17-18 Magic Preseason Press Conference

[false9]

Good evening, everyone. Before we look ahead, let's take a quick look back.

Last season was another small step forward- we continued our focus on developing youth and acquiring assets. We were able to spin Tim Mozgov for Marcus Smart and John Tittle. Tyreke Evans had a positive effect on the team and led us to 26 wins.

Approaching the lottery, we knew our future was in the balance. Landing the 2nd pick and having 3 lottery picks in total opened some doors for us. We knew it would be difficult to wait for the young players to develop and continue paying points for insurance. We began calls across the league, looking for big time players. Once the Paul George deal was place, the rest of,the dominoes fell. We have nothing but positive things to say about Harland Ellinger and Vernon Desantis- they're great kids but James Harden and Thomas Robinson help us make a deep run.

Free agency was a set back. Tyreke Evans was a free agent, and we extended a 5 year deal with maximum raises but our egghead accountants decided to get cute with the salary amount. Ultimately, when Tyreke sent an email informing us of his decision, he stated he "wanted to play with the better team." We wish him luck in Brooklyn.

After that fiasco, we moved on quickly to fill some gaps, welcoming back Tim Mozgov for the third time and adding some veterans for depth.

Last year when me met, I said the dawn was coming. Well, it's here, and it's time to win. At a bare minimum, I expect this team to be comfortably in the playoffs.

With that, let's hear your questions.

[digiskunk]

Three questions!

1. How much of an impact do you expect Paul George to make on the squad?

2. What made you think it was a good idea to trade all those picks for Paul George?

3. How come Paul George is only mentioned once in this entire presser? lmao

[garbageman]

According to cohesion reports, your new roster is understandably not yet gelling like Magellan. What's the key to getting Paul George and James Harden to work well together? And don't say matching gel soles, because that is too obviously the answer.

[false9]

Three questions!

1. How much of an impact do you expect Paul George to make on the squad?

2. What made you think it was a good idea to trade all those picks for Paul George?

3. How come Paul George is only mentioned once in this entire presser? lmao

Paul George's name isn't a piece of flair, Gary.

Paul is the franchise player- he's the reason we decided to push all our chips in after trading for him. He is one of the vital players this year- our success is largely dependent on him.

A player of his caliber is rare, and even harder to obtain. In evaluating our cap situation, the development of our young guys, and the nature of the point system, it was a perfect storm. I knew we couldn't stay in the lottery forever, and insuring costs would add up. Coupled with looming restricted free agency, we knew we had to explore every opportunity to upgrade, in spite of our fondness for Desean Hawkins.

[false9]

According to cohesion reports, your new roster is understandably not yet gelling like Magellan. What's the key to getting Paul George and James Harden to work well together? And don't say matching gel soles, because that is too obviously the answer.

(Wow, what a washed reference. Then again, I also understood that reference which makes me washed).

I think it's really a matter of time. It's not PG and Harden- Marcus Smart, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Dario Saric are the only holdovers from last year's team. I don't foresee any roster changes, so as the season progresses and the team bonds with activities like laser tag, team dinners, and charitable NBA Cares events, cohesion will improve.

[ballsohard]

Giving up a 2 pick in a 1 person draft and the jazz own pick back when you had Ellinger, Desantis, and Saric sitting there; Were you shocked at the small price George came at ? Would you have made the deal if you had George ?

[kucoach7]

As you're obviously in win now mode, is there any chance you send Marcus Smart away to bring in a more developed player later this season?

[logpmess]

Thomas Robinson would be an impact player as the main focus. What kind of impact do you think bringing in two high profile players will have on his production this season?

[false9]

Giving up a 2 pick in a 1 person draft and the jazz own pick back when you had Ellinger, Desantis, and Saric sitting there; Were you shocked at the small price George came at ? Would you have made the deal if you had George ?

When it comes to trading, I often say to myself- it doesn't hurt to ask. In discussion with all the teams I contacted, I had a set price in mind. I wouldn't say I was shocked at the price, moreso that he was attainable.

If I were on the other side of the table, I'm not sure where I'd lean one way or the other. You'd have to refer to Utah's management to see the caliber of offers they received. I might have tried a brief reset year and kept PG around.

[false9]

As you're obviously in win now mode, is there any chance you send Marcus Smart away to bring in a more developed player later this season?

We're always listening to calls, but centainly not looking to move anyone at this time. Marcus is an interesting situation- he's a capable of heavy minutes as a defender, but still has some filling out to do. As an added twist, restricted free agency is approaching next season. Would we be able to replace his value in a trade at this salary? I don't know, but we'll be refreshing our inbox.

[false9]

Thomas Robinson would be an impact player as the main focus. What kind of impact do you think bringing in two high profile players will have on his production this season?

This may be an obvious statement, but I think playing with talent can only be a good thing. Having PG and Harden around can only make the game easier and lead to more effective and efficient play for Thomas, as well as the rest of the team.

[Xist2Inspire]

Random Reporter: As the lone youngster left from the rebuilding era, what role will Dario Saric play this season? Is there a chance he could be moved for a more proven player down the line?

[false9]

Random Reporter: As the lone youngster left from the rebuilding era, what role will Dario Saric play this season? Is there a chance he could be moved for a more proven player down the line?

Despite showing up out of shape, Dario remains an important cog. He'll be our sixth man, but could also see time at the 4. We've poured considerable resources into him, and the likelihood of us receiving the value we want in return would be slim. But as the million dollar man said, every man has his price.

[NOLa.]

How long do you think this core can last you at a reasonable luxury tax cost? Harden and George will be UFAs, and Saric and Smart will be RFAs after this season. Is this core to remain intact for more than a season?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[false9]

How long do you think this core can last you at a reasonable luxury tax cost? Harden and George will be UFAs, and Saric and Smart will be RFAs after this season. Is this core to remain intact for more than a season?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

With some maneuvering, we'll be under the tax this year. When the offseason comes, we're prepared to match any Saric offers and supermax PG and Harden, barring any disasters. This puts us at 3 years with this core; but we'll always be evaluating the environment around is if things change.