The Orlando Magic will have to manage their books carefully this summer. Even if they do not retain their key free agents, they have a roster to fill.
This year’s NBA free agency class is loaded with big names at the top.
A lot of the focus is put on those big names. Even with the Orlando Magic, a lot of focus has been put on the big free agents.
The team has its own free agents to deal with in Nikola Vucevic and Terrence Ross. By all accounts, that is who the Magic will prioritize when free agency begins this Sunday. But there is also plenty of discussion on what to do if one or both of those players depart.
If that happens, the Magic can get in line with some of the top-tier free agents. They have already been connected in reporting to Brooklyn Nets All-Star D’Angelo Russell. It seems like an addition that would work for the Magic and help them maintain their place in the playoff pecking order.
To do that and to go after the big free agents in the market would mean giving up almost all the available cap space the Magic have. They would not be able to add anyone else to their team — outside of using the non-taxpayer mid-level exception of $9 million.
Realistically, the Magic will focus on re-signing their own free agents. And if they are unable to do that, they will search for replacements on the market for a little bit cheaper so they can maintain cap flexibility.
But even that route will leave the team with little money to spend and a lot of immediate needs to fill. Especially since the Magic opted to go to a long-term option with the draft.
As fun and as exciting as it might be to chase one of the bigger fish in the free agency market, the Magic are more likely going to work on the fringes a bit to fill out their roster.
They should feel aggressive and assertive enough to get an impact player in free agency — the biggest impact free agent Jeff Weltman has signed is probably Jonathon Simmons. But they will have limited funds to get to do it.
Orlando will have to work under the radar a bit using that mid-level exception to get what they want. No one is mentioning the Magic much in the big-name conversations either. The team will be searching for valuable players with its limited resources to keep its spot in the playoffs.
Orlando should generate some interest thanks to that. The team has an intriguing young core that needs the right role players around them to keep growing.
And there are plenty of players who could help and fill in needs the Magic have.