Trade Deadline Tour: Orlando Magic’s goals | Is Malcolm Brogdon the right fit?

Trade Deadline Tour: Orlando Magic’s goals | Is Malcolm Brogdon the right fit?

We are coming up on the trade deadline just a couple weeks away and everything is happening except the Orlando Magic standing still we’ll talk about what the magic have to think about and do as the trade deadline approaches plus it’s stop one on our trade deadline tour we’re

Going to talk about Malcolm Brogden on today’s episode of Locked on Magic you are locked on Magic your daily Orlando Magic podcast part of the locked on podcast Network your team every Day and you are indeed locked on Magic today is January 24th 2024 my name is Philip Ros R the expert and site editor over at orlandomagic daily.com course follow me on Twitter Philip rror OMD on today’s episode of lock on Magic another one of the magic standings neighbors

Makes the deal we’ll talk about whether the yourand new magic must make a deal reiterate what their goals are and dive into at least one of the favored targets my favorite Target at least for trade deadline day we’ll talk about Malcolm Brogden on today’s episode of lockedown

Magic but before we do that we want to thank you again for making lockdown magic part of your day every day no matter when you listen to us whether it’s th the morning whether it’s right when we upload we truly appreciate you making locked on Magic part of your day

Every day remember there’s a great locked on podcast covering every single team in the NBA just search for locked on and the team you’re looking for the lockon podcast Network it’s your team every day today’s episode of lockon magic is brought to you by fandle make every moment more right now new

Customers get $150 in bonus bets guaranteed when you place F A5 bet visit fanduel.com lockon to get started Tuesday was a busy news day in the NBA um yeah had trist Thompson getting suspended for 25 games for ped use we were his last game before that suspension took effect um we got uh

Adrian Griffin getting fired by the Bucks Doc Rivers maybe being hired by the Bucs but being the front runner uh and kind of slipping under the radar little bit um was the on top of this the day after Joel embiid scored 70 points in a freaking game which is just

Insane um it’s hard to do that in a video game let alone uh to see it done in an actual game um but slipping under the radar of all that was yet another trade among team teams in the middle of the Eastern conference after Indiana acquired Pascal

Seam after the New York Knicks quired OG and anobi the Miami Heat did their deal and I think we all suspected they were going to make a deal because they’re not having this season they thought they would have the Miami Heat acquired Terry roier so that means the team sitting in

Fifth in the Eastern Conference New York dicks the team sitting in six in the Eastern Conference the Indiana Pacers and the team sitting in or sorry the team sitting in uh uh I’m blanking on correct standings here um the team sitting in seventh in the Eastern Conference the Miami Heat

Uh all have made trades that ostensibly make them better meanwhile the magic since their win streak ended they were 14 and five they’ve gone uh nine in 16 since then that is a 30 win Pace uh meanwhile the Magics have slipped down the standing so two and a

Half out of Chicago in eighth a game and a half back of Miami and Indiana for seventh and sixth the magic seemingly are starting to lose grip and starting to lose contact with these players and I think that there has been at least among fans a sense of the magic have to do

Something um and and and and that they that this group that they have while fun while very very tight is it going to get the job done and may not even get the job done this year I’m I’m a little more skeptical on that I we all know that the

Easiest part that this is the most difficult part of the schedule the magic faced a lot of injuries they’re starting to get healthy again they’re going to you know they have a really tough next seven games heading into the deadline but um but there’s every reason to

Believe that this team is going to write the ship and the schedule certainly sets up for them to pick up the pace again and put themselves in a position to pick up a seed line which would potentially put them in six and avoid the plan all

Togethere I am not one for panic I think the magic are fine but undoubtedly their competition is doing move is are making moves to make themselves better and as much as we’re thinking about how do we build a championship team and how do we break into the Milwaukee Boston Philadelphia

Group that’s really all on how good Palo and France eventually become how good poo banero and fron Vagner eventually become the magic also have to State their place and have to find a way to get into that group with New York Cleveland Miami Indiana eventually they

Have to beat these teams they have to better than these teams in the standings we are seven games away from the trade deadline um and I will say this unequivocally as well these seven games are going to go a long way to determining what the magic ultimately do

Uh I have said this from the very very beginning I will continue to say this this is continuing to be my trade deadline Philosophy for this team the magic are not interested in quote unquote saving the season this is not the season that matters what matters for

This season is to play these meaningful games to see how good this team could be to get them used to winning and winning pressure to get into a playoff series get their butts kicked probably um but to compete in a playoff series all that this season’s about those goals and

Frankly at the beginning of the season I thought this team would be in the n910 game I think most of us felt that they were likely going to the play in tournament if they did make the postseason the magic essentially are on are on expectations and in line for what

Everyone thought they would be at the start of the year um so I don’t think well I think that this team has shown us they can be a whole lot better and there’s been significant slipping and I’m not excusing that let’s keep that part of the thing in perspective that

This team has come a long way already this team has gotten better but I can also agree that this group on its own is not enough the magic will have to make trades they will have to make moves they will have to make themselves better and whether that comes at the trade deadline

