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Orlando Magic Daily Mailbag Volume 35: Free agency cometh

By Philip Rossman-Reich

ORLANDO, FL - FEBRUARY 14: Khem Birch #24 and Terrence Ross #31 of the Orlando Magic talk during the game against the Charlotte Hornets on February 14, 2019 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL - FEBRUARY 14: Khem Birch #24 and Terrence Ross #31 of the Orlando Magic talk during the game against the Charlotte Hornets on February 14, 2019 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Nikola Vucevic, Orlando Magic
SALT LAKE CITY, UT – JANUARY 09: Nikola Vucevic #9 of the Orlando Magic gestures on court in the first half of a NBA game against the Utah Jazz at Vivint Smart Home Arena on January 9, 2019 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images) /

Setting expectations

Free agency does get everyone’s dreams running wild. Unfortunately, the Magic just do not have the funds to play. Not really, at least.

Orlando is still sort of digging itself out of the purgatory Rob Hennigan left them in after his spending splurge in 2016. The team eventually shuffled onto Timofey Mozgov‘s contract — the first of that terrible summer around the league for responsible spending — and Evan Fournier‘s four-year deal at $17 million per year is starting to weigh the team down.

Orlando can get to max cap room. But that would require renouncing all their free agents and stretching Timofey Mozgov’s contract. That is not likely.

Now with the news the Magic plan to sign Nikola Vucevic a four-year deal worth $100 million, it is clear the Magic are going to work more to keep their own and use the mid-level exception to fill out the rest of the roster.

This is about what we would have expected from the Magic this offseason. They stated their priority was to keep their own players from the start. And that appears to be the strategy they are implementing — especially their All-Star in Vucevic.

The Magic will once again be nibbling around the edges. With Nikola Vucevic potentially back in the fold — they will sign him last most likely unless they also re-sign Terrence Ross — Orlando will operate over the cap.

They will have the mid-level exception of roughly $9 million to spend in this case. The Magic will have plenty of work to do to add to the roster — whether they keep Ross or not. But it will take finding some bargains and probably hitting on them.

Stretching Mozgov is probably going to become a necessity if the Magic do not re-sign Ross if they want to add an impact player. With Vucevic’s cap hold being less than his likely amount he will sign for, the team could leverage that into some cap room to go after an impact player.

But that is also why Summer League might be important. The Magic will want to find at least one player in Summer League they are comfortable bringing onto the roster. That might be a tall ask. But Orlando is going to have to operate very carefully.

The Magic still have limited options to add new players. I expect them to be aggressive in going after their targeted players. But they will be patient too. Orlando is not going to go overboard on anything.