The Close Up – A Calibrated Draft Strategy with Jason Beede

Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel joins Stephen on the show and they discuss his experience covering the Orlando Magic and the upcoming NBA draft. Jason reflects on his first year on the beat and how he feels more prepared and excited going into year two.

The conversation then shifts to the draft and Jeff Weltman’s recent media session. They discuss the unique nature of this year’s draft for the Magic, who are picking outside of the lottery for the first time since 2020. They also explore the team’s approach to the draft, including the balance between addressing needs and selecting the best available player. The possibility of draft day trades and the team’s strategy for utilizing their picks is also discussed.

Finally, they touch on the status of player extensions for Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs, as well as upcoming decisions on team options and free agency. The conversation covers various topics related to the Orlando Magic’s offseason plans, including potential contract extensions for current players, free agency targets, and the possibility of acquiring high-profile players like Paul George or Klay Thompson.

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[Music] Closer Closer [Music] all right all right all right welcome to another episode of the closeup I’m your host Stephen Cameron a part of the Orlando Magic HQ Network we have a really really fun episode today we got Jason Bey uh fresh from the Jeff welman interview um the media session Jeff welman gave today Monday June 24th two days before the draft um it’s it’s it’s really it’s it’s it’s a good conversation you know Jeff is interesting because he says a lot without saying a all like really anything and so like Jason and I are kind of like trying to figure out really what they’re thinking as best as we can in this conversation um you know Jason does a great job with his coverage of the magic over on Orlando Sentinel um in Orlando Sports uh it’s just it’s just a really good conversation with we have so make sure you go give him a follow on um on Twitter on X you’ll find all of his content there um and he’s at you know all the magic practices and media sessions and things like that um before we get into that conversation shout out to the HQ team we got a lot of content coming up I believe there’ll be multiple podcast episodes this week with this podcast on Tuesday and then you can expect the Orlando Magic HQ Flagship show with Alan Anthony coming out on Friday which will be after the draft so you’ll have draft reactions um an early free agency talk with them on Friday um we might even throw in a couple spaces things and we got our man Brett just throwing down YouTube content over and over again with different free agents that could happen and And Trades that could happen so check those out we’re blasting content out for you guys um this podcast is brought to you by bet online your number one source for all sports betting needs this season from baseball golf soccer right to all the top fights on UFC MMA and boxing every stat every matchup every live odds and spreads while the games are going on it’s pretty cool because you Everything’s changed you can do it all while the games and matches are being played when the game’s over head over to our online casino and get in on the game of blackjack or poker and unwind with one of with one of their 150 slot casino machines it’s kind of crazy how many options that bet online has has for you if you want to be playing those types of games it’s a lot of fun um head over to the website today get in on the action use promo code believe that’s bav for your 50% welcome bonus on your first deposit bet online where the game starts this podcast is represented by believe podcast Network let’s get to this episode with Jason B of the Orlando Sentinel thank you all right everyone like I said we got Jason Bey of the Orlando Sentinel Jason what’s going on man welcome to the show how you doing good good it’s been uh it’s been a minute since I was on the show I think the last time I talked to you was during the season uh right around my first road trip on the beat which was exciting and since then just uh it was a great first year on the beat just a lot of fun obviously experiencing the playoffs was you know just just so unique and special and uh it was it was a great season do you feel like going into year two covering the team things are like you’re you’re you’re feeling a little bit different than you were when we first talked you know uh at the beginning of the season last year oh absolutely I mean in so many different ways um I took over the beat like the day after the draft really I don’t think it was announced for a couple weeks but like I sort of started doing some work at that time and just the mental space I’m in the experience I have under my belt the relationships I’ve developed with players the coaches the staff uh everyone in between uh I’m excited it’s not like I wasn’t excited before but there was like that nervous that angst that you know that unsettling feeling of what’s going to happen next but and I still don’t know exactly but uh certainly I’m in a in a better space for sure and uh just just feel way more prepared way more uh excited you know now I can really just now I can really just jump into it and just work so it was a it was an awesome year it was it was really great the team was a great group of guys and um just really blessed to be in this up to be in this this spot right now well I know we all love the the the the the the contributions you made to covering the team last year and it’s it’s I imagine it’s only going to continue to grow just as you know you’re not a rookie in this game anymore you’re you’re you’re the seasoned vet and ready to come out firing and that was right I remember you got uh you joined right around the draft time like the rookie the the the summer league was you know part of your your early covering so this whole off season will kind of be like your second offseason with the team which will be pretty sweet um speaking of offseasons we are recording this on Monday June 24th in the afternoon Jeff welman just had a kind of a surprise media session you know a couple days before the draft uh draft being on Wednesday June 26 um how did you feel about this media session today just kind of you know we kind of I feel like it was expected that we were going to hear from him before the draft