The offseason is quickly approaching with the conference finals nearing their end and the Lottery already playing. The Orlando Magic know at least that part of their offseason puzzle as they will pick sixth and 11th. That is just the first piece in the puzzle to what should be an intriguing offseason for the team.
The team certainly has a lot of needs to fill — both in terms of positions and skill. Very clearly the team has a lot to resolve. And so one thing to focus on would be add a starting-capable guard or wing to solidify the team’s rotation.
The key for the Magic is to follow and build on the culture coach Jamahl Mosley, general manager John Hammond and president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman are establishing.
The Orlando Magic feel like they have the foundation of their team locked in. Now the team has to find the right complementary wings to make them even better.
This is not about changing the roster or going all in too soon. This is about finding the right role players to help support the group the Magic are already building and growing.
That culture has done plenty to push other successful organizations like the San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat and Golden State Warriors to titles. Now that Orlando has its cornerstone talents in Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, the team should be looking for the right complementary pieces to make them better and who will become better because of those star players.
Debatably as important is when constructing the roster to fit as many possible offensive and defensive schematics is also adding players who will buy in to their roles and especially that match the age timeline of the stars.
As mentioned before the organization should be looking to add veterans that add to the team’s IQ rather than the on-court production. Yet the franchise needs to keep in mind hunted for youthful guards and wings who may be the answer. The following players are ones that would be in the wheelhouse of options.
2023 Orlando Magic Offseason Needs: Perimeter Sharpshooters
Austin Reaves, Los Angeles Lakers
Austin Reaves, a 6-foot-5 guard who went undrafted out of Oklahoma after being a fifth-year senior has had a surprising rookie and sophomore year with the Los Angeles Lakers that has catalyzed into a playoff run leaving him as a target for all young teams needing depth at his position.
Davis has certainly benefited from playing alongside superstars in LeBron James and Anthony Davis. That has given Reaves confidence and openings to take and make shots that leads to winning. But he has made a mark on his own and put the Lakers in a tricky position this offseason as they try to keep their team together after their surprising Western Conference Finals run.
In the last two season, 47 percent of Reaves’ shots were threes. This season he made 39.8 percent on 3.4 attempts per game. That was big for a Lakers team often lacking 3-point shooting.
Reaves is deadeye from three when shooting from the center all the way down to the right corner — 46.5 percent, while on the right wing and corner, he is below average at 29.9 percent.
The pros to Reaves match exactly his cons. He is a fantastic big-game performer who shows the gene to be clutch bucket maker. He definitely did not shy away from any opportunities whether it was the March win over the Orlando Magic at Crypto.com Arena or throughout the Los Angeles Lakers’ playoff run.
But how much of his opportunities and his shot-making is because the primary and secondary defender on every team are so highly focused on James and Davis? Reaves is playing in spaces created off of legends. But he succeeded at it nonetheless.
In addition to being the third wheel to the Lakers’ offense, Reaves does post above average effort-related defense which makes him one of the better perimeter defenders.
Is that a product of having a generational shot blocker behind you instilling confidence? Maybe, but it does mean he could add on both ends against other players on this list who would need to develop that part of their game.
Although Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner project to match that production when they reach their primes, could the projected 4-years, $60-plus million be too much commitment too soon?
For whatever it is worth, the Lakers seem very determined to keep Reaves at whatever cost it takes. He is a restricted free agent, but the Lakers seem willing to make sure they can match his offer comfortably.
If the Magic sell themselves on Reaves being the best option they would need to swoon the restricted free agent.
2023 Orlando Magic Offseason Needs: Perimeter Sharpshooters
Gary Trent Jr., Toronto Raptors
Gary Trent Jr. is an above average shooter, having shot 37.4 percent from three this year with 86 percent of those shots being assisted on his perimeter movement and ability to catch and shoot would surely add a young deadeye presence similar to Gary Harris.