Or in the off season the magic have to improve uh and the magic have to find ways to make this team better and so yes the trade deadline is an important period it’s an important time this this franchise this team is transitioning out of the talent collection growth and development phase

Of a rebuild and moving into the we’re actually trying to win phase and those are two very different phases um the magic I think certainly can no longer take more than one risk on injury-prone players um you know Marquel folz was an experiment and in a lot of ways it

Worked and in a lot of ways it hasn’t Jonathan Isaac eventually became one of these injury-filled experiments and it’s okay to have one of those guys but at the end of the day where we’re at is you can’t rely on them consider consistently and again it’s not anyone’s fault injuries are random but

That’s the reality of the situation the magic need more frons vogner who play every game and frons probably hated sitting out the eight games that he sat they need more poo BOS who yeah he’s he missed what 10 games of his rookie year with the sprained ankle but that dude is

Playing through everything you know they need more guys that are going to be available and contribute to this team at a high level the magic do have to start shifting away from this and that’s honestly that’s where we’re at we are at this Crossroads we’re at

This moment where the magic have to make decisions about their roster where the magic have to improve their roster and put themselves in a better position to make the playoffs to be a factor to be among these teams can we sit here today and say the magic are going to be better

Not only just this year but next year than the seems if we start the season tomorrow with all these rosters the way they are are the magic going to be any better and the answer to that is yeah probably a little bit better because Paulo will be a year better fron will be

A year better but this is the reality and this is the cold cold hard truth this roster alone is probably not going to do better than what they’re doing this year and that you know my big thing as always you’re not stuck unless you don’t have a way forward the magic still have

A Way Forward obviously Pao is going to get a lot better fron is going to get a lot better um they’ve got young players who should continue to improve and contribute and so the magic have to find the right player to tie this whole thing together and Elevate them in a lot of

Ways the magic are not on the same timeline as these peers Indiana’s probably a little bit ahead of Orlando but they’re about the rough the same timeline New York has a lot more veteran players and you know maybe they’re a little bit better now but I think New

York unfortunately I think does have a ceiling um Miami is trying to save a championship group together the magic ceiling is much higher than all these teams um but it’s still about taking advantage of that and it’s still about pushing this team forward and so it may

Not happen at on February 8th it may not happen at the deadline it could but it may not happen at the deadline but I think we all sense this team is ready to do something new and to expand and grow this team and with that in mind it is

Time to start looking more specifically at the targets and what it might cost to get them we’re gonna be joined by Mike Richman of lockon blazers to talk about Malcolm brogon as well as anony Simons and a little bit about what the magic might have to do to make a deal happen

Why it won’t be as easy as you think we’re going to get to that conversation coming up here in just a moment but first it’s time for quick word for our friends over at hungry root trying to eat a little healthier in 2024 hungry root is here to rescue you

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EBay guaranteed fit is only available to you as customers and this is our first stop at least on locked on magic on our trade deadline tour I’m joined by our good friend from lockon Blazers Mike Richmond uh Mike uh promise me I won’t get in trouble because because the last time we

Had trade discussions I got in a little bit of trouble well last time we had trade discussions he didn’t want to you didn’t want to trade wend Carter Jr but you’re were okay with trading France vogner for Damen Lillard of course but this time I um well you know I’m I’ll

Still go for it or whatever but I will try not to get you in trouble with your listeners uh as much because I know that you trading frons in a fake on a fake trade on a podcast in August was got you in hot water so yeah and and and and and

I tried to like I mean I I I I’m bad at trades I will fully admit this this the purpose of this is is not to construct a trade or or or pitch fake trades but we want to start you know we’re we’re three weeks away from the trade deadline you

Know the mat I’d like to think of it better as we’re eight game or at least when we’re recording this Monday afternoon eight games away from the trade deadline by the time this airs we will be seven games away from the trade deadline the clock is clearly ticking

And at least from the magic perspective we’re in a different place than we were back in July I mean I think back or back in June like when we last talked we were talking a little bit about maybe the magic moving up using six and 11 to get

To get to two or get to three uh three and and and discussing some of those and of course I had to ask about Daman Lillard because I’d be it’d be irresponsible if I didn’t um the magic Den you know we thought that they were a team that could sneak into the playoffs

And and be a team that could that could be around that that area Portland I think was still maybe trying to see if they could Salvage the Damen l experiment and uh not experiment but the Damian Lillard uh Legacy and and try and keep them our teams are obviously in

Very different places now the magic are sitting in in Prime playoff position the Blazers are starting to rebuild it’s a it is a it is a different space that these two teams are coming from and and obviously that Damen Willard trade has has set everything up before we get into

Kind of the specific targets the magic might be looking at how do you feel where do you feel Portland is at in this first year of a rebuild which is always the toughest because you’re just kind of dealing with the wreckage that first year yeah that I mean that’s the thing

Is there it’s like they’re they’re bottom five in offense and defense right now they’re just a bad basketball team but they this is the path they chose right and so it’s like every night it can feel like man this team stinks but it’s like this is they wanted to be here

