The Orlando Magic are likely going to be in the market for a forward, either to resign Tobias Harris or find his replacement. Who is out there to sign?
Free agency is only a month away. The Magic will be looking to fill a whole bunch of needs on their roster to turn the corner and become a winning team. Having a coach in place was just the first step. The Draft pick at the end of the month will be the second step.
The final pieces will come in free agency. Orlando likely is not going to fill out a roster with lower-rung free agents this time around as they did last summer.
We have already gone through the point guard crop and the shooting guard crop with an eye on the Magic’s needs.
With the small forwards, the Magic might actually have a need to fill. Where they go in free agency really relies on what they do in the Draft and what they do with Tobias Harris. In both instances, the Magic could add a starter quality small forward. And that does not even get into where Aaron Gordon could potentially fit — he is a “forward” after all.
The Magic’s future at small forward seems very up in the air. This could be where the Magic look to make a bigger splash in free agency than anywhere else.
The Magic again will be limited by what they can do with Tobias Harris. But fishing for a starter could be very realistic here.
Orlando will have to look at this group very carefully and build some depth at this position at the very least.
Next: DeMarre Carroll, Atlanta Hawks
DeMarre Carroll, Atlanta Hawks
DeMarre Carroll had one of the bigger contract years of any player in the league. The contract year phenomena is a favorite storyline for players about to hit free agency, but Carroll went from 11.1 points per game to 12.6 points per game last season, but it seemed like so much more. He shot a 57.9 percent effective field goal percentage and his 3-point shooting improved to 39.5 percent on the year.
Maybe that is what happens when you start playing for a 60-win team rather than a 40-win team and go from just scratching to make the Playoffs to one of the top teams.
More than that, his Playoff numbers were even better — 14.6 points per game and a 56.8 percent effective field goal percentage.
Behind the Buck Pass
Is this just a flash in the pan? Was this just a contract year bump? What do we make of Carroll and what does that bring to his market?
Carroll is a great secondary option on an offense. He fits the 3-and-D mold, having cut his teeth in the league mostly on his defense. That did not go away, it was his offense that seemed to catch up and grab everyone’s attention this past season.
What makes Carroll such an interesting fit for a team like the Magic is that he could provide the spacing for the young guys the Magic want to build around, and he is not going to demand the ball from them. The Magic can keep giving the ball to Victor Oladipo and Elfrid Payton and have a guy like Carroll as the outlet.
That is pretty valuable. But how much are you willing to pay for it? How much is anyone?
Carroll has a certain set of skills but paying $12 million per year seems a lot for a guy who is going to be a fourth option in an offense. And there is always the chance he could fall back to his career averages outside of Mike Budenholzer’s system.
Next: Jeff Green, Memphis Grizzlies
Jeff Green, Memphis Grizzlies
Jeff Green is the kind of versatile player the Orlando Magic seem to love. He is capable of playing both forward positions. He has made his time in the NBA on the defensive end. He can provide offense when needed.
Green would have at one time been labeled the ultimate tweener. He really was similar to Aaron Gordon when he entered the league (maybe a little more developed and defined), and it took him a while to find himself in the league.
Last season for Memphis, he really found a role that suits him. He averaged 13.1 points per game in 45 games for the Grizzlies, but in his time with the Celtics early in the season, he showed he can step up and score too.
His 3-point shooting still needs some improvement — 33.2 percent last year — so he would not be a true stretch-4. You sign a guy like Green for his defensive capabilities. That fits the Magic’s roster construction at the moment.
Hoops Habit
Maybe that is not the direction the Magic should go. Green is typically the kind of player you bring in to supplement an already complete roster. That is what the Grizzlies did, and it worked out extremely well.
Green has a player option for next season and is owed about $9.5 million. He should be looking and hoping to get about that much or maybe a bit more if he hits the market.
Ultimately, he is one of those good, but not great players. Green would be solid to have as a glue guy defensively. He is not going to be a primary offensive option on a contending team. That might be what the Magic want from him should they sign a guy like him. That will not work long term.
Green is a good glue guy. The Magic might be a few years away from trying to sign a player like Green to complete their roster. And, anyways, Aaron Gordon could probably accomplish much of the same is he develops.
Next: Corey Brewer, Houston Rockets
Corey Brewer, Houston Rockets
Corey Brewer has had such a strange and interesting career.
His college pedigree was great coming out of Florida, but he struggled to find a place in the NBA. He bounced around the league for a while. He tore his ACL. And bounced around.
This past season, he finally got a featured role on a championship-caliber team and really thrived. His move to the Rockets to be more of a sixth man really bolstered his profile and gave him space to make shots and attack the basket. It seemed like his role in Houston was the more natural role for his career.
FanSided
Brewer has always been a gifted defender and a streaky shooter. We are only a season removed from Brewer dropping 50 points in a game for the Timberwolves.