he he does that kind of annually but it wasn’t really announced until this morning um how did you feel about just you know going into this morning’s media session and and now like afterwards it’s been a few hours you’ve been able to consume the information a bit more just how you feeling about all that yeah first of all it was great to be back in the facility I mean it was kind of like the playoffs ended and we all kind of took a little bit of a a month and a half Break um we did see some of the guys uh over in the one of the training rooms I think Caleb was there Anthony black is all for sure a couple couple other guys may have been in the back or whatever but uh just to be back in there was was was cool kind of getting back into the swing of things like I said before but uh yeah I think the biggest takeaway from our conversation with Jeff was just basically like this is a different draft than the last few years um you know this is the first time they’re outside the lottery since 2020 when they took Cole Anthony number 15 that was just outside the lottery but outside regardless uh at number 18 it’s such an interesting draft I think there’s been a lot of conversation about how this draft isn’t very strong that was something we asked Jeff about but the overall thing I guess he talked about was just that this is a different year the draft for the magic uh which shows the progress of the rebuild shows how much how far the teams come how far the Frise has come especially since the arrival of Jamaal Mosley um and and you know I think even last year we talked after they picked Anthony black and Jed Howard that you know young guys are going to have have to earn their playing time we saw a little bit of that those two rookies took different Paths of course but whoever they drafted 18 certainly is going to have to work really hard to find their way into the rotation because you look at such a already young roster adding another Young Piece to the mix is is intriguing and we asked him about if if that’s something the team even needs he talked about that but just I think the overall takeaway is just uh Jeff admitted just and and spoke at length different times and different uh viewpoints just how different this draft is for the magic and not being in the lottery for the first time in quite some time he mentioned you know as you said it’s a different draft but he used um words specifically about needing to calibrate how they approach it right he said calibrate twice approach uh a couple of times when they when they addressed it at the start and at the end what do you think that really means like when when it like is he talking about hey maybe we’ll take best player available here maybe we’ll maybe like what do you really think he is trying to say when he says we have to re like recalibrate how we approach the draft since we’re picking at 18 and where the team is at because in his comments about you know needing to recalibrate it was in addition to you know we’re in a different place as a team now they have their Foundation they have their core players um you know they’re not they’re not their goal is not to continue to like be in the lottery they want to meet and exceed where they were at this past year so I I’m just trying to understand how do you think how you interpreted those specific like elements when when he was breaking down um like his draft thoughts yeah I think you know I I I think Jeff’s not one to share too much about anything specifically right I think we know that for him to you know to say a whole lot of words but not necessarily mean anything um but with that said I don’t think the magic are reworking how they view their prospects like like their process is probably the exact same um you know in terms of background checks in terms of understanding who they could potentially pick um I think Jeff said it again today the person is just as important as the player to the franchise and same goes with free agency they’re not going to add someone who has some some tough history or or or off the court problems like they’re still looking to add someone who can represent the Orlando Magic the same way recent draft picks the same way recent frasin have done so in the past um you know I think Jeff said today that they’ve been working on this draft since last year’s draft ended um so in terms of like the preparation for the draft I don’t think he means recalibrate in that sense but I think recalibrate the expectations um and and maybe they did that a little bit last year we saw jet Howard spend most of the year uh with the G League I don’t think anyone expected that to a certain degree uh certainly once the season began and became clear he wasn’t part of the rotation it wasn’t as surprising of course but um you know the fact that they’re not in the lottery pick they’re probably not drafting someone who’s you know 18 19 years old um unless something unless someone Falls of course but if if if things go as plan um I think a pick where you know maybe they’re a little bit older um or you can look at the other way maybe they maybe they DRFT someone really young and they and they see how Jet Howard had success and they go well this worked for him I think we can you know go down that same path as well but I think 18 you’re not getting that top tier Talent right you’re not getting Lottery Talent let alone top 10 pick um you you’re getting a player who maybe teams overlooked I think there’s been great value at 18 over the years um you know someone who’s on the roster now that the magic didn’t pick goo pataz was an 18 number 18 pick uh back in the day for Indiana um but there’s been other you know I think later round later picks in the first round tend to be guys who you know you look at Derrik livley last year I think he was 16 or 17 for Dallas he didn’t look like a rookie this year um helping them you know being part of that finals run but um yeah I think when he says recalibrate I think it’s just more so expectations rather than process that’s fair I think that’s that’s what he means more than anything else yeah I get that that that makes a lot of sense it’s it’s interesting because you know we I would not be surprised if Pi a 18 assuming it’s used is sent into the G league for the majority of the year I think we all as as fans and media have to readjust our expectations on how players are used um within their first early years just by what we saw with jet last year we saw the team be depleted with injuries and he was not you know during