The point guard position is one that appears to be of need for the Orlando Magic. They need an upgrade. But they will find their options limited here.
The Orlando Magic’s point guard situation is . . . less than ideal.
Elfrid Payton has himself ensconced as the starting point guard for now. But everyone seems a bit uneasy with his future prospects. Elfrid Payton got anointed as the starting point guard almost from the moment the Magic drafted him in 2014. They have waited patiently to see him develop.
It seemingly is reaching a boiling point.
Rob Hennigan, the general manager that draft Payton and traded up to get him, is no longer in charge. It is unclear what president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman thinks about Payton.
It is equally unclear if the Magic believe Payton can sustain his post All-Star play where he averaged 13.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 8.4 assists per game. That was a dominant run of play on the offensive end. But he still struggled on the defensive end.
There was a going thought the Magic might look to add a point guard in the Draft. Whether it was Dennis Smith at the top or possibly a versatile guard like Jawun Evans or Derrick White. Orlando ended up passing on all the point guard options in the Draft. Seemingly the Magic are going to ride with Payton for another year, as he prepares to enter restricted free agency.
Adding further mystery to the Magic’s seeming point guard problem is D.J. Augustin.
D.J. Augustin struggled some in the first year of his four-year, $29-million signed last summer. He averaged 7.9 points per game and shot just 34.7 percent from beyond the arc. When the Magic shifted to a more up-tempo style, he scored 6.4 points per game on a horrid 40.2 percent effective field goal percentage. His assists dropped from 3.0 per game to 1.9 per game.
Orlando clearly has a need to improve their point guard position. Or at least find some consistency. Increasingly, this is a position of greater need and importance throughout the league.
This just may not be the summer for the Magic to attack the point guard position. Augustin is on a long-term deal. Payton is there and perhaps worthy of one more try as the starting point guard as he finishes his rookie contract.
The only change that seems certain is waiving or moving C.J. Watson, who only has $1 million of his $5 million contract guaranteed if he is cut before July 10.
With only around $10 million to spend in free agency, the Magic might be looking at the bargain basement at this position. That amount of money is more likely to go to a backup than to a starter. With the top two spots locked up with some heavy salaries, the Magic might not address this need in free agency.
Jeff Teague, Indiana Pacers
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Jeff Teague might be more wishful thinking than anything else. Teague is coming off a four-year $32-million contract off his rookie deal. He is probably looking for a payday now.
And he has largely earned it throughout his career. He has been a solid, not spectacular, starter throughout. Last year, he put together a solid individual season with 15.3 points per game and 7.8 assists per game, a career high in assists. Teague can still score and get into the paint. His jumper is still a bit suspect, but it is more than passable.
Teague has always been a point guard good enough to lead his team to the Playoff. But he probably does not elevate his team beyond that. It is the story of his career.
At this point, Teague is slightly above average and serviceable. That might be better than what Elfrid Payton gives the Magic. He certainly provides a lot more stability and consistency. Teague, as a veteran, has a better sense of who he is as a player. And at 28 years old, he is likely at his peak right now.
Going after Teague is something of a win-now move for a young Magic team. And, in all likelihood, Teague is going to command a contract in the $15-20 million range, if not more. Well beyond the range the Magic can afford this summer. Not without some contract maneuvering.
Orlando likely would better use its resources elsewhere. Unless the team finds a way to clear some cap room to make a big push for a bigger name.
Patty Mills, San Antonio Spurs
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Patty Mills has done yeoman’s work for the San Antonio Spurs for several years now. There was some time where he was essentially playing as the starter with Tony Parker beginning to slow down. That became even more apparent in the Playoffs after Parker went down with an injury.
Mills has earned his way to a big payday this summer. It is unclear the Spurs are willing to pay up to keep the 6-foot guard. Because without more size, it is hard to see him fitting in as a starting point guard. Someone, somewhere seems likely to give him that shot. Or at least pay him to be a starter.
Mills still has a lot of speed and is a strong shooter. That has helped him fit perfectly within the Spurs system. It should make him at least a decent fit wherever he goes.
