I like this trade. The first is for getting rid of Leonard. As for McCollum, I am almost getting to the point where I think his contract, compared to who he is, is almost as bad as Turner's. Seems Gordon would be a better fit, even if he has faults. And he has the declining $ contract.
Apparently some guys like him:
Aaron Gordon is an athletic marvel.
Remember when he jumped over the Magic mascot while putting the ball underneath his legs in the 2016 dunk contest? I wouldn’t blame you for not watching the Magic, but Gordon makes similarly intoxicating athletic plays during games:
With Gordon’s speed, ballhandling skill, and vertical explosiveness, you’d think the Magic would want to play fast to maximize those abilities. That has not been the case. The Magic play at a snail’s pace under new head coach Steve Clifford, ranking 29th in possession time after turnovers, 28th after made shots, and 15th after rebounds, per Inpredictable. Clifford modernized his offense last season with the Hornets, but he’s back to his old ways in his first year in Orlando. Opportunities for Gordon to show off his bounce have been limited.
The league has noticed. In an informal survey I conducted among sources on players most deserving of a role change, Gordon was the most common answer. Two executives said he could be used as a transition starter like
Pascal Siakam is for the Raptors—and it’s clear why as soon as you see him he sprint up the floor or handle the rock. Another said there’s still some modern Blake Griffin in his game that’s still untapped. To unlock these skills, though, the Magic need to start playing faster.
Gordon isn’t quite great enough of a scorer or playmaker to warrant being
the man, but even the opportunities he’s getting in a smaller role have been marginalized. Gordon is playing a large chunk of his minutes at small forward with Jonathan Isaac at the 4, and Clifford structured the system to play through center Nikola Vucevic. Gordon’s all-around game allows him to shape-shift into different roles, but his skills are best suited for the small-ball 4, where he can attack mismatches as a playmaker by running pick-and-rolls or set screens and pop or roll. Gordon is a lob threat off the ball, and he’s turned into a solid spot-up shooter, hitting 37.8 percent of his catch-and-shoot 3s since the start of last season. Without a system that maximizes his strengths in the open floor or the half court, it’s possible that Gordon won’t find his true self until he’s on a team that plays fast.
With a four-year, $80 million contract that declines in salary each season, he should be an appealing trade target for teams willing to take a swing on a player who’s shown flashes but hasn’t put it all together. It might be in the Magic’s best interest to someday make a move if the return is strong, but Gordon could make them regret it.
That might be the literal end for me. I would be inclined to never watch another game of basketball!