certain sections and he was not called up to be part part of that rotation um you know whether that was the right call the wrong call uh but but I would not be surprised if if if that happens again with with pick 18 you know spend your first years working with the G league and and you know getting a little bit of garbage time here and there as it’s appropriate for for the Magic roster but at the same point you know you mentioned maybe they’re they’re drafting someone who’s a second or third year player a little bit more polished of a player um might be able to come in and and and fill a a rotation spot a little bit easier in a very specific role and that’s where I think I wonder hm could we see them draft a little bit more for positional um fit Dynam you know roster building you granted you can only do that so well considering free agency is after this and and that could the whole team the team Dynamic could change with free agency um but I do feel like maybe there’s going to be a part of that do you do you think their approach as far as best player available or or fit is going to be taken that was asked in this press conference today um what was your takeaways with his response that to that yeah I think uh I I think I’m pulling up the quote now exactly just so he can reference it he said you’d love to have a luxury you have you’d love to have the luxury to draft off need the further down the draft the Slimmer the odds are finding players who you believe will have meaningful NBA careers so you’re kind of dealing with all those different levels if it winds up that the players addresses your needs it it basically means that you’re you’re doing pretty good research on on your picks like I think at 18 specifically you know going off that quote it seems to me like the way he said it um if they get the right guy who addresses the needs which they have multiple needs of um and then also has some sort of upside they’re probably going to get picked before 18 um so I I think when he said that it was kind of just like you know they obviously do research on who could be drafted probably anywhere from 14 to 20 you know there there’s there’s a range and I think this draft specifically is so interesting where there are a lot of guys who could go anywhere from 14 to 20 um who the magic end up at 18 it I’ve seen tons of different projections obviously there are some guys who have more PLL than others towards the Magic based on you know speculation or whatnot but um yeah I think when you’re talking about need versus best available it seemed like he kind of said that where where they’re drafting an 18 getting need is probably not the way they’re going to go not because they want to go that way but just because the reality the situation where they find themselves at 18 um but I I still think you can find a player you know if they want if it’s available to to address some needs um but with that said it’s like okay you know they need more shooting well that’s kind of what jet Howard is going to provide at some point so um it’s it’s interesting to see how they how they juggle having someone who already spent a year in the G League having a young guy like like Anthony black as well in that mix and and how they go about this draft is is interesting but um yeah I think that best available versus the needs it really just depends on how the cookie cookie crumbles right yeah that makes a lot of sense and it’s and it’s interesting too because like you know even if they feel a need it doesn’t mean they’re necessarily going to be on the floor playing you know jet Howard in theory filled a shooting need last year but he spent a whole you know a whole year in the G League uh and that’s and I asked I asked Jeff about jet I mean I I said is is is I he actually spoke more about jet that I anticipated I don’t think um I I wasn’t exactly asking for questions about jet I was more so asking about you know how does that knowing that it was knowing that it was successful how does that impact this year’s draft and he kind of went a different route at first he did come back around and say that it was part of the process that you know hey look we just had a guy spend a whole year in the G G League um you know that that was successful I think also going back to the the person just as important as the player not too many guys who were lottery picks are going to be thrilled with spending the year in the g- league right I mean I think jet was a Pros Pro this entire year every time he was in the magic locker room which was rare every time he was in there I tried to talk with him and he would always be professional about the situation I don’t know how he felt truly but at the same time I think he was still overall pleased I don’t think it was hiding anything um but what he what jet what Jeff did say about jet uh and that and that process is it is something that they take into consideration for sure especially at 18 yeah yeah that makes sense and I can only imagine you know with the with the second pick uh what 47 like we can just assume that is a g-league player two-way you know potentially two-way roster if they even use it at this point you know I I mean this is just based on like no reporting no Insight information at all like just just putting out there so I don’t get aggregated it would be just me personally my opinion is it would just be surprising if they used the 47 pick like number one based on history they don’t use second round picks a whole lot obviously they took kid Houston but they created last year I mean we’re talking about whether they not whether or not they need a guy at 18 let alone two guys I mean again if if they I will say this and maybe you can ask about um you know the fact that the second round is on a on the second night changes things that’s interesting but um yeah adding two young players to the mix would be surprising to my opinion at least but like you said they could do a lot of things at that second round pick totally you know they could they could trade it in a in a package they could um you know I look at our current two ways you know you have Admiral scoffield who can’t come back he’s he’s reached his time um you have uh Kon Harris who is at the end of his two-year uh two-way contract and and didn’t get any meaningful playing time last year with the with the roster even when there was needs that he potentially could have felt so kind of seems like unless he was just injured that whole season it kind of seems like his writing is on the wall it