2019 Outlook
The reality for Marreese Speights and his future is not a good one, though.
He was on a minimum contract and seemingly calling teams asking if they wanted his services. He said he asked his agent to call the Orlando Magic to see if they were interested in signing him. The interest became mutual and the homecoming was on.
But the reality is that guys on a minimum contract are going to have a tough time staying in the NBA. That contract is usually a sign you are on the way out the door. And unless a player absolutely shines in that likely minimal role, they are going to scrounging for scraps anyway.
Speights will certainly be in that boat. His future in the NBA might be near its end. Or he might be a mercenary for a team that needs a bit of outside shooting and can afford to leave him at the end of the bench.
That is likely Speights’ best role.
He may want to stay in Orlando and close to home. It clearly meant a lot to him to be playing in Orlando for this franchise. And the Magic could certainly use his veteran experience and presence there too. He was the big brother to a lot of young players and continued to serve as a good sounding board.
That is valuable in a locker room. In that respect, it is possible the Magic use a roster spot on him. But it is not likely.
By the end of the season, it felt like Speights was standing in the way of Khem Birch getting playing time. And so Speights did not play much of the end of the season. That is likely a signal of his future more than anything else.