More than any other key player for the Spurs, Mills seems like the one who benefited most from the Spurs system. San Antonio has done a good job covering up for Mills’ deficiency on defense and his lack of size and length.
There are those words again. That would make him an unlikely target for the Orlando Magic in free agency.
And, at the very least, Mills is due for a very big payday increase from $3.6 million salary last year. How much of a raise? That could put him above the Magic’s range in the $12-16 million range. Someone will believe Mills can be their sixth man and provide strong minutes off the bench.
With the Spurs supposedly looking for point guard help in free agency, Mills could be on the move somewhere. Maybe the Magic are willing to take that chance and replace Augustin with Mills off their bench, if he comes in below market.
Shaun Livingston, Golden State Warriors
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Inevitably when there is a championship team, there are teams looking to poach its role players believing some of that championship glisten will run off. These players many believe can take on an expanded roles and be that extra piece to take the team over the top.
Shaun Livingston’s story itself is an interesting one. It is still amazing to see him playing after he blew out his knee in the 2007 season. Livingston has never regained his athleticism, but he has carved out an effective and efficient role as the backup point guard for the Golden State Warriors.
He is still the combo point guard everyone believed he could be at his peak, minus the explosive athleticism. But that also includes his struggles from beyond the arc. Livingston works best in the mid-post and inside the 3-point line. That is hardly what the Magic need.
Orlando certainly could use some outside shooting, which Livingston does not provide. But the team could also use some veteran leadership and a steady hand off the bench, which the Magic could use. Livingston is also certainly a secondary role player name that would get fans excited. Put him in the right role — i.e. the one the Warriors have — and he can certainly succeed.
Livingston is due for a bit of a raise after making a little more than $5 million per year for the last three years. the Magic could step up and afford a slight raise. But not too much of one.
And, at this point, the Warriors seem able and willing to retain everyone from their championship teams, luxury tax be damned. It seems like Livingston might be someone willing to take a little less to stay with the championship-contending Warriors.
This might be an intriguing target for the Magic, but one that would probably not fill the needs the Magic have at the position, despite Livingston’s positional versatility and defensive ability.
Darren Collison, Sacramento Kings
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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.
Trey Burke, Washington Wizards
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Trey Burke has had a much-maligned career since the Utah Jazz took him in the same draft as Victor Oladipo. He has never quite come down from the high of his rookie year. It has been a long slog downward for him to the point it does not seem the Washington Wizards will even give him the qualifying offer for his restricted free agency.
Burke has always been a spotty playmaker and shooter, two things that are a must in the NBA. His defense even was not quite what it was advertised coming out from Michigan.
It is safe to say Burke has been a disappointment considering what he provided coming out of college. Teams looking to sign him this summer will likely be looking for him to come in on an extraordinarily cheap one-year contract and do very simple things.
Burke is the kind of risk you take similar to the Magic’s Jeff Green — just much cheaper. He is a talented young player who needs the right role to succeed. But, in all likelihood, he kind of is what he is. A streaky shooter, an inconsistent defender and just a bit of a let down overall.
No team should rely on him as more than a backup. In the Magic’s situation with D.J. Augustin present, Orlando might be able to ride those ups and downs. When Burke is playing well, they could roll him out as the backup point guard. When he is not, they have Augustin in the wings.
Considering the Magic’s lack of cap room this summer, Burke could be a relatively cheap, short-term contract offer to pursue. Just do not expect the world from him.
Deron Williams, Cleveland Cavaliers
| Season | Age | Tm | G | MP | FG% | 3P% | eFG% | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | TOV | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-17 | 32 | TOT | 64 | 25.9 | .438 | .363 | .509 | .826 | 2.3 | 5.6 | 0.5 | 2.2 | 11.0 |
| 2016-17 | 32 | DAL | 40 | 29.3 | .430 | .348 | .500 | .821 | 2.6 | 6.9 | 0.6 | 2.5 | 13.1 |
| 2016-17 | 32 | CLE | 24 | 20.3 | .463 | .415 | .537 | .840 | 1.9 | 3.6 | 0.3 | 1.7 | 7.5 |
| Career | 845 | 34.2 | .445 | .357 | .498 | .822 | 3.1 | 8.1 | 1.0 | 2.8 | 16.3 |
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Deron Williams is not quite the player he used to be. His All-Star days are long over. And he is now struggling to carve a role out on the bench.