seems like they very easily could bring back Trevin Queen on another twoa and you know maybe give Mack a spot um but you know it I could see like okay maybe they use 47 for a two-way and just kind of vibe it out that way and see how that works um but yeah I also you know given their track work on how they Ed second round picks I wouldn’t be surprised if they they didn’t use it at all um yeah you know we’ll see now just speaking of Trades and usage do you get the sense that they’re open to draft day trades if the right one comes available and potentially might not even be picking in the first round like kind of what’s your thoughts a little bit less about the the pick and the player that might come with it but just the overall strategy of how they might even utilize the pick um if they even use it yeah I didn’t ask Jeff directly like if that’s in consideration knowing that he probably wouldn’t have said much at all like I’m sure you listened to it I asked about negotiations with current FR agents they were able to start talking after the the day after the NBA Finals he didn’t say much at all he didn’t even name the players but um I thought that was interesting yeah I I I considered asking about trades I just knew that it wasn’t going to go anywhere so save save us some time but you know with that said I think with this draft already not being quote unquote strong however you want to view that he talked about that that this draft for some Recon has that narrative around it that rhetoric out there that you know we don’t even know who the number one pick’s going to be and that’s not because there’s options just because the lack of options at the top that you know let alone compared to Victor Bama’s year you look at pao’s year and the options at the top every single one of those guys could have gone one obviously we know that Pao is the best of the bunch and and Chet’s right there as well um and Jabari Smith seems to be developing along the way but this year’s draft it’s so wide open at the top let alone in the middle of the draft I’m not sure if the number 18 pick has a lot of value I mean it still is a young Prospect and if a team feels the need to move up you know I’m sure the magic aren’t going to hold their hands behind their back and say we really want this guy at 18 um with that said I I I still think there’s value there I still think the magic could probably benefit from finding someone uh maybe an older PR ECT maybe you know maybe a junior senior in college who’s 23 or 24 years old that could help in some way or form um but we we’ll see what happens I haven’t heard anything um about a potential trade or or anything like that but that doesn’t mean it can happen yeah I I as I’ve been like mulling this idea of are they gonna trade I I feel like there’s like two two elements to it like I don’t know if they’ll necessarily trade up I like unless they’re just it doesn’t doesn’t sound like they don’t like this draft but it doesn’t sound like they’re they’re they’re itching to go get a spef yeah um but I think too it’s like there’s probably going to be a lot of people trying to potentially trade or you know out of this draft or or back and it’s it’s you know if someone else takes someone else’s trade that they like they that might leave the magic out of it you know and there’s there’s that um and then there also just might not be enough demand for people who want to acquire more picks within this draft and so that’s where I’m like okay maybe the only real potential option is like if it’s a big trade not just like a a oneoff you know hey I need a a team needs to move like a roleplaying veteran like we’ll do it for salary and a pick I think it’s going to be like okay this is a big trade multiple different yeah draft capitals and potential players as well to bring in this bigger player but then when it gets to a a trade that big those are so complic at just who knows if that would actually happen or if the the front office even wanting to be that aggressive so I kind of leaning that we’re going to see a new player drafted at 18 uh you know come the end of of the se you know come the end of of Wednesday night um and in the Magic roster so that’s just kind of my my current gut feelings but like you kind of have to ask because it’s you know we got two rookies right now who one when the team was healthy wasn’t really playing much and and Anthony black and the other one who didn’t see the floor at all and so it’s just it’s just kind of how do you even fit in a third one there you know or not a third one but essentially a second one if you consider jet um jet uh Howard a a rookie going into this year which some do um even though it will be a second season but um yeah just thought that would be interesting so okay let’s let’s transition so now were you talked about Jeff to you know you obviously asking the question about fr and sugs right you know like hey where you at with the player extensions there like what’s going on what was kind of like he’s classic he doesn’t say anything by saying a lot of things but what did you take away were you able to take away anything from that other than he’s like psyched with the relationship he has with their agents yeah that that wasn’t much there I don’t know what I expected him to say but um he wouldn’t even say whether the talks are good or bad um he he really declined to comment on those negotiations um the the negotiations also you know fron Vagner and jayen Suggs are up for rooki scale extensions those talks began or could have begun uh the day after the NBA Finals they also have their own free agents um and they have some decisions to make this week uh June 29th is the deadline for team options on Mo vogner and and Joe Eng Les there’s been I know I know Phil up that L mck daily has talked about you know maybe they declined Joe’s ins sign him at a met a a vet minimum or something of that nature but um it would be surprising if if they didn’t in some way or form find a way to get Mo and Joe back obviously they like both those guys and what they contributed um in different ways but that that that deadline is on the June 29th and then there’s also a deadline on June 30th uh for Caleb Houston’s Third Year it’s it needs to be guaranteed obviously they’re gonna guarantee that that would be I mean just based on based on based on just how they how they handle things that that’s a pretty easy decision to make I would say um so there was just a lot I think it was a loaded question and the answer he gave was