In a lot of ways I think it’s a little bit frustrating because for fans because scoot Henderson just hasn’t been very good he’s 19 and he plays like a 19yearold um I’m still fairly confident that he ends up being a pretty good NBA player but he has not been that yet and

And that’s just undeniable um they’re kind of they have a roster in balance with a with probably one too many guards which is why they have to trade Malcolm Brogden and perhaps to the city beautiful where he where he belongs um but but they you know they when you’re

When you’re launching these rebuilds it’s like about data collection and they’ve had some injuries that have limited like how much data they can collect and they’ve kind of struggled a little bit so I don’t think they’re in like selloff right because they already did that the last couple Seasons to get

Where they are they would just like to maybe get rid of one veteran specifically malcol brog and I don’t think they’re interested in trading Jeremy Grant from all the reports out there although they would for the fron Vagner offer no prob um that was me shaking my head for those

On the audio podcast but um but you know I think I think they would like to continue to stockpile assets and get a little bit better and and and you know make gradual steps because when you’re a bad team what’s really important is that at each cycle the trade deadline the off

Seon Etc that you get a little bit incrementally better that you improve your standing so they need assets that can improve their standing whether that’s a draft picks juicy draft picks or Young Veterans that can be part of their core moving forward I can I ask

You are the magic inclined to like go for it I I don’t think that they’re ahead of schedule necessarily I think they thought they they’re eighth in the East right as we’re recording in the East and as we’re recording this they’re eighth in the East yeah right so I I

Think we you know if you thought hey this is like a playin kind of team they’re right there in the playin they certainly have a chance to move up and they’re talented and they look like they’re on the the graph’s heading up but are they is there pressure in

Orlando for them to make to avoid the play and to be a top six team in the East and all those things like are they are they gonna try to try to move up uh you know I so I think a lot of fans want

Them to do that and you know I’m I’m doing this trade deadline tour I am planning to talk about some all-in guys and we’ll talk maybe about one all-in guy later on because because there’s at least one that magic fans are interested in um but my sense has always been that

This season still not about this season like this season is about making the play in tour about making the postseason playing some meaningful games playing uh you know play getting that kind of experience but it’s still about setting up the next two to three years like they

Want to make a trade that makes them better now and I don’t think they do a trade that doesn’t make them better now but they’re not doing a trade that’s not going to help them next year and the year after uh if if that makes sense it’s still about building this

Team for the long term because you know making you know making the play in tournament whatever this year like they’re they’re they are what they are they still I think honestly like I’ve been telling people this the magic need to get into a series a seven game series

And get their butts kicked like Pao Pao B Caro and France Vagner are very good y they don’t even know what they need to work on and the team doesn’t even really know what they need until they face Boston and see how Boston squeezes the life out of them like they they need

They need to get beat up a beat up a little bit and not like not that I you know I would love for them to make the four five game I’d love for them to be in a competitive series and potentially win that series you know they give Boston matchup problems they’ve given

Milwaukee some problems in the past before it’s not that Orlando can’t compete but it’s it’s very much you don’t know what you need because you’ve never done this before and and so I get the sense that there’s two things going on here with the magic first this is an

Extremely young team everybody is extremely close to each other and I think there is some at least internal concern about breaking this team up in some way like Marquel folz is gonna be a free agent this summer he’s probably not the point guard he’s playing better now

That he’s you now he’s getting healthy getting back in Rhythm but he’s probably not the point guard they need because of his shooting issues but he’s also immensely respected in the lock room and so are you going to trade him are you going to you know the the logic tells

You if you don’t plan on resigning him get something for him yeah um but are is this team able to kind of take that hit where they’re losing you know it’s one thing if you’re trading Terrence Ross who’s you know a nice veteran uh you know but a guy that everyone knew was

Kind of on the way out like he made it pretty clear he wanted on the way out it’s one thing to trade that guy it’s another thing to trade another 20-some year old who’s you know been kind of the team leader and and best friend for a

Lot of guys along the way I think it’s easier to make those decisions in the summer at the same time Orlando does have to keep up with the Joneses a little bit you know I’ve also been noting that you know Philadelphia Milwaukee Boston are your top three in

The East you’re eventually gonna have to break through to those teams but you also got to beat the Clevelands you also got to beat Indiana now with Pascal seaka you’ve got to beat New York with OG an anobi you got to climb over those teams too and so what the magic have is

Enough to make the play in is it enough to be the four seed to to to to be knocking on the door of that and some of that is okay we got to let Paulo and fron naturally get better those are two very very young players who are still

Figuring this league out and the other part of it is how do we figure out what we need and you know again I think that’s why I wanted to come come to you first let’s take a quick break so I can tell you a quick word for our friends

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Best way to find popular parlays and so much more so visit fanduel.com lockon and make your first bet a touchdown today FanDuel is an official partner of the NFL because Malcolm Brogden is a guy that I’ve been mildly let’s let’s get into it let’s talk about Malcolm Brock

