Orlando Magic Rumors: Orlando Magic expected to chase Washington Wizards’ Bobby Portis

The Orlando Magic are certainly willing to be active in free agency. The team is reportedly looking into Bobby Portis in free agency this summer.

Much of the focus for the Orlando Magic’s offseason has been put on whether they will re-sign center Nikola Vucevic and wing Terrence Ross. Those two players were key to the team’s playoff run and figure to command pretty hefty salaries.

Their presence alone will eat up most of the Magic’s cap space. And it is expected the failure to re-sign either one of them will send the Magic searching the free agency market for a bigger fish to keep the team afloat.

That is likely what spurred at least some of the reported interest in chasing Brooklyn Nets All-Star guard and restricted free agent D’Angelo Russell. That would be a splashy move to get the team back on track should the Magic lose out on retaining their own All-Star in Nikola Vucevic.

But it would also likely take up all the Magic’s available cap room and leave them little to fill out the roster.

There are big needs on the team regardless of whether they re-sign Vucevic or not — shooting and one-on-one playmaking chief among them — and the Magic will have to search free agency to fill out the roster using likely only their mid-level exception. The only way to get a little bit more would be to stretch the final year of Timofey Mozgov‘s contract.

Orlando is working both tracks and likely has to plan its future without Vucevic as much as it does. That does not mean the team cannot find some role players that fit what the team wants to be.

Who that might be is still a huge mystery. These are the free agents that typically sign after a few days of free agency, not immediately once the starter’s gun has gone off.

But there is at least one clue over the kind of player the Magic might chase after.

Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington reports the Washington Wizards expect the Orlando Magic to be among the bevy of teams to inquire about restricted free agent Bobby Portis when the market opens up.

Portis averaged 14.2 points and 8.1 rebounds per game with the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards last year, shooting 44.4 percent from the floor and 39.3 percent from beyond the arc for the season. In 28 games with the Wizards last year, he averaged 14.3 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, while shooting 44.0 percent from the floor and 40.3 percent from beyond the arc.

Portis has had a mercurial career, showing an ability to play like a traditional power forward and some center and spread the floor. His 3-point shooting has progressively gotten better.

But Portis has not completely clicked defensively despite his good size and the ability to step out onto the perimeter. It is hard to pin down what to make of Portis.

Before the season began, Portis declined an extension reportedly at $50 million over four years. He was reportedly seeking a deal closer to $15 or $16 million per year.

It is hard to imagine him commanding that kind of money. He is a solid player but still not a huge difference maker. But that seems to be his expectation in a crowded market. Especially considering there are now all these teams chasing after him, that could raise his market.

Orlando would have to do some work to get that much cap room — or even the $12 million per year he was offered in the offseason for an extension. The team is operating over the cap assuming it re-signs Nikola Vucevic and Terrence Ross with only the $9 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception available.

The team gets some money if they leave. But not a significant amount. The max cap room the Magic can create is roughly $23 million — it gets to $35 million if they stretch Timofey Mozgov’s contract. It will not be that much because Orlando will pick up a few options and try to re-sign Khem Birch.

Even outside of the money, it is hard to see what the right fit would be.

Orlando has a traditional power forward in Jarell Martin this year and barely used him. Granted, Bobby Portis is a much better player than Jarell Martin at the end of the day.

The Magic could carve out a backup power forward role for Bobby Portis playing behind Aaron Gordon — and to some extent, Jonathan Isaac, who took up almost all the power forward minutes last year. Portis could even play some center or alongside Mohamed Bamba as an added post defender — a strong man to help Bamba out against the bigger centers he might face.

Portis is a hard worker. He has built up a reputation as a decent defender who will do the dirty work on the boards. Adding a 3-point shot has made him more valuable. But he is not yet consistent and has as many weak games as strong games.

It is hard to imagine the Magic making the kind of offer that would compete with those other teams and meet Portis’ expectations. Orlando would have to do some moves to get that kind of cap room anyway.

So again this rumor says something more than just about the player attached to it.

It seems like Orlando is willing to make a big move this offseason — even if it is just to bolster the bench. The Magic are not going to sit on their hands and are seemingly investigating several free agent avenues.

Even ones that are not too exciting at the moment.