Williams can still be an effective playmaker and scorer in small spurts. No team should rely on him as a starter anymore. And he struggled a bit in the limelight of the Finals for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He has turned himself over to the mercenary market.
That is all Williams would be to any team that signs him. His role is to fill spot minutes and occasionally spark up some of that old magic that had him among the best point guards in the league. That just will not be an everyday thing for him anymore.
He has become Orlando Magic Gilbert Arenas, minus the controversy that caused the Wizards to ship him out to begin with. Unfortunately for Williams, his career might quickly come to an end the same way Arenas did as he tried to latch on somewhere in the NBA after leaving the Magic.
The only good thing for the Magic is Williams would come extremely cheap. If Orlando was looking for a veteran to play the third point guard or backup Elfrid Payton, Williams could be a realistic option. But certainly one that comes with plenty of risk, and lowered expectations.
Devin Harris, Dallas Mavericks
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Devin Harris might be the type of point guard the Magic would target this summer. After all, both Jeff Weltman and Frank Vogel have talked about having players with positional versatility.
Harris, at 6-foot-3, was a versatile wing player and point guard at his best, including a 2009 All-Star appearance. Those days were long ago. Injuries have slowed Harris down some.
He was never the best 3-point shooter either. He has tailed off a ton and has lost some of his backup point guard minutes to other players on the Dallas Mavericks’ roster. Harris’ time in the NBA seems to be coming closer to an end.
Read: Harris could come very very cheap.
Harris has had some good years defensively recently and seems like that could be a way for him to keep himself relevant in the NBA. Then again, he was still negative defensive player and no team should rely on him heavily anymore.
Would he really be a strong addition off the bench? Would he be a leader in the locker room? Could he still push players ahead of him for minutes or in practice?
If the Magic needed a third point guard, it might be logical to bring in a veteran player like Harris in on a small contract with no promise for minutes. But the upside is much smaller with a player like Harris, other than a hope he can catch one last spark before his time in the NBA ends.
The Point Guard Situation
The Orlando Magic’s point guard situation is not ideal. And it is not an ideal situation to look to free agency to make drastic improvements either.
Without a ton of cap room to play with, the Magic are likely playing on the fringes in this point guard class. Orlando will not have a shot at Chris Paul, Kyle Lowry or even Derrick Rose probably. Not that any of those players would have interest in joining the Magic at this particular point in time.
Not that the Magic’s point guard situation is ripe for a lot of outside injection. The Magic have Elfrid Payton and D.J. Augustin as the two-deep.
Payton is an OK starter and one who still has some room to grow. The Magic are waiting for him to reach consistency. But Payton is still a fine option if no other option presents itself.
Orlando Magic
Augustin is the biggest conundrum. He struggled to fit with the Magic’s new offensive style. But he still has three years on a difficult-to-move contract. Augustin will make $22.5 million in the next three years. It seems like the Magic have little wiggle room.
Looking at the point guard options available to them, the Magic might be able to find a player to push Augustin for backup minutes. But they likely will not improve on Payton in the free agent market. Not in a significant way for the long term. There are a few quick fixes, if that.
The point guard options are limited for the Magic. In all likelihood, they will stand pat at the position in free agency. More likely, if the Magic look to improve at point guard, they will look to do so through trades, possibly shopping Payton around to find a way to improve.
This is a position of some need for the Magic. But also one where Orlando might be able to remain patient.
Next: The Double-Edged Sword of Player Development
The team might be willing to give Payton one more try at point guard, knowing the team would have the restricted free agent rights this summer to play with and the potential to move him at the deadline.