Though an unlikely candidate for the Magic this offseason due to his $18 million dollar player option and his desire to make more in one last big contract, the Magic would be as good as an option as any out there. The Orlando Magic certainly could use the kind of volume shooter that Trent was with the Toronto Raptors.
Having already played alongside dynamic scoring guards with the Portland Trail Blazers and Toronto Raptors, the endless ability of having playmakers around him unlike he has dealt with before could not only boost his efficiency but create a career year.
The pin-down actions or parallel screens to open Trent up in the corners and wings would make any coaching staff salivate the possibilities.
Defensively, Trent is one of the more savvy players, getting an amount of steals with few fouls committed when playing to get the ball.
However the counter to that is that on average this past season Trent does have a tendency to contest late and gives too many good open shots to players, for the season he’s allowed 49.5 percent shooting, with players shooting 38 percent from three on him and 56.7 percent from inside the line.
Though not a polished product, the amount of work and chance the Magic would have to rely on to add Gary Trent Jr. to the roster may outplay his hypothetical value added.
2023 Orlando Magic Offseason Needs: Perimeter Sharpshooters
Coby White, Chicago Bulls
The 6-foot-5, 23-year-old guard is coming off his best year. White split his minutes between the two guard spots as he still seeks his best role in the NBA.
Falling into a similar situation as Austin Reaves, Coby White is a restricted free agent. But unlike the Los Angeles Lakers, the Chicago Bulls have had an up and down relationship with White. They may be more lenient to not match a contract that Orlando would offer.
He certainly would come much cheaper after such an up-and-down start to his career.
White averaged only 9.7 points per game, a career low. But his efficiency went up, shooting 37.2 percent from beyond the arc and a 55.2 percent effective field goal percentage. There might be a lot of flaws with White, but he can shoot the ball.
In his first three seasons as a point guard, White has progressively been a negative contributor on the court, while this year as the secondary guard White has had a career-high +4.0 per 100 possessions when on the court vs off. Only Franz Wagner, Goga Bitadze and Kevon Harris for Orlando were both a positive when playing on the court vs off the court.
According to data from Cleaning the Glass, White when playing as the 2-guard shoots the three at 39.2 percent this year.
White’s struggles as point guard came from his difficulties setting others up. He was much better at receiving passes than kicking them out.
The main reason for this is because his two best teammates, DeMar DeRozan and Zach Lavine, are isolation ball-handlers who hunt their own shots. With Fultz facilitating and a cast of players around that could better suite his talents.
Could White develop into a solid starting perimeter option around youthful talent and a coaching staff that would empower him to be better? It is possible.
It is not yet clear whether the Bulls would have an interest in retaining White in restricted free agency. He still played in 74 games this year, but played a bench role. And Chicago has other priorities to worry about this offseason after their disappointing season.
2023 Orlando Magic Offseason Needs: Perimeter Sharpshooters
Josh Green, Dallas Mavericks
Josh Green is a 22 year old shooting guard who has shown promise in his playing time. But with the Dallas Mavericks having to figure out their superstar backcourt this summer, he has often gotten lost in the shuffle. The Orlando Magic may be able to poach him as the Mavericks try to reconfigure their future and return to postseason contention.
Green would have an open opportunity to take and run with the starters if he joined Orlando. He certainly would add to the team’s wing depth.
Green has shown a lot of promise but has struggled to get consistent playing time. He averaged a career-best 9.1 points per game last year, 40.2 percent of his 3-pointers and 53.7 percent of his field goals overall. This is a young player who may be hungering for a bigger role — one that is not likely coming with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving ahead of him on the depth chart.
Unlike Coby White and Austin Reaves, whose shot diet consisted of wing and above-the-break threes, Green’s long-distance shots are centered in the corners and then on paint shots.
Green is 6-foot-6, has good off-ball movement, has decent cutting and playmaking abilities and can be a shot-maker when being the third or fourth option of a team. Developing his defense would make him more valuable as right now in Dallas he’s a bit of a liability on contesting perimeter shots.
Green has the