because what the
Pacers tried to make him when he came into the league and it’s like that’s certainly not what he is at all but yeah I I want and it doesn’t mean like I want Paulo dribbling into you know contested 30f Footers with 20 seconds left on the
Shot clock I don’t want that either I just want you know there’s too many times where I think they’ve they they probably lead the league and it’s not an official step but record scratches where it’s like you were open but you hesitated to beat too long you didn’t
Take it now you dribbled into something contest and it’s like just give me the guy who’s like I’m I’m open enough I’m going to let it fly like let’s let’s go and that’s that that’s what I want to see I don’t mean to laugh when you said that
Scenario but I literally yell at the screen every single time I see that multiple times a game and I’ve been yelling at that same play for like years you’re wide open at the three yeah you’re driving into the pain where there’s three of Defenders right there
Yeah you said it when you said it’s years like it’s been years of that same so that’s why like there was a yeah I’m going back probably close to a month now like they came up the floor in semi- transition and um I think it was Cole
Drove pulled in the defense kicked it to Anthony black in the corner and he just shot it no hesitation I was like yes just shoot then like not even two or three minutes later same almost setup same scenario they threw it to him and he missed the first one so he hesitated
On the second one and then the defense caught up all the rotations were there you just either shoot it or go shoot it or put put your head down and and go and kick it back or whatever it is but yeah I just there’s there’s a little too much
And and I’m picking on the rookie some who he’ll learn figure it out figure out he’s not the only one Paulo does it still France does it still there’s even times when like Gary Harris will do and it’s like dude you’re the vet on the roster like you’re the one we want to
Shoot like you know I can’t tell you how many times I’ve I’ve uh our mutual your buddy Phil Rossman Reich been like good God would Gary get more selfish please like yeah like I don’t even want you making the right plays anymore take a couple contestant three-pointers because like
You need him just to open the floor so yeah if you could get like a buddy hee who’s he’s never not open enough to shoot yeah make it happen Brogden it’s funny I I would love the magic fans going through the same thought process that Celtics fans did with Brogden he’s
Shooting motion I can I I compared it to he looks like he’s trying to throw a medicine ball through the hoop with a torn rotator C like it’s just it’s painful and it’s slow but it works you know it works it’s effective it goes in
He he he’ll shoot that way from 30 feet you know it doesn’t you know it doesn’t bother him like he he makes them so it’s it’s just funny because the first few times you see it you’re like oh God is there something wrong with them like what what happened and then eventually
You’re just like now it’s just how he shoots I kind of going back a little bit you remember Kevin Martin had that extreme wind up like that’s it’s it’s not like that but it’s just one of those weird motions where it’s like how does
That ever go in but it does so you I would kind of welcome that too so big thing though I trust front office to make the Right Moves and I trust that the front office is to to what you kind of started this whole thing with they’re gonna do something they’re not just
Gonna St pad and sit on their hands at trade deadline because it’s just not what they do yeah they’ll do something it’s probably in that like middle tier that we’ve talked about um you know maybe maybe the most minimal thing I could see them doing is is potentially like dumping
Gary Harris for like a couple seconds just to give like a a Caleb Houston more run with his volume because he’s kind of been filling in pretty nicely there um you lose a little bit of Defense a little bit of playmaking with Caleb but you get a lot more flame flame throwing
Offense from him you know so which is really cool with his three-point shooting but and just they miles under the luxury tax I could see something where it is hey all right we’ll take on player X in a trade just because because we can and we’ll get a second because
That I mean they’ve done that but I mean feels like they made 10 of those trades with the Celtics alone over the years it feels I mean and you know what sometimes you look at those trades and you’re like yeah who cares sometimes those trades
Are Mo Vagner and then all of a sudden you’ve got a guy who’s a rotation player for you and you’re like hey all right so that’s why I don’t I don’t handwave away any transaction no matter how small it is unless it’s like they got this guy
And immedi in the same tweet where W says the trade W says they’re going to buy the guy out then I’m like all right this was only about getting a pick like let’s not be silly about this but if the player sticks on the roster I’m always