just like a non answer um which wasn’t surprising but I I think at the same time those relationships do matter I think it’s better than having any relationship or having uh just a plain old relationship with their agents so obviously those talks are ongoing um but yeah I didn’t there wasn’t too much to take away from it because he didn’t say too much about it but I still had to ask I was just curious because there is more than the draft on on the on his mind this week I mean there there’s frency right around the corner and I think uh you know Jeff said today that the draft comes first but all of this changes on a dime and uh it comes fast and you I think they’re prepared for uh you know different scenarios to a certain degree of course I mean I’m I’m sure they’ve even had to contemplate potential trades that have have been proposed to them this week and the week before there’s been multiple trades um you know so far this this offseason already with with uh multiple maybe it was just one but the Alex Caruso and Josh giddy trade maybe there was another one I’m forgetting um but but yeah I’m sure they’ve had some phone calls and had to make decisions on that those sort of situations as well it’s it’s interesting yeah I I be hard for me not to see Mo Vagner back um you know I just just with his relationship to his brother France um Joe I would think would come back but at the same point you know Wednesday comes around and the right trade comes around and they need some salary filler those are great players to include in a in a salary filler situation for a receiving team um that might be trying to clear cap space as well so um yeah just some just some I don’t know it’s going to be interesting with those two particular I don’t get the rush that they are in a rush to extend um to Suggs and fronds like I know they probably will wasn’t it pretty late into the the time period when they uh extended coal last year was like closer to the the the deadline when is the deadline for for Suggs and or for sugs and France do you know that off the top of your head by any chance we don’t know the specific date because the schedule isn’t out yet but it’s the day before the regular it’s the day before the regular season starts so usually that’s like October 25th or October 26th like the end of October um you know um yeah I would I think they want to get the draft out of the way they want to get fre agency out of the way um you know that’s just the way based on what he said it sounded like this is their order of operations that doesn’t mean they aren’t I mean obviously they’re able to uh you know handle multiple things at once and have conversations with with different people over time but um yeah I it would make sense to to get that done you know for it to be actually done based on how they’ve handled things in the past based on what Jeff said today uh you know it’ll be and that doesn’t mean like it was a stressful situation getting it down to the 11th hour I just again go going back to the order of operations based on what he said and how they how they’re planning things that wouldn’t be surprising to me either yeah it it’s it’s probably not high on their priorities at this very moment for particularly Suggs and fron when they know they have time they have good relationships with the agents as as he said a couple of times in your response today and um and and you know I if I had to imagine they at the end of the season they said hey we love you guys we’re gonna make sure we’re all on the same page going into next season getting some extensions or you know what your long-term future with the magic looks like ma maybe there’s some rough ballpark ideas being thrown out there but they probably said hey we’ll we’ll just we’ll get into the nitty-gritty of it in the middle of July that’s that would be my that would be my guess right um but you know because that’s kind of seems how it happened with Cole last year and like you like you mentioned you know he talked about the order of operations and you know how that would play out with this too it’s interesting free agency free agency is interesting we have our own free agents um you know Gary Harris Goa baz um chumo K is a a restricted free agent what are your thoughts in those three players particularly um then we’ll move into how you think they’re going how how you think they’re operating with with the rest of the league yeah I think Gary is is really interesting because he’s another guy where you could probably get a younger version of him in the draft or or trade him to get a younger version of him or not him specifically but that that type of player um at the same time I’m not sure Gary was I mean we know he wasn’t healthy he missed a lot of games this year um yeah you know so how do you evaluate that versus the year before where he was one of the best three-point Shooters on the team if not the best um and has that veteran presence offers a cing presence um has tons of playoff experience and whatnot um I think Gary’s also a guy that you know maybe maybe he he he comes back on a on on a on a deal that’s not expensive but they they want to keep him around potentially I’m just hypothetically speaking here that you know I think Gary has value in in a team that you know obviously the Magic’s goal is to win a championship that’s not this year right that’s that’s multiple years away um I think anyone would say that but with Gary it’s like you could you could resign him and then use him as a as a piece to get something else back to another championship team that wants to win now uh just because of Gary’s experience his shooting when he’s healthy um he’s obviously a defender on the perimeter that that that knows a lot um has been in the league for quite some time and I I still think he’s important I mean obviously they added Joe Engles and whatnot but um having him around is worthwhile and I understand that you know it’s it’s it’s kind of like when your one job is to shoot and you’re not healthy and you’re not shooting well well you know what are you what are you around for um but I think they know what he is when he’s healthy and when he’s healthy he’s a really good three-point shooter um you know in terms of chumo KK it’s it’s not it’s just a tough situation I think when they drafted him there was a lot of uh you know obviously he was injured at the the time and what not he went through that recovery and he did play a lot of games obviously his role has diminished quite a bit over the years um you know that