Tobias Harris may be the Orlando Magic’s odd man out

This summer is critical for the Magic and the biggest decision to be made is whether to keep restricted free agent Tobias Harris or let him go.

At some stage, a rebuilding team gets to a point in its talent acquisition timeline where they have to make tough choices. This offseason is that “Crossing the Rubicon” moment for Magic general manager Rob Hennigan.

It seems like this season has been building toward one of those tough decisions on restricted free agent Tobias Harris. While his early season play drew some initial buzz, difficulties with the offensive rhythm emerged as Victor Oladipo shook off the rust from an injury that sidelined him for the first eight games.

Harris will be a hot commodity on the summer market, but that does not mean he is necessarily a player the Magic should retain.

Building the next contender in Orlando now is all about fit from here on out as the team begins to focus less on talent acquisition and more on winning and making the Playoffs. The Magic have three borderline All-Star talents in Oladipo, Elfrid Payton and Nikola Vucevic that are here to stay unless a clear upgrade becomes available.

The most glaring needs to compensate for the weaknesses of that trio at this point are shooting and someone to alter shots at the rim. Harris has improved as a shooter, but does not really offer high-level ability in either of the aforementioned areas.

That is not to say that Harris is not a useful player.  He certainly is a good player, but also someone who could prove to be more valuable alongside another franchise’s parts.

This past week, Grantland’s Zach Lowe basically said as much in his piece that attempted to paint the picture for the Magic’s path to contention.

"Harris has improved his corner 3, but he’s spent a lot of his time at power forward, and his skill set runs a bit counter to the drive-and-kick system Orlando envisions. Harris can be a ball stopper, and he doesn’t grind on defense like Payton, Oladipo, or Gordon."

Payton and certainly Oladipo are going to continue to improve as shooters, but Orlando needs to start turning the corner and cannot afford to hold the offense back with players who do not fit around their foundation building blocks. Even though he is only 22, Harris seems to be that player who could find himself on the outside looking in this summer.

Ultimately, the final decision on Harris will center on money and, to a lesser extent, the NBA Draft.  If a talent like Duke’s Justise Winslow is available where the Magic are picking, he could be looked at as a better small forward fit for the team.

The list of suitors for Harris looks robust now, but how that develops over the summer will be telling. Basketball Insiders’ Steve Kyler asserts that Orlando has a fairly high dollar value placed on the player they mined out of obscurity in Milwaukee.

Still, if a team like the Los Angeles Lakers or Harris’ hometown New York Knicks take their likely swings and misses on top-tier free agents, the temptation to open the bank on a secondary player might loom too large. It is at that very moment that the Magic and Harris could come to the conclusion they are better apart.

Next: Victor Oladipo has improved his jumper, now he wants respect