Orlando Magic Rumors: What Orlando Magic’s Interest in Kosta Koufos Means
The Orlando Magic are still seeking to round out its frontcourt rotation and that may make seven-footer Kosta Koufos one of the more attractive names on the market.
According to Aris Karkas of Eurohoops.net, the Magic are one of three teams interested in free agent Kosta Koufos.
The Orlando Magic struggled on the glass this season. The team averaged 41.8 rebounds per game, also getting 10 offensive boards per game. Adding a big body that can help out on the boards is imperative.
While Dewayne Dedmon did a good job rebounding, he and Nikola Vucevic need additional help in filling the paint. Orlando needs another bruising body, particularly one on the defensive end.
The reported interest the Magic are showing in Kosta Koufos is not short of implications:
1) It means that the Magic likely will not bring back Kyle O’Quinn, for starters.
2) Dedmon will likely not serve as Vucevic’s immediate backup. Koufos is drawing interest from Sacramento and Boston, as well, though the Memphis Grizzlies will desire to retain him.
3) The likelihood of drafting Willie Cauley-Stein decreases (but not to zero).
Koufos wants to start, and that would not happen in Orlando unless the Magic slid Vucevic to the 4-spot. Vucevic is too slow to cover many NBA 4s, but in certain lineups the duo could play alongside one another. It would not be the quickest unit, but having two big bodies may deter some penetration.
The fact Koufos would not receive the majority of starts, though, may impact Orlando’s leverage. There is not really any way to promise him a starting role over Vucevic who nearly made the All-Star team.
What the Magic do have, however, is enough cap room to sign Koufos. It would represent the smaller, incremental improvement that is far more likely this offseason than the Magic making a major splash.
Koufos, 26, is also entering his prime, yet still young enough that the Magic could look to him as the long-term solution to its backup center spot.
Does this have further implications?
Yes, it does.
If the Koufos rumor is true, it means the Magic may have theirintentions on a more NBA-proven talent than selecting an unproven big in the NBA Draft.
With Koufos on board, the probability of the Magic taking Willie Cauley-Stein would decrease. There is only a need for so many seven-footers on the roster.
While Cauley-Stein can play the 4-spot, the Magic are going to want at least one natural power forward on the roster. Given that Aaron Gordon is more of a combo forward, the Magic would still be looking at an imbalanced roster regardless of what it does in that situation.
But Boston and Sacramento certainly cannot promise Koufos a starting role either. The Celtics have Tyler Zeller improving, Jared Sullinger having shown a good bit of promise, and stretch-5 Kelly Olynyk, who had a nice sophomore season.
All three are arguably better than Koufos.
The Kings, of course, have All-Star DeMarcus Cousins there to receive the bulk of minutes at center, but he could easily slide to power forward and pair with Koufos.
Koufos is durable, though. He has played 80 or more games in each of the past three seasons, the best of which was an eight-point, seven-rebound year with the Denver Nuggets in 2013. Following that season, the Nuggets traded him to the Grizzlies.
Thus far, the Nuggets have lost that deal, having acquired Darrell Arthur and Joffery Lauvergne.
What does Koufos bring to the table?
Koufos has proven himself a reliable big in the league.
Koufos provided great relief behind Marc Gasol in the postseason this year for the Grizzlies. He averaged 3.4 points and 3.5 rebounds while shooting 54.8 percent from the field. Though Koufos only saw 11.5 minutes per game, he averaged 10.5 points and 11.1 boards per-36. It shows he plays at a high level, though he is far too foul prone to see major minutes.
Per-100 possessions, Koufos averages 5.7 fouls, and that is actually the best he has done in his NBA career, with every other season being 6.4 fouls or more. He reaches, that is to say.
Koufos also does not provide much more shot blocking than Nikola Vucevic, so the Magic would continue to have its second unit attacked by penetration. It may even render Dedmon on the court extensively, though he is foul prone too.
However, Koufos was much better as a rim protector — allowing 46.9 percent on field goals at the rim according to NBA.com.
Koufos of course comes with flaws, but he has been a good backup since coming out of Ohio State in 2008 and being selected No. 23 overall in the 2008 Draft. He has soft touch around the basket and is even a passable post option for a second unit.
He shoots 50 percent from the floor and 64 percent from the free-throw line. He is strong and he finishes very well at the basket, dunking hard and using the glass well on shorter shots. He’s an adequate and capable starter, if Vucevic were to experience injuries.
But “passable” play in the second unit is exactly what a team wants, a guy who can hold the unit together until Vucevic is fresh to take the court again. Given the team’s lack of time distributed to Kyle O’Quinn and Channing Frye’s failure of a season, it would not be surprising to see the Magic and Koufos end up coming to terms, or at least having mutual interest.