An early look at Orlando Magic 2017 Free Agency
Honorable Mentions
To round out this preview, here are some other names that might be of interest.
Tyler Ennis and Shelvin Mack — bench point guards for the Los Angeles Lakers and Utah Jazz, respectively – could be worth a tiny gamble if the Magic miss on other point guard targets in the draft and free agency. Both are relatively young, both have offered limited contributions and both have room to improve. Neither are ready to start, but if Elfrid Payton is the starter going forward, that is okay.
The Detroit Pistons’ Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is your quintessential 3-and-D 2-guard. He can handle the ball a bit, too, making him a potential fit for the Magic and plenty of other teams. But the Nets will probably offer him a max contract, which Orlando will not be able to offer with thier current cap room. While they do need to continue acquiring talent, maintaining flexibility is just as important.
For that same reason, New Orleans Pelicans’ point guard Jrue Holiday and the Toronto Raptors’ Kyle Lowry are probably also off the table.
The Spurs’ Patty Mills also would be a great fit. He is a point guard who can start or come off the bench, play off the ball, shoot, cut and energize. But if Tony Parker’s injury is indeed career-ending, San Antonio will do everything in its power to retain Mills. He might end up out of reach for most other teams, but it depends on how the Spurs approach their offseason.
J.J. Redick, shooting guard for the LA Clippers, would add a new dimension to the Magic offense if he wanted to return to Orlando. He is great at moving off the ball to get good looks at threes and mid-range jumpers. He is also an underrated defender.
But again, he might not be worth the money for the Magic. There is no sense in investing a considerable amount of cap room into players who do not move the needle. Redick’s reputation will likely earn him a solid payday elsewhere.
Otto Porter had a breakout year for the Washington Wizards, evolving into one of the best 3-point shooters in the NBA. He deserves credit, but so does John Wall for finding him for great looks and Marcin Gortat for setting the best screens in the league.
Because he is not as great at creating for himself as he is spotting up, Porter might not fare as well elsewhere.
And, because he is a restricted free agent, the Wizards will have a leg up on signing him. He is sure to attract a lot of interest around the league and may end up too costly for a Magic team that should not overinvest in a subpar roster.
At the end of the day, the Magic probably will seek low-risk, moderate-reward signings — as they should.
Next: Jeff Weltman's first task with Orlando Magic is rebuilding their culture
Last season proved there is no sense in cashing in all the organization’s chips on a roster whose ceiling is a 7 or 8 seed. The next few years should be characterized by patience and prudence in the process of building towards a serious contender.