5 options for the Orlando Magic to bolster their forward depth
The Veteran Route: Michael Beasley
Michael Beasley never really became the player everyone thought he would be. His NBA career has become a journeyman’s career, including a few stints in China. There really is not much hint of what Beasley is doing these days.
That could be dangerous as he has had some notable run-ins with teams amid poor personal choices. Beasley faces a five-game suspension for violating the league’s drug policy that will essentially make any 10-day contract moot.
But Beasley is good at one thing — scoring. In his last year in the NBA, Beasley averaged 7.0 points per game in 10.7 minutes per game for the Los Angeles Lakers. Beasley is good at working isolations and working the mid- and low-post.
Beasley has always been an inconsistent 3-point shooter. But his last few full seasons in the NBA have seen him shoot fairly well though. In 2017, he hit 41.9-percent of his 3-pointers for the Milwaukee Bucks (notable because John Hammond was the team’s GM then).
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There is no denying the talent that Beasley has. And he could still contribute something. But the risk is present that he doe snot deliver. And while he would be a good individual creator, he would not do much to spread the floor for the team or provide a bigger defensive presence.
There just are not many other veterans out there that might be worth exploring.
Lance Thomas is a streaky shooter has never averaged more than 8.5 points per game. He shot 38.3 percent from beyond the arc for his NBA career. But last year, he hit only 27.8 percent of his 3-pointers. This came after three straight seasons shooting better than 40.0 percent from distance.
That might be enticing for a team that needs outside shooting and could be looking for a stretch-4.
So too might the undersized Quincy Pondexter. Pondexter averaged just 1.8 points per game last year for the San Antonio Spurs. He played just 5.5 minutes per game in 55 appearances. The Spurs clearly liked something he provided.
The 6-foot-7 forward is a career 35.6-percent 3-point shooter. He is not a great defender but is more than serviceable. He would have to be to play for Gregg Popovich in any way.
But the veteran pickings feel slim.