was there was that one stretch of the Season where a lot of guys were hurt or sick or whatever it was where he did get some significant playing time and whatnot but obviously he’s not he wasn’t part of the rotation um you know I without hearing anything about his situation right now I think we’d all be pretty surprised if they reworked a deal to bring him back um that’s that’s that’s just a no disrespect the Juma or anything like that I just I just wonder if he’s part of their plans long term or not it could also be one of those things where his agent goes to them and says hey even if you wanted him back we kind of are looking for a different situation where he might be able to get more playing time and Y they there’s like okay there’s nothing wrong with that wanting that either and they they go with that that option as well and you know maybe he goes to a Detroit or some other team that that depth is not as as is deep in his role where you know he’s playing behind Paulo fron ji uh Joe Engles like a a a lot of you know Jed Howard potentially could be taking minutes from him at some point so it’s just there’s a lot of players in front of him before he Wagner even gets minutes so it’s just it’s just a lot so um yeah that that makes sense now what’s what’s the feeling with Goa he’s had a little bit of Buzz in the media world where um you know there’s some some teams that think he or some people that think he could you know go sign a a solidified backup role for another team um there’s there’s a little bit of Rumblings that he maybe he’d be interested in going back overseas and playing in the Euro league as like a starter for a team or something like that um but it seems like the magic are interested in him to an extent like they they traded for or signed him after off of waivers after he was waved um then re you know resign him to a deal so I I just yeah what what do you think he’s what do you think they’re feeling with him right now yeah I think I think goo baz is an interesting commodity um I think there are a lot of teams that saw what he did this season there was even I think a lot of national media that necessarily didn’t follow the magic dayto day and saw what goo was doing and said oh they now can trade Wendell Carter Jr because of goa’s success I think goa’s success this season showed potential more than anything I think as Wendell’s injury kept him out longer and longer um and go go was forced to start and play more man it’s not forc but you know what I mean being that being in that position because Jamal Mosley wanted to keep Mo vodder with the second unit uh more than anything else I think as we saw over time there were just a lot of decisions that uh Wendell would have made differently right I think gendell’s basketball IQ is is is is really sharp and he understands what they’re trying to run more so than Goa that’s nothing against Goa I think just Wendell’s been uh you know obviously more experienced yeah more experience exactly it’s just plain and simple so I think with that said um you know it’s kind of like Cole Anthony goo baz is is a great bench player and that’s not bad that’s not a bad position to be in um I think I think given Wendell’s injury uh history given U you know mo vogner not being up starting quality um again he’s still just a a great bench player that comes off and provides them energy and takes charges and does all the dirty work and is kind of a menace on the court when he’s out there um I think keeping go go baz should be something magic want to do um it’s it’s really interesting to see a lot of teams there been a lot of reporting I think I saw a report today out of New York that saying that the Knicks would be interested in him as a backup center um and I think there’s some other teams around the league that would be interested in him so I think if you’re the mat like you know obviously you don’t have to spend a lot of money on him to a certain degree but I think keeping him in Orlando would makes a lot of sense you know during his exit interviews he made it pretty clear that uh he didn’t know what was going to happen when he got traded and cut and whatnot and he was grateful that they took a chance on him and I think people out there remember how young he is he doesn’t have a lot of experience and um you know there were there were some fans that thought he he deserved more playing time and and maybe they’re right for a portion of the year um but I think keeping him and and and whatnot is is I think that’s that should be not a priority per se compared to the other things on their table but sure um certainly something that seems that would seem important I think getting getting him back I think uh would would would be would make sense for Orlando yeah yeah I I mean he filled it nice he’s got size that some of the other centers don’t have yeah he’s a bit more traditional bit more traditional I would say yeah um yeah that’s interesting and then I I can’t believe I have any I didn’t bring him up earlier you know they have one more free agent um that we saw have an interesting year you know like he was a starter then got injured then kind of came back they tried to start him again and then got kind of shifted to the second unit and that’s where he spent the rest of the time the player I’m talking about is Marquel folz um he just reached the end of his three-year uh his last three-year contract with the magic um you know I have two thoughts one is you know he’s loved by the magic community and the magic family um with the team and important to the locker room but I also wonder like does he also potentially want to go to a team where his role might be a little bit different and not just in that second unit where he might have opportunity to become a starter again one day and things like that um just I gut check what are your what what do you think we could see with marel folz um I’m sure there interest with this front office with him but at the same point his biggest weakness is the team’s biggest need as far as shooting so just yeah what are your thoughts around Marco folz as the player with the magic next season yeah it’s interesting you know as someone who who watched the magic from afar and knew about Marquel folz and and what he went through with his shoulder and stuff I think I’ve talked about this with Philip at orando Magic daily quite a bit like the problem with marel this year was obviously his shoulder was still giving him some problems we all saw that with the he shot the ball but then also