5 potential free agent targets with ties to Orlando Magic
By Luke Duffy
With the Orlando Magic having turned a corner and figured some things out during the regular season, they now find themselves on the precipice of a crucial offseason. This will involve nailing the NBA Draft, and there is reason to think the best of that situation, before turning their attention to free agency.
A quick look at who is available this summer tells you this is not exactly the most game-changing crop of players to hit the market that we have seen in recent years.
The Magic could certainly be aggressive and throw some of their considerable financial weight around. They could chase after some big-name players.
Khris Middleton of the Milwaukee Bucks is available, but there are other Bucks players the Orlando Magic should be inquiring about instead. Fred VanVleet has long been connected to the Magic dating back to the trade deadline.
Russell Westbrook is another name here, and while he rehabbed his value some with the LA Clippers, he is absolutely not the kind of player the Orlando Magic should be looking at acquiring. Their core right now is on a great trajectory, and adding the right veteran to the mix is something the organization cannot get wrong.
There are plenty of players who may change teams this summer who have pre-existing ties to the Orlando Magic, the state of Florida and head coach Jamahl Mosley.
This may seem trivial, but the NBA is a place where friends try to team up often, and the reputation and relationships built in different cities can be rekindled in a new location. On top of that, the Magic are building a team that stars are one day soon going to want to play with.
Superstars still are not taking Orlando seriously enough as a place to go and potentially win a championship, but the tier of players available this summer should at least listen to what the front office has to say.
Having a friendly face or previous work colleague down there already would just be another reason to consider making the move.