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Orlando Magic Daily Mailbag Volume 13: No such thing as a free agent

By Philip Rossman-Reich

Feb 21, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic head coach Scott Skiles huddles up with center Nikola Vucevic (9) and teammates against the Indiana Pacers during the second half at Amway Center. Indiana Pacers defeated the Orlando Magic 105-102. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 21, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic head coach Scott Skiles huddles up with center Nikola Vucevic (9) and teammates against the Indiana Pacers during the second half at Amway Center. Indiana Pacers defeated the Orlando Magic 105-102. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks, Marreese Speights, Golden State Warriors
Feb 22, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks center Al Horford (15) is fouled by Golden State Warriors center Marreese Speights (5) during the second half at Philips Arena. The Warriors defeated the Hawks 102-92. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /

From Andrew Chavez, via Facebook:

"I don’t know how, so I’ll leave my question on here and hope it gets answered. I actually have two. Who do you think the magic have a real chance at signing this summer? And who out of this team will be with this the magic long term?"

We will get into this in a little more detail soon and certainly after there is some clarity following the Draft. But this is a real question facing the Magic this offseason.

With the Magic trading Tobias Harris to the Detroit Pistons, they very clearly signaled they were ready to cash in some chips and move forward. They could not get anyone valuable in exchange for Harris and opted to pick up cap room instead. That is not likely going to sit unused.

The first part to the Magic’s summer — probably the most essential part — is picking which players to move forward with. This is the big decision. It affects the Magic’s free agency decisions and really the entire course of the franchise. We already have a ton of articles discussing this and a few podcasts where we really talk about.

The decision is so difficult, I feel like I am playing both sides when I talk to readers and followers on Twitter. I have not made a decision. And there are so many to make.

I have styled it as a Victor Oladipo or Evan Fournier decision. But it could easily be an Oladipo or Elfrid Payton decision. Or it could be a Nikola Vucevic decision. There are a lot of moving parts.

What is important to remember this summer is that really no player is safe.

So to answer that second question first. I think Aaron Gordon and Mario Hezonja are the safest players on the roster. They have the most untapped potential and the most value on the roster. After him, Elfrid Payton is probably pretty safe — there just are not any better replacements seemingly available in a weak point guard free agnet market.

Oladipo probably comes next. I imagine Fournier will get somewhere near $18 million per year as a free agent. And the only way Orlando trades Oladipo is if they get a star in return.

I think the Magic as currently constructed will find things difficult in free agency. They do not have any established stars to attract an established player to come here. They will have to take a risk on a young player if they go that route.

The Magic will likely target Al Horford and miss out on him. Then they will likely settle (and that might be too pejorative) for Harrison Barnes or Chandler Parsons. They are both fine players who can contribute and help this team, but may not push the needle. They come with risks.

More likely, the Magic will really push to make a trade at the Draft using Nikola Vucevic (probably the most likely player to be dealt on the roster among the core) to acquire a more established player. This is where that Jimmy Butler rumor comes into play.

If that happens, then they can step up a weight class in pursuing free agents.

Next: Sign and Trade