No one should expect that kind of production from Brewer consistently. And no one should rely on Brewer as a primary offensive option. He is another of those players who can fit into an offense. But more importantly he contributes with his defense.
Brewer’s shooting is not particularly strong though. He is a career 29.0 percent 3-point shooter and, even with the Rockets, shot 28.4 percent from beyond the arc. A player who shoots worse than a 50 percent effective field goal percentage is typically not a great option off the bench.
Brewer has been a solid player throughout his career. But never a great one. He is a guy you want to bring off the bench and try to mix things up, hoping you roll the dice and hit the jackpot on his offense more often than not, knowing his defense will be there.
Is this the kind of player the Magic would look for to add to their small forward depth? Is he the kind of player that completes the puzzle?
In some ways, he is exactly the kind of player the Magic have favored — long, rangy athletes who focus on defense. In many ways, they already have enough of those and Brewer does not improve that much over any of them other than by his experience.
Next: Mike Dunleavy, Chicago Bulls
Mike Dunleavy, Chicago Bulls
In the realm of, “Well, we could settle for a guy like this,” there is Mike Dunleavy.
Dunleavy has done nothing but be a solid, consistent role player throughout his career. He does not quite stand out in any significant way.
His defense has always been good and solid. His offense has been consistent. He can shoot the ball and fit into a role for a team. He will start if you need him to and come off the bench if you need him to.
This has been Dunleavy’s career.
He started all 63 games he played for the Bulls this season, averaging 9.4 points per game and shooting 40.7 percent from the floor. Tom Thibodeau trusted him within his defensive structure, so that must mean something right?
This is a role player who understands what he is good at and fills the role admirably.
There are negatives though. His 9.4 points per game were the lowest of his career since his rookie season in Golden State in 2003. Worse yet, Dunleavy ended the season at 34 years old. You have to wonder how much is left in his career.
Would the Magic commit a three- or four-year deal to someone that old? That might be what it takes to get a player like Dunleavy in Orlando. And then, all of a sudden, this starts to feel like signing Channing Frye or Ben Gordon all over again.
Dunleavy can still contribute. He did a good job with the Bulls this season. But eventually it will be time to phase him to the bench. Signing Dunleavy is a very short-term thought. A quick replacement to buffer the loss of Tobias Harris or to back him up off the bench.
In a two-year timeframe, signing Dunleavy could make a lot of sense. But without the guarantee of winning, Dunleavy could be a hard guy to persuade to Orlando. It might take more money to do so. And that cuts into your flexibility.
Next: Al-Farouq Aminu, Dallas Mavericks
Al-Farouq Aminu, Dallas Mavericks
Here is another player who fits the defensive mold of players the Magic have drafted in the past under Rob Hennigan.
Aminu has made his time in the NBA on the defensive end as his offense has taken some time to catch up. How many players like that do the Magic already have?
Aminu was probably nearly out of the league before he resurrected his career with the Mavericks this past year. He came off the bench for the Playoff-bound Mavericks while on a minimum salary and earned every minute and a trusted role on the team.
With Dallas again thinking about using some of their cap room for a major free agent yet again, Aminu could easily fall through the cracks and get signed by another team looking for a bargain spot starter.
Aminu remains a sub-30 percent 3-point shooter. Any offense you can get from him is a bonus, and he will not particularly spread the floor. Aminu is a glue guy for a team that already has shooters. That is decidedly not the Magic.
Next: Kyle Singler, Oklahoma City Thunder
Kyle Singler, Oklahoma City Thunder
Kyle Singler was cruising along to becoming a great second-round steal for the Pistons. He was shooting the ball well, and his size gave defenses problems.
Then the 2015 season happened. Singler shot 38.6 percent from the floor for the season. His upward trajectory seemed to have completely stopped and the guarantee of a new contract seems to have retracted pretty quickly.
In other words, teams are seeing why he was a second round pick.
Thunderous Intentions
And if you are a stretch-4 type and Stan Van Gundy is sending you out, that says something. Right?
Singler, at the end of the day, is an overachieving second round pick. He is good for a little less than 10 points per game, but can shoot the ball decently if you give him the space. His defense probably leaves a lot to be desired too.
This is a player you sign for added depth, but probably not to be a starter.
There is no reason to think Singler’s season was nothing more than a blip on the radar. Maybe he just did not click with Van Gundy and his style or offense. He certainly did not click with the Thunder after he was traded there.
Singler will probably get another shot somewhere. He might even get a nice bump up in salary or two years guaranteed.
Orlando might be looking for a backup small forward who can shoot. That would be Singler. He is not a guy that can fill in as a starter long term though. But Singler could be a nice role player to add.
Next: Should the Orlando Magic restructure their front court?