Coming home baby let’s talk let’s talk about Malcolm brog um he’s a guy that I have been mildly obsessed with as the kind of point guard the magic like because or the magic need because he’s a solid shooter um he’s a point guard that isn’t

Like a pound the ball in the dirt point guard right um and he could spread the floor he spread the floor as a shooter that’s I should mention that twice because the magic need shooting the worst three-point shooting team in the league um but the magic don’t need a guy

That’s gonna like necessarily be the point guard they they need a guy that can pass the ball off to poo or frons because they run a lot of point for this team too so let’s start let’s start here you know you’ve had half a season now with with Malcolm Brogden what have been

Your impressions of how he’s played you know granted playing for a Blazers team that that maybe doesn’t have you know a clear playoff Direction but what have your what have your impressions been of him in his in his season with Portland well he’s he’s he’s just solid

He’s just he’s solid as hell um he’s you know he’s the counting numbers don’t jump off the page at you right um he’s not this is like he’s a he’s like a 154 and five type of point guard he’s shooting pretty darn well from three 42%

Down from 44 last year which is a career high but he’s he he could shoot it um he is the best thing he does is score so if you he’s not this crazy playmaker he’s not an elite defensive player he’s a competent defensive player he’s a competent playmaker the best version of

Malcolm Brogden is you give him the ball and you say hey go score and he’ll take little mid-range pull-ups he will get to his right hand aggressively and he can shoot he is shooting and this is a number that I think will really is really meaningful to the magic because

They have big creators who are non-shooters Malcolm brogen is shooting 53.3% on catch and shoot three-pointers he’s making more than half of them so when they do run those pal banero primary initiator I mean they let him freaking bring the ball across half court he is and and Fran’s the same way

When they let those those big initiators who are not Shooters they need space around those guys right they need space around them Malcolm brogen would provide that space and he would also provide that catch and shoot shooting and if if it doesn’t work you could throw it to

Him and he can run second side stuff to break break down defenses run competent pick and roll uh operator and all those things he’s he’s you know is he like an above average starting point guard in the league probably not because he a very deep position but he’s he’s very

Competent he can play both guard spots and he would help almost any team in the league because what he does travels he’s going to average 155 and five wherever you take him to his his career per 36 numbers 25 and five he pretty much does that everywhere he goes um does he play

36 minutes no he’s a limited limited minute guy but in if you know for Orlando if he was playing 28 to 31 and you bump it up to 34 in the playoffs because he like takes Cole Anthony’s minutes fine fine like you they would be

Better for it um I am curious well I guess you know the Malcolm brog interest is there because he’s just like solid do is there is there part of you that wants to aim higher is there part of you that says Malcolm Brogden is good he’s a B+

This team should this team should try to get A’s yeah yeah there there’s definitely a little little bit of that because you know you’re going to have to I mean obviously you have to expend some assets to get something of value and and you know you meant and you know we’ll

Maybe talk a little about what Orlando has to spend and that’s part of what I want this exercise to be is to help my you know help my listeners realize okay this is what the magic are actually willing to move around and willing to think about um as as we get get into

These discussions because that’s that’s the other half of it it’s nice to want something in the window it’s another thing to walk in the store and Fork go Fork over the money to to pay for um you know to to that point like what I’ve been thinking about a lot is you know

The Magic The Magic don’t you know the magic just need a guy that can spread the floor manage the game be a good veteran as much as as much as anything else you know they’re still such a young team they need someone that can calm

Them down like as much you know as much as like you know Markel folz is what Markel FS is but he is a true point guard like he knows how to control the pace of a game he knows how to settle guys down he knows how to get the ball

To the right spots and and you know the magic need a manager like that like I’ve been telling people like and you know the magic love their size so they’re not looking for a small guy to do it um what I’ve been kind of telling people is the

Magic need a Derek white type like what what Derrick White’s doing in Boston like obviously Boston’s not trading Derrick White anytime soon but that’s the kind of player I think the magic are looking for for this spot and obviously Boston kind of chose dererk white over Malcolm Brogden Brogden is kind of the

The I don’t want to say discount version because that’s that’s I think a little too low but um he’s the veteran version of that and it’s a hard thing to find he he would he settles things down if nothing else that is that what you just described is exactly what Malcolm

Brogden could provide um he certainly certainly gets you there he’s not going to defend like Derek white not anymore but he could score he could really like he can you know he had again and and you know I I was I was gonna I was going to mention this earlier like Portland right

Now reminds me a lot of the the 2013 magic the first year without Dwight Howard the magic were still kind of this weird mix of veterans but clearly moving on they s had jir Nelson they s had J.J reck they s had Glenn Davis they s had

Hoo trick they had all these veterans and they they kind of helped a lot of the young guys guys before so before I answer your question about whether the magic should go for bigger fish do you feel like Brogden has been a good veteran for a young Blazers team that

Understands it’s it’s gonna go through it a little bit right now yeah yeah he he he’s certainly their best in terms of like demonstrable leadership um Jeremy Grant I think they always say lead by example and to me that means that he doesn’t do any leading means he just