he had the knee problems so when you you know when you’re trying to lift with your knees and your shoulder also isn’t there and then neither of them are at their healthiest right um that just that just hurt him quite a bit obviously um but with that said even later in the series against Cleveland in the first round like he was pretty important in terms of you know penetrating the paint attacking the paint and whatnot and and helping in that area I think he’s another guy that’s just been been through so much in his time in the league um that has you know he’s kind of a veteran in this weird way in comparison to the rest of the Magic roster um he’s he’s a former number one pick so there’s obviously some Talent there um but I would I would imagine that if he comes back to the magic it would be on a a somewhat Team friendly deal it’s obviously not going to look like his last extension um but I think he’d be happy to come back I’m not sure if again he’s a priority for the magic per se I think they’re going to explore other options uh you know just based on his availability and whatnot but it’s it’s kind of like Gary Harris like you look at Matt you look at Marquel folz last year and the role he played last year compared to this year I think the magic do have confidence that jayen slugs can be that type of can be a point guard of sorts um and maybe they go after a shooting guard instead in for agency and they they let Jaylen be kind of that point guarder role uh but with that said I think you know you you think about what Palo banero told the Washington Post you know maybe three four weeks ago that he wants a point guard um and I think Marquel is more of a traditional point guard than anything else but he’s not healthy all the time and they need someone healthy um so again I’m not sure if he’s a priority but I think they also like him a lot he’s also really important in the locker room which which goes further than people might think so it’s an intriguing situation I also agree that um you know he could definitely help some other teams around the league um you know may maybe the San Antonio Spurs maybe the Charlotte horren like teams like that where um someone like him could could help a lot but I’m not sure if that’s what he wants I’m not I’m not sure if he wants that type of situation like I think he’s he’s I’ve asked I’ve pressed on this before like did that bug him that he went from starting uh to to to coming off the bench pretty much down the starts after the allar break and he was just like I’m I’m willing to help in any shape or form like I think this guy is just a guy that’s like happy to be on the court given what he’s gone through in his career he’s just happy to play basketball and um I think when he is healthy he’s he’s important piece for this team yeah he he’s an interesting topic you know because they’ve invested so much into him as a player and as a person um and he obviously is important to the locker room and and even what he does on the court um but you know availability was is a continued issue for this team with multiple players including Marco fzw Mo Carter Gary Harris um Jonathan Isaac guys that you know Isaac all in had a healthy season last year but you know three of their you know original starters uh you know all had major issues and you know one of them turned into the you know a second unit player with marel Foltz but um yeah they just gota they got to get healthier players and I I hope they do take that into consideration as they are building this team uh for the long term um not saying I wouldn’t be happy if Markel folz was back but but hopefully there’s some other options there that that are healthy that can can also um you know manage that or that you know that man can can stay healthy as a team um as we start to wrap up our conversation I I got to ask on just regular free agency for a moment are we signing Klay Thompson or Paul George are they on the roster in like a week or so when we are in July um to you know nice two-year contracts because that’s what the rumors have it we’re you know we’re signing one of those guys that’s what I’m that’s that’s how I’m interpreting this summer yeah I I think the Paul J situation I think Brian windhorse said today on on one of their ESPN shows that like he could potentially be traded as early as this weekend um for me based on what I know about Jeff fman based on what I know about the front office the way they work the way they talked continuity continuity continuity all last year I’m not saying they wouldn’t trade for Paul George but I think it would be surprising to me if they they blew it up and and acquired I’m not saying blow up everything but like put a lot of draft or or or future or or players do a tradeit just to get Paul George when if he opts out of his deal and becomes a free agent they can sign him they have the Capal Bas to do so um I think in terms of if he does opt out and chooses to be a free agent I think it’s less about could the magic get him but more so about is that something Paul George wants I mean he’s used to playing he’s used to playing uh you know in the L St obviously he played for the patience before but in a Los Angeles and and being that star player and when you already have someone like France and Pao like I think George be a great mentor for them but you just wonder how that would work um I think Klay Thompson is probably more intriguing of a realistic option I’m not saying Paul George isn’t realistic but it seems to be that there’s just more interest uh elsewhere around the league like like I think there’s some reporting about the Warriors potentially being interested in the 76ers making a push for Paul George like those are just those are just big big names that and obviously the magic are upcoming playoff team but they still have to prove that they can get back to the playoffs I’m not sure if going after apoll George is something that they’re ready to do right now but given where Klay Thompson is in his career I also wonder if he fits into their path I mean I remember when we were on the trade deadline I I did some reporting about you know there was some some report about Chris Paul and potentially the magic being interested and I reported at the time that based on what I gathered that I’m not sure if Chris Paul fit into the magic timeline um you know I I I think Phil and I have talked about this before as well like I’m not sure if there’s an exact answer uh for what every for what everything what everyone wants crosses a