Open to might be something more here so totally it’s just yeah but yeah they’re going to do something and it’s and it’s probably G me something we like yep I like it they good I can’t wait to to hear your podcast episode when you break down the magic trade and they trade for
Uh you know our guy Malcolm Brogden with his weird with his weird shooting motion that is shooting 41% from three right now so just magic fans out there be open-minded even despite his injury history let’s let’s let’s get some good on this player you know I I forget who
Uh uh Chris Vernon you know he’s like you just want good players on the team right like the rest will get figured out you want good players on your basketball team yep so um Keith we we talked about wrapping this around 45 minutes but we’ve now gone an hour and 15 minutes so
30 minutes over but uh I I I I think this is like the norm when you come on the show you know at least an hour plus um thank you so much for taking the time out of your day um magic fans again thank you for tuning in you can find
Keith Smith at Keith Smith NBA on on X or Twitter whatever platform you name you want to use I have I’ve kind of transitioned to X but I still say Twitter on these uh on these shows um Keith uh you know I I said in the beginning your front office show in spot
Track but is there anything else you want to plug before we say our goodbyes no we’re there man yeah front office show this is the time for us if you’re interested in what we just spend an hour talking about that’s what we do every day not usually an hour’s worth but it’s
Usually somewhere in the half hour to an hour range and we go through all the latest news and notes around the league and just get into all of it and this is our time of year because we do a lot of this stuff and we joked about it before
We didn’t do an emergency podcast with the little Pistons Wizards trade but like when the um the the uh ogn and Obi trade went down we jumped on the mics within an hour or so of it and broke it all down live and he got into it so
We’ll do that we did when Kevin Durant get traded last year at 2:30 in the morning Eastern and we we jumped on the mics and went live I’m not going to guarantee that’s gonna happen because sometimes I am asleep and out didn’t done but it happened to still be kind of
Awake and we we we got into it so yeah this is the time to run off show and then over on spot track I will no matter how my if the magic make a tax avoidance move to help another team I will have a write up on spot track we’re going to do
A write up about every single trade uh that happens between now and the start of the off season or start really we’re just going to keep going because we’ll do it in the offseason too between now and the trade deadline every single trade that gets made we’ll have a write
Up about it just explaining what we think the thought process was for either team and where they may go from here yes sir all right well magic fans make sure to tap into Keith he’s killing it uh I mean you you seriously you’ve read his work and you probably don’t even know it
Um on spot track if you’ve ever like Google search player salary uh or or like team cap space you know it’s either spot track or I’m not GNA mention the other website but that it’s always like the top one and you’re you’re clicking on it and you’re reading at the very end
It says you know Keith Smith at the bottom that’s that’s him so uh honestly check out his show it’s great I really do enjoy it I’m not just saying I listen to it I I listen to it probably at least three days a week so um check it out and
Uh you know let’s tune in for this magic Nicks game later today which you guys probably won’t listen to this by then I’m not gonna have it live by then but let’s go magic peace Keith thank you so much um yeah Man
Trade Deadline Special!
In the latest installment of The Close Up podcast, we’re thrilled to have Keith Smith of The Front Office Show and Spotrac joins the show!
This episode is all about the Magic trade deadline. What assets, and players the Magic could have at their disposal. What kinds of trades might make sense for the Magic, and what to take of the latest trade rumors on Wendell Carter Jr, and Markelle Fultz.
This episode is a must-listen for basketball enthusiasts and Magic fans alike. Don’t miss out!
Also, explore the exciting new Orlando Magic HQ Subscription program on Instagram.
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7 Comments
I enjoyed listening to a mature, high-level talk about the realities of the current & historical Orlando Magic & NBA trade marketplace. Keith Smith has a lot of knowledge to share- instant X follow.
Luke Kenard is a sniper from three but we'd only be adding to the walking wounded potentially, he rarely sees the floor because of injuries
Malcom brogdon i think will be good, good pg can shoot 40% from threes and plays defense
Great video
Ok, I've listened to 1:10 minutes of this episode and dude just showed that he hasn't watched a damn magic game all season. His 2 examples "this year" that he trusts to make a 3 are Gary and Franz. They both have been awful this year.
excellent interview
There was a 10 minute stretch where you just kept going on your rants. Its insufferable when you don't let the guest/expert talk. Good lord