Tobias Harris re-signing is great news for the Magic
The Orlando Magic have invested four-years and $64 million in Tobias Harris. Now Harris can begin paying them back.
The somewhat unexpected re-signing of Tobias Harris, as well as the drafting of Mario Hezonja with the fifth overall pick has made the Orlando Magic’s wing situation very interesting.
Harris was inked to a four-year, $64 million deal to stay in Orlando, a deal that will allow the Magic plenty of options over the next few seasons regarding the rotation.
With Victor Oladipo and Harris both looking to lock down the wing spots once again, that frees up Hezonja to be the third wing rather than starting at the three in his first year. His development can now be approached as more of a “watch, learn and apply” method rather than the “try until it works” approach that many rookies and teams are forced into using because of a lack of depth.
Hezonja can now be more selective with his shots and be a situational scorer while he gets used to playing defense at an NBA speed.
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New head coach, Scott Skiles may not have to play Harris at the power forward as much as he was there last season, as Aaron Gordon will likely see increased minutes and improvement, and Channing Frye will be back to be a versatile stretch-4 who will hopefully find his previously-stout defensive ability.
Courtesy of the front office’s determination to convert Oladipo into a point guard at his career’s inception, Skiles will also have the option of going super-sized with Oladipo, Hezonja, Harris, Frye and Nikola Vucevic allowing for versatility on defensive switches and a Stan Van Gundy-like offense of which Magic fans are quite familiar featuring the 4-out/1-in sets he favored with a true stretch-4.
Quite possibly the simplest yet most significant thing Harris will bring back to Orlando with him though, is his potential and youth.
If you tell me you have a 22-year-old who averaged 17 points and six rebounds per game, I would say he is a future star on the rise. Harris may not ever be a bona fide NBA star, but he definitely has the potential to be one. His defense needs to improve as it has done over each season but Harris has the potential to lead Orlando if he puts in the necessary work and continues to improve each season for as long as he can.
Not many players are given the opportunity Harris has to grow into a star rather than be dumped from team to team because he did not impress immediately.
Harris was traded to an organization that appears to be content with player development in a league that has gone more and more in the direction of instant gratification.
In a way, Paul Millsap electing to remain with the Atlanta Hawks could be a blessing in disguise. It afforded Orlando the financial capability to cash in on three years of allowing Harris to blossom while giving him the opportunity to earn a paycheck he sought out and deserves.
Though it is true Harris will not address the need at power forward or provide a stable bench, he can turn into the kind of player that a team can rely on every night.
The Magic gave Harris his payday, and in turn, Harris will surely make good on the investment. He at least will give Skiles plenty of options to find the right way to use him within the team.