@OMagicDaily do you think both tobias and kyle will be back next season? And what do you think they are going to do with moe?
— Just Jazz (@jazzoobest) March 26, 2015
These are the big questions this summer for sure.
The Tobias Harris question is the big one this summer. His market seems to be creating itself now — at around $13 million — and the Magic seem willing to match up to that amount. But we will see exactly how things shape up.
Harris has had a strange season. Ultimately, as the last question suggested, I think his role is as a sixth man. That does not seem to be a role he is prepared to take on right now. He seems to want something more. And you do not pay $13 million for a bench player.
So it would seem someone is prepared to make a pretty big commitment to Harris.
The fact is, I do not think anyone has a good handle on exactly what Harris is worth. And they certainly are not going to be willing to pay whatever it is the Magic are willing to match.
It seems to me, Harris is destined to sign his qualifying offer and hit unrestricted free agency in 2016. This could be very bad for the Magic as they will still be planning their entire summer as if they will spend $13 million on him, thus handicapping their spending for the entire summer.
Or maybe not. Maybe they know already how much cap room they want to have relative to this year’s cap and are just going to plan around Harris and his free agent situation.
O’Quinn’s situation is a little bit more precarious, however.
I would have said earlier in the year that he would have gotten something like a three-year, $15-$18 million contract. Now, I am not so sure. And if he ends up coming in the $10-$13 million total range, I am not so sure the Magic do not match just to retain the asset.
Dewayne Dedmon has almost certainly made Kyle O’Quinn expendable and so the amount the Magic are willing to match in free agency this summer might be decreasing too. At some point the Magic have to pick and choose who is part of the future and who is not. O’Quinn may become that first casualty.
So if you ask me now, I say Harris is still with the team next year and O’Quinn is playing elsewhere.
As for Maurice Harkless? He is kind of stuck with the Magic right now. He has to work hard this summer and hope he impresses the new coach. This is a very big summer for Harkless and his future career in the NBA.