bunch of checks but I think there are some other options out there that could could definitely certainly help this team improve um you know Landing a big splash like a Klay Thompson like a Paul George a big a high profile player is exciting um you you just wonder after preaching this whole time this past year continuity I’m not saying they’re going to run it back exactly but you know continuity and considering their future and their plan um you know we also have to put in perspective that the magic almost got to the second round um who’s to say what would have happened against the Celtics I’m not sure they would have beaten the Celtics but maybe they would have made it more interesting than Cleveland did um but when you put at into perspective is is making a big move the right the right option for Orlando like that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t try to improve their roster like they have to absolutely we’ve talked about shooting we’ve talked about a Reserve Center with Wendell uh and where he fits with that and we’ve also talked about an actual point guard who can stay healthy on the court you know I’m not sure if any of those categorize Paul George exactly but it would be exciting for sure obviously so I just think there’s there’s a lot of interest in Paul George around the league um and with Klay Thompson I’m not sure I I still feel like he could return to the Golden State Warriors when when push comes to shove um you know breaking that up it it would still be kind of a shocker just the end of an error for that in that so and that’s not to say the magag aren’t going to do anything or try and add pieces or find guys to improve their roster they obviously aren’t satisfied with what happened they’ve said that time and time again I think Jeff said today that no one in the building is satisfied but there are a lot of ways to improve your team how how do you is there a couple of players that you think that are just on your radar for free agency for this roster for this team yeah I think um you know I think someone it’s it’s so interesting you ask that question that way because you know I could I think there’s like four or five names that everyone was listing in Middle leag mon until very recently was one of those guys um sure you know but you also have to think like Joe Eng Les I’m not sure if he was on anyone’s radar until it happened yeah so like obviously there are some obvious names um you know you talk about Simmons from Trailblazers and and and someone like D’Angelo Russell and some you know other other guys out there that are on on on deck or whatever it might be um that everyone’s talking about you know they they might find someone else for a lower price point that could help the team tremendously like even though Joe Engles is is older and whatnot and he still helped the team quite a bit um and I’m not saying they go for that route type of player but my point overall larger point is that there’s probably someone out there that we’re not thinking of or or or you know whatever it might be um you know a perfect example is maybe like a Luke Canard like or or or someone like that who who maybe isn’t that big splash but could still help improve the roster and and get them to the second round or even put them in a position to reach the Eastern Conference Finals I mean we have to remember that if they win game seven who knows what happens next um and imagine if they imagine if they did have just not even an All-Star point guard but just just a healthy point guard you know what happens um you know who who knows what a year another another year of improvement can do for pao and and Jaylen Suggs we saw Jaylen take a jump as a three-point shooter so um there’s just a lot of names out there and and and I think there’s also just expectations versus reality and whatnot I about to say those other guys like Malik mon can tell intends to re insign with Sacramento wasn’t on their board uh but I just think there’s just just a lot of options and a lot of Pathways that can go that they can go down yeah yeah know that makes a lot of sense um and it it very well could be something we’re not we’re not expecting you know um couple guys I got on the name on the radar you know cavius calwell Pope um you know Gary Trent Junior if he opts out both those players would obviously need to I think KP is is a pretty solid option honestly yeah a little bit better I still think I still think he’s exciting like he has Championship experience I don’t think there’s anything wrong with with with signing a player like kcp I wish he had a little bit more volume on his shooting um you know he’s still kind of in that four to five range uh of of a three threes per game and that’s very similar to what Gary Harris does um but you know he’s gonna he’s got a little bit better movement he’s a better Defender taller in size um you know and a healthier player I think in like the last five seasons he’s missed like 20 games combined or something like that it’s ridiculous how Iron Man he is his lowest M his lowest season’s played is 67 games and he has another season at 69 games and everything else he’s played like 70 games or above it’s it’s quite incredible um yeah so I was not as high on him for a little while and now I’m starting to come around to him um especially considering like they have to hit the 90% cap uh space on their on their team on the you know the usable cap space for the roster so um we’ll see but it’ll be yeah it it’ll probably be some guy I’m not even thinking about so um well Jason I really appreciate you you taken a few moments out of your day to talk with me um you know it’s a as as Jeff welman says an exciting time to be in Orlando Magic fan uh with with the draft coming up in a couple of days um free agency just around the corner and you know potential trades at any point in time so um let everyone know where they can I mean the Orlando Sentinel but do you have anything specifically you want to plug outside of go read your work on the Orlando Sentinel follow me on Twitter uh the real Bey on Twitter Orlando Sentinel Orlando sports.com is where you can find our Sports content and uh just should be a fun couple of weeks coming up and then we got summer league and then another little break and then it’s right back into it so it’s exciting for sure the cycle continues all right all right well Jason have a great day we’ll talk to you soon magic fans thanks for tuning in to another episode and we’ll talk to you soon peace go magic [Music]