That’s usually what that’s coded coded like it just means he shows up to work every day he can set a good example yeah he could set a good example but it’s not Brogden you you’ve I’ve seen him you know on the court talking with Shaden sharp he’s he’s a really good tone

Setter in the locker room he answers questions and his honest and all those things and you know he’s he’s he was coming off the bench behind Scoot and behind scoot Henderson and amrey Simons and he was he said the right things whether he was happy with it is like for

The eyes of the beholder but he he always was a pro about it I think he could be really really valuable in that role and it’s also why if the Blazers were to trade him I would recommend they they at least prioritize getting back not only like I think there’s part of

Teams and I’m sure you experienced this covering the magic because like fans like when they’re when a rebuild anyone older than 25 get the hell out of here like if you’ve graduated if you are older than you know college age get the hell out too old but I don’t I don’t

Really believe that getting in the way of the young players like like yeah like I don’t think you need um I don’t think you needed to be split half and half 30y olds 20 year olds or whatever but like I think having no just like institutional knowledge here’s how

It works here’s how you pack for a seven game 15-day road trip here’s how you know like honestly here’s how you cure a hangover like it’s like you you need some you need some like veteran leadership out there um and I think and Veteran just like like I said institutional knowledge I think

Brogden has that and I think he would bring that to Orlando um and I think he’d be happier on a better team and Orlando’s they’re competitive they they could beat anybody on any given night and talking about like kind of the defense like we know Brogden has a

Defensive reputation and like the magic are such a good defensive team like they could maybe hide some of the flaws that that a Portland team can’t like you know defense is a team thing and Portland obviously you know has has some things to work through um you did mention this

And and and I think this is a really important point to bring up when we talk about Brogden is you know Brogden at his age and his experience level is probably a little bit of a stop Gap um you know I mentioned that kind of two to threeyear

Window of what the magic are trying to trying to cure um you know they definitely want I think to to find that point guard future they want to kind of settle their their lineup and certainly Brogden is a a short-term fix so to answer your question I do think the

Magic are in are I don’t know if they’re in the hunt for it right now for that kind of bigger fish to to expend more assets but I think that they’d be silly not to listen and silly not to explore what some of these deals look like right

Now you know I’ve I know I’ve pitched de jonte Murray from the Atlanta Hawks I like I don’t under I like I think the magic they’re kind of talking about bigger point guards dejonte Murray is is the star that’s out there right now that seem that that seems to fit that mold

And so I I I think the magic would be silly not to at least kind of probe our friends at locked on NBA pitched Zack LaVine you know not a point guard but you know there are definitely guard type yeah yeah exactly there are definitely things the M there are definitely

Players out there that fit the Magic’s like at least physical profile that fit needs that they clearly have on the roster that they that they should at least be exploring it so I I would be remiss and Magic fans would kill me if I didn’t ask you know Anthony Simons

Orlando boy Timon Springs born and raised Edgewater High School alum um is I my sense is Portland has no interest in dealing him like he’s kind of you know until scoop figures things out he’s kind of their guy is is Simon is Simon someone that that the Blazer Blazers are

Exploring trading or or what’s his status with the team right now So eventually they’re going to have to make a choice like you said they got scoot Henderson they have Shaden sharp they’ve got um uh anrey Simons probably not going to have Malcolm brogen after February 9th but eventually got to make

A choice right you got to say you know you can only invest so much in dudes under 6 foot4 there’s only so many minutes that and and so much money that you can you can make the investment when you draft someone third overall that’s a pretty big institutional

Investment uh whatever organ to you can’t you can’t you can’t mess I mean you can’t you have to see that to the end unfortunately yeah it’s a it’s not it’s a it’s a decade long investment and if you don’t if it doesn’t work out then you’re in a whole another spot and

You’re trading Marco folz to the magic and it’s like it’s a whole thing um but like uh amre Simons is so much better than scoot Henderson like he’s so much better than scoot enderson that right now it just wouldn’t be pragmatic to like quote unquote choose scoot quote unquote

Choose sharp like and an time to experiment like that’s the thing he’s 24 he’s under contract for two more years he’s significantly better you you need to figure out what you have in the young guards before you m make a make a decision it does seem like organizationally they eventually have to

Trade Anthony Simons because of what they’ve done behind him but they don’t have to make that decision now they certainly don’t have to make that decision in the next two weeks so I don’t think explore it even a little bit I don’t even think they’ll explore it

This summer I think they’ll roll back with the same dudes in in the fall and and say let’s we want at least a year and a half of scoot Henderson a year and a half of Shan and sharp playing together to figure out what it looks

Like so I don’t think it’s I don’t think it would be this trade deadline could be next trade deadline and and I think I I don’t even like with the Jeremy Grant thing I don’t think the Blazers want to trade Jeremy Grant but if there was a fat offer they would

Certainly pick up the phone um I don’t know that they would I don’t know that they would consider Simons right now because it just doesn’t make sense for where they are in their rebuild because they they can’t pick a Direction so aggressively because they’re not good enough to pick a

Direction so aggressively yet yeah and and you can’t let go t i mean obviously I think this is the case anywhere any player is available for any sweetheart deal like you have you have to at least pick up the phone and listen even if you’re laughing and snickering while the

Phone’s on mute while they’re talking um like you have to you have to at least explore everything that’s out there uh as you’re trying to determine determine your direction trust me I’ve had a lot of experience in in that um uh but yeah

I mean I I agree like I I like I’ve I mean obviously there’s a a Nostalgia or homecoming bit with Simons here in Orlando you know Orlando needs scoring they need kind of dynamic scorers they need someone besides Palo and frons that can can more consistently have big games

Um you know because just so much attention is put on Pao and frons and and I think that’s that’s something the magic are gonna have to look for here uh like look for players that just have that are just more Dynamic and and can expand and contract their roles as

Needed and you know that’s why I think Brogden is an interesting option I think that’s you know I think that’s something the magic are gonna be looking for um let’s let’s close out here then with kind of yeah can I pitch you a fake trade pitch me a fake trade okay okay

Pitch me a fake trade I’m I’m I’m I’m you’re you’re better at offering trades than than I am apparently oh or maybe not out the listeners are going to come find me no this is I think this is relatively right over there but yeah it’s like I’m not going to check it don’t

Worry uh my pitch is involves no draft picks so there’s something juic for you no draft picks Malcolm Brogden and Blazers uh fourth year center Moses Brown currently out with a wrist injury but that’s okay he’s on a minimum deal love we love guys with injuries yeah

It’s perfect for Wendell Carter Jr and Gary Harris speaking of guys with injuries come on down um I am marcoz doesn’t do it for the Blazers like what’s what’s his value the expiring contract you’d have to throw in picks um and and and what does that what does

That do for you you know maybe I want the maybe they want the Bulls pick because that team might suck have that bull pick anymore it’s gone oh they just used it just kidding that was six and 11 that was six1 we got we got this nice we got this nice heavily protected

Denver pick yeah heavily protected B bow pick or whatever it is um but wend Carter Jr and Gary Harris I um Harris you know entering free agency this this summer he’s probably not a long-term magic but he’s he’s been he’s solid and I think that sort of that’s

Your veteran help and Wendell Carter obviously hasn’t been able to stay healthy with the you know from my perspective goou baz is somehow really good he’s somehow a really effective NBA Center uh obviously Mo vogner’s playing so it’s like Wendell’s probably better than those two dudes at his best version

Of of himself but I don’t think he’s been that and I and he’s got this really sweetheart contract it’s like a great deal um what is your comfort level in trading Wendell Carter when probably his value is at the lowest yeah and and that’s I mean I I I think that’s going

To be the roadblock the magic get into uh as they get to the as they start getting into the nitty-gritty of these deadline discussions um I I don’t think I would include Wendell Carter in a Malcolm Brogden trade I I don’t feel like this magic team needs Malcolm

Brogden that badly um you know like magic fans have also been very obsessed with tus Jones from the Washington Wizards and you know they can maybe put together a trade that could wiggle Carter free um but then I also counter like well the magic can just go sign

Tyus Jones outright in the summer like they don’t need like they don’t need to give up anything to get him assuming Washington is going to trade him assuming unless Washington is just dead set on trading him and then you got to worry about the competition and I think

This is a very like competitive point guard trade market between Brogden between Jones Murray’s out there there there’s there’s a lot of point guards to be moved and you know I think actually Wendell Carter’s value you know even though he’s had a rough season and and

He’s played well the last four games so we’re starting to see Wendel Carter be the wend Carter we thought we were getting at the start of the season um there aren’t a lot of centers out there um you know there aren’t a lot of centers on this market so teams that

Need centers could be you know even though Wendell Carter hasn’t played great um overall he’s playing better now um I think there might be more of a premium on him and you know I’ve been of the mind that I believe in wendo Carter like you know I I I recognize that he

Will miss 15 to 20 games every season and and that’s part of the problem and part of something the magic had to find a solution for that’s why I got in trouble during the lock on mock draft because I was like very dead set on solving that problem um goab baz

Apparently seemed to solve solve it a little bit there like he was he was he was much better than than an that anticipated yeah yeah but for me honestly like I still believe that this is a dip season that this is just not who wend Carter is and I’m more willing

To bet that he’s gonna bounc back to where he was last year or where where where he was last year and these last four games entering Monday’s game against Cleveland has certainly looked that um than to just kind of sell sell low on him like to just kind of move him

Just to just to move him um and and I you know I think that’s part of the problem is the market wants the magic to move wendo Carter like I always tell people that the trade deadline is about buyers and sellers you you know you can’t really negotiate there’s not a lot

Of time to negotiate everyone’s on a on a deadline um and so it’s about are you buying or are you selling the magic are buy are hoping to buy but the market I think wants them to make this guy available to to make these other moves

Happen and I don’t think the magic do that without a quality Center because goab baz has been great this year but he is still a center full of shortcomings he’s not he’s not an offensive threat unless it’s a dump down straight to a dunk or put back he used to shoot threes

He used to shoot threes he doesn’t mag the Magic The Magic kind of told him no no no no no no stop that get in the post be a tra be a traditional Center and it’s worked like that like that’s that’s that it’s worked for him he’s a great

Rim protector but like I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched magic players shouting at him where to be on offense um you know wendo Carter is still just very clearly the best center option and hon and like I’m not giving up wendo Carter unless I’m getting a

Decent Setter back in return um because you know goab bad is that’s why I threw Moses Brown in the deal baby brown I mean you know just as a just as a counter offer let me let me look look here um you obviously Rob Robert Williams is injured I don’t think the

Magic would go would go for that at this point because they need to to be Cent like do brief is a is a two-way guy um B is I’ll go ahead and ask this then I mean obviously that’s you know getting to 33 million you know $ 34 million

Which might be a little trickier for the magic to match uh as far as salaries go um because I think they’re bumping up right against the cap but would Robert Williams be someone you know injury issues aside and and I’m not suggesting the magic do this but are the Blazers

Will to dangle Robert Williams out there if they were to get a player like wend Carter in Rich return yeah I think in a heartbeat right like I think I think there’s such a huge question mark about Rob Williams future health um he just missed so much time and he had you know

And he he has another knee surgery this year and he’s like um I I I think in a heartbeat like I think they would say like he’s not you know he’s not he wouldn’t be available the value of Brogden is that you get him for this

Year and next year so like you said you get you get two years of Brogden um and I think there’s there’s some appeal there and he’s like a better shooter than than Jones and Murray he’s not as good as Dante Murray but he’s just like a different type of player um and so

Player yeah I think I think for me it’s like if I were you know I’m not in charge um yeah but like we’re just we’re just spitballing here these are not like Stone we’re not like saying do this now like we’re we’re just spit we’re just kind of comparing rosters of the magic

Tradeable yeah of the Magic’s tradable Parts Marco fultz doesn’t do it for the Blazers I’m not a believer in Jonathan Isaac ever playing 30 minutes again in the NBA he’s just like that it’s been even guaranteed contract yeah no the money doesn’t matter like I don’t for me

I don’t think the Blazers if if they’re not getting juicy draft picks I don’t think they necessarily need to prioritize expiring because they they have an expensive enough roster that they’re going to hit the salary floor like they need veterans who can contribute and that’s why I’m interested

In Wendell Carter Isaac like he does provide that salary relief and maybe if you maybe if the if the market dictates it that’s what you end up wanting you say Okay magic give us a give us a draft pick in 2026 you know like top three protected or something like that and and

And we’ll take on Jonathan Isaac and we and he’s he’ll just be off the roster in the future I just you know he hasn’t played 35 minutes in a game since like pre-co which is basically like another era that’s just he’s a he’s a bench player at this point like you’re gonna

Be managing him a little bit and he’s really impactful still but you’re man you’re managing he play 17 minutes right he plays 17 minutes 17 awesome minutes on defense he’s he’s freaking still a very very good defensive player but he’s he is like for me he is what he is so no

I folz doesn’t do it for me Isaac I’m not I’m personally not interested in that’s more me than my like Blazers guest so it’s like if I’m if I’m coming to Orlando I’m asking for Wendell Carter and then here’s what I’m doing I’m saying great you don’t want to trade him

I totally understand uh call me back at 9:00 am on February 8th when you realize that you’re not going to get a trade done and that dejonte Murray is somewhere else in tyus Jones somewhere else and we’ll talk then and deadlines for actions and in the last three hours

We’ll see if we could squeeze it when I did a crossover with the Knicks too and it was the same kind of thing it was like well I want them to throw Quinton crimes in the deal and and Alex wol of locked on Nick said I don’t want to

Trade Quinton crimes said great I’ll call you back on February 8th the way the way Nicks fans feel about Quinton Grimes is very different the way the Nicks feel about qu Grimes yeah exact um yeah yeah like I I I get that and and like you know I’m I’m a big believer as

You find Frameworks for deals and you could kind of fill in the details later and so if the framework for a Malcolm Brogden deal is Wendell Carter and Gary Harris and Jonathan Isaac’s off the table that’s probably not a deal the magic do at this point um you know you

Know would the would the magic be more willing to do it if you threw in matis if you threw in matis styel h you know like May probably not because I think I don’t know if they’re comfortable going into the off season with just that big

Question at Center um you know Goa baz and mo Vagner can hold the fort down but you’re then very very thin at Center should one of them get hurt or should one of them have issues and honestly like there a lot of Admiral scoffield small ball lineups yeah yeah and then or

Playing Pao at Center or playing Isaac at Center which which the magic should do at times but very specific matchups and you know then you got to answer the center question and like my big thing with wend Carter has been I think he is more than serviceable I think he’s a

Very good player I think I want to see him in the playoffs and see if his style of Defense works in the playoffs because I do have concerns about whether you can have a non kind of above the rim center be successful in the playoffs like that

Is my ultimate concern with wend Carter but I think he’s earned the right to prove us right or wrong and so I think getting him into the into a playoff series would be really really important and and so I’m I’m not ready to kind of move Wendell Carter quite yet and I

Don’t think the magic have kind of the infrastructure to to to to settle that right now and so I think at this point that framework is a is a pass for me as as a magic team trying to buy Malcolm brog obviously I think the Blazers will

Have several offers to pick from to to find to find the one they want for for brog hopefully it’s not just locked on podcast host because I can’t get Quinton Grimes I can’t get W Carter I just I’m out here striking out and you know what

That’s the beauty of it being you know late January when we get to February these teams are gonna be sweating Blazer fans these teams GNA be sweating like like I said we’re we’re seven eight games from the deadline like I like I am hammering this point home I need a mo I

Need a mo Vagner 2020 game here in the next couple weeks to really go Paz 17 and 17 I me the Magic The Magic gave chuma okk his chance like we have a free chuma KK get his restricted free agent rights second draft him like um yeah and

And I would say this you know if Portland comes off of looking for kind of Veteran or youngish players I do think the magic will be willing to trade their picks or trade trade future first round picks or or put you know Lottery protect a future first you know I don’t

Think they’re you know not that this draft you know this draft is apparently very middle heavy but you look at the magic they aren’t playing the number 11 pick in the draft right now in jet Howard um because they don’t have the roster space for them so right how’s

That going to be any better next year I do think the Magic’s 2024 first round pick is very much in play as we get closer to the deadline and blers already have two picks though they would want 2025 but are the magic going to be good in 2025 they’ve got the they’ve yeah

They’ve got the Denver pick in 2025 I’m pretty comfortable saying that the nuggets are going to be good next season so they got that weird Phoenix Washington pick yeah so that’s that 2026 pick I I was kind of floating it’s like um so listen how about this we’ll watch the market

And if we need to we’ll come back re come back to the table on in early February and we’ll talk about sort of where both these teams are and where the market has kind of dictated they might need to be because as you mentioned deadlines spur actions and everybody is

Operating under the same deadline for this one yep and we still got the still you know seven games doesn’t feel like a lot but it is a lot and obviously for for this magic team they’re getting healthy now we we you know Sunday against Miami we saw their opening night

Starting lineup for the first time since October 31st so w the Magic The Magic are going to be learning a lot I I don’t think they’re look they’re looking to make a deal before February 8th like we will yeah no reason the Blazers no reason to make a deal before the the

Last minute because they want to they want to juice the brogen market for all they can possibly get so there you go absolutely um there’s clearly very a whole lot of interest I think he’s clearly a fit for the magic it’s just about whether there is a deal uh Mike I

Want to thank you for for jumping on and and entertain entertaining us hopefully I didn’t get myself in trouble this time um and and hopefully we’ll be trade Partners again in the future or or as as I like to conclude every podcast I’ll see you in the 2027 NBA Finals there you

Go well we won’t be there but man 2029 Port tra our schedule our schedule is to win a title before 2030 so we will we see 2030 I love it all right thanks Phils it was it’s always a pleasure I want to thank Mike for jumping on the

Show uh and talking to us a little bit about the Blazer situation little learn a little bit more about Malcolm Brogden as well as Anthony Simons and really give us a good look at what the magic have to offer again like I think one of the bigger things of this exercise is

More to start thinking about what do the magic actually have to offer because you know in order to get something good you have to give up something good we’ll be doing this exercise plenty more I have more stops planned on the trade deadline tour as we get closer and closer to the

Trade deadline on February 8th but that’s going to do it for me today I want to thank you all again for listening to today’s episode of lockon magic or find me on Twitter Philip _ OMD subscribe to the podcast up Podcast search your tuned in himay Google play

Spotify Odyssey and all F podcast to your podcast abl list device you can find us as well on YouTube search for locked on Magic if you want to see the podcast instead of just listen to it um you can also check out my work at orlandomagic daily.com for the latest on

The Orlando Magic you can follow us there on Twitter at omic Daily and be sure to check out my patreon page the Orlando magichub at patreon.com orlandomagic HUB thank you all again for your support that’s going to do it for me today on tomorrow’s episode of lockdown magic we will hear from the

Orlando Magic for the first time since Monday’s loss to the Cavaliers a very important day of practice for the team we’ll name our first half MVP go over some questions for the third quarter of the season and a whole lot more we get to all that on tomorrow’s episode of

Lockdown magic but until then for Orlando Magic daily lockdown magic this has been rossome re we’ll see you again next time for another episode of lockon magic

One thing is being made clear as the Orlando Magic struggle to get through this middle part of the season: The team will eventually need a trade or a change to climb from the Play-In Tournament to a solid playoff team. That work might very well start at this trade deadline. And one of the big targets is Portland Trail Blazers veteran Malcolm Brogdon.

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