Fanpost: Fixing Orlando’s Point Guard Spot

Every now and then, we will highlight and promote some of the more creative Fanposts from the site. The following post was originally made by The BBQ Chicken Madness on June 27.

After parting ways with Shelvin Mack, the Magic now have a single point guard on the roster. Clearly, they need to do something, so here’s a rundown of a bunch of players that I think they should look into.

As always, I try to keep things realistic, so no Bismack Biyombo for Chris Paul stuff here. Some ideas will net young talent, while others will be stop-gaps for improvement.

And away we go!

First up: Potential Free Agent Signings

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Isaiah Thomas: Thomas is coming off a bad year after a hip injury, as well as some off-court drama. It’s possible he might be willing to take a single-year “prove it” contract before taking a long-term deal. The Magic would give him a starting role (with a BIG focus on covering his defensive issues) and a green light to prove himself offensively. Long-shot, but little long-term risk.

Milos Teodosic: He just opted into his final year with the Clippers, but there are rumors that the Clippers will release him since much of his deal isn’t guaranteed. He’s 31 and obviously not a long-term solution, but a fine passer and solid shooter.

Fred VanVleet: VanVleet filled a vital role with the Raptors last year, playing solid ball on both ends. He’s a restricted free agent, but the Raptors have a lot of money on the books and Fred is due for a raise. He’s only 23, so there’s still room for growth. The Magic could go after him with the MLE, though he may get even bigger offers elsewhere.

Yogi Ferrell: Dallas likes him and he’s restricted, but he’s also limited in that he’s undersized and mostly a microwave scorer. This might fit better with the Magic behind Augustin than it would on the Mavs.

Shane Larkin: Competent backup guard and only 25. He’s unrestricted and could probably be had for what the Magic could offer. Plays hard, can hit an outside shot, and coming from a Boston team with a winning culture.

Players to throw the minimum at for the third string: Jameer Nelson, Tim Frazier, Jarrett Jack.

So that’s it on this front...

Next up: Trade Ideas

Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Milos Teodosic: I know I had him in the FA signings, but the Magic could also offer something to the Clippers to save them a couple million if they move him rather than waive him. Clippers are tough to make a deal with currently, but now that Jordan has opted out, I believe this can work: LAC gets Terrence Ross, ORL gets Milos Teodosic

Patrick Beverley: At this point, Beverley may not be as good of a defender as his reputation claims, but he’s pesky and can hit 3’s at a decent rate. Coming off an injury isn’t great, but again, this is more of a stop-gap body. Given that and the fact that he would clearly play behind Augustin, the Clippers need to give up a bit more to make it worth it. LAC gets Terrence Ross, ORL gets Patrick Beverley + future heavily-protected first (that’s probably more likely to convey as two second-round picks)

Markelle Fultz: A high-risk, high-reward option. Obviously, his rookie year was pretty horrifying, but when he did play he flashed some promise of why he was taken #1 in the draft just last year. On a rookie deal and still very young, he’d slide right in with the rest of the Magic’s core, with the potential of being the PG-of-the-Future they’ve needed for years. With an impressive 6’9” wingspan, he fits the mold of the FO, too. With the 76ers making the conference finals already, I think they might be willing to take an offer that solidifies improvement for the long term, rather than go after expiring deals, especially since they still have cap space. PHI gets Evan Fournier + 2019 ORL 1st (top-5 protected), ORL gets Markelle Fultz + Jerryd Bayless

T.J. McConnell: If the 76ers plan on riding Fultz out with the hope that he turns into yet another prime player next to Simmons, Embiid, and whoever they get in FA, then it might be worth it to go after the spunky backup McConnell, who will likely be relegated to the deep bench once Fultz is playing regularly. PHI gets Wes Iwundu + second-round pick, ORL gets T.J. McConnell

D’Angelo Russell: The Nets like the kid and he’s shown flashes of being good, but he’s also had injury issues and is due for an extension after this year. After finding Dinwiddie and having Lin coming back, the Magic could try to snatch him up for some future assets. BKN gets Nikola Vucevic + 2019 right-to-swap first-round picks (Top-5 protected, reverts to lotto-protected 1st in 2020 if not utilized) + 2020 OKC first-round pick, ORL gets D’Angelo Russell

Spencer Dinwiddie: Speaking of Dinwiddie’s breakout, he’s playing solid but will be an unprotected FA after next season and already 25. They like him a lot, especially for the minimum deal he’s on, but maybe it’s worth them cashing in now while his value is high if they’d rather stick with the team-controlled Russell. BKN gets Khem Birch + 2019 Right-to-Swap first-round picks (Top-5 protected, reverts to two second-round picks if not utilized), ORL gets Spencer Dinwiddie

Editor’s note: This would be highway robbery

Jeremy Lin: The Nets...oh, the Nets. They’ve invested a lot in Lin’s recovery from a knee injury, but then Dinwiddie broke out. If they want to stick with their younger, more exciting core, the Magic could nab the expiring Lin to hold down the fort for a year without any long-term financial commitment. The teams could swap knee-injuries, though Lin has been more prone lately so the Magic should get some insurance. BKN gets Terrence Ross, ORL gets Jeremy Lin + future second-round pick

Patty Mills: The Spurs staple is still a solid backup PG, but his current contract takes him all the way into his mid-30’s, so those last couple seasons will be rough on the cap. If the Spurs are seriously considering moving Leonard, getting rid of Mills’ long-term deal might be something they’d be interested in doing. He’s owed more than anyone other than Aldridge, and his deal runs longer than anyone else on the roster. The younger, cheaper Murray had already jumped him in the depth chart, as well. The Magic get a solid choice to match with Augustin, then takes over Augustin’s role once DJ’s deal comes up. SAS gets Terrence Ross + future second-round pick, ORL gets Patty Mills

C.J. McCollum: The Trailblazers are staring at a maxed out cap sheet and a first-round sweep. They love their mini-Splash Brothers, but if the FO feels the team has topped out, and it might be. They may be willing to move McCollum (they prefer Lillard over McCollum, from what I can tell) for the right price. Yes, this means playing McCollum at PG, similar to the way Harden was used in Houston before CP3 came to town. POR gets Evan Fournier + Nikola Vucevic + 2019 ORL first-round pick (top-10 protected) + future second-round pick, ORL gets C.J. McCollum, and if the Blazers were concerned about getting Turner’s bad deal off the books, I’d be willing to facilitate that to save on giving up as much picks-wise. POR gets Evan Fournier + Nikola Vucevic + Terrence Ross + right-to-swap first-round picks (Top-10 protected, converts to lotto-protected 1st in 2020 if not utilized), ORL gets CJ McCollum + Evan Turner + future second-round pick.

Ok...so that’s just what I was pondering the last few days.

I’m sure there are other options out there, and some of the ones on this list are more exciting than others...but here we are. Thoughts? Ideas?