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2017 Orlando Magic Free Agency Preview: The Point Guards

By Philip Rossman-Reich

Dec 6, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Orlando Magic guard Elfrid Payton (4) dribbles as Washington Wizards guard Trey Burke (33) defends during the second quarter at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 6, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Orlando Magic guard Elfrid Payton (4) dribbles as Washington Wizards guard Trey Burke (33) defends during the second quarter at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Darren Collison, Sacramento Kings
Mar 1, 2017; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Darren Collison (7) dribbles past Brooklyn Nets guard Randy Foye (2) during the first quarter at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports /

Darren Collison, Sacramento Kings

Per Game Table
Season Age Tm G MP FG% 3P% eFG% FT% TRB AST STL TOV PTS
2016-17 29 SAC 68 30.3 .476 .417 .527 .860 2.3 4.6 1.0 1.7 13.2
Career 563 29.5 .469 .380 .510 .852 2.6 4.8 1.1 2.1 12.7

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 6/26/2017.

If the Magic are looking to make a reasonable upgrade at point guard, or make a strong push at this position, Darren Collison might be their best to do so. The Sacramento Kings also seem to be looking to go a different direction in drafting De’Aaron Fox and likely letting Collison walk in free agency.

Collison has had a solid, but not spectacular career and was at least decent last year for the Kings. He averaged 13.2 points and 4.6 assists per game, making 41.7 percent of his 3-pointers. That was a career high for him, besting his previous career high the year before.

Collison has at times stepped in and been a starter. But he is far from solid or a long-term solution. Collison just might be better than Elfrid Payton or able to push him.

Coming off a contract that paid him $5.2 million per year, the Magic might be able to get in on him if they are willing to use the majority of their cap room on him. It is unclear who in the league will be pushing for him. But, like he has for most of his career, he could end up on a team like the Magic. A team hoping to get the best version of a mercurial veteran.

The Magic could probably use a veteran and maybe a dash of consistency. But Collison is not a good defender, at all. He may have started out as a good stealer and on-ball defender, but he has definitely not aged well.

As with so many of these point guard options, they are short-term fixes and should not get any long-term deals. Collison may be among the most productive of the group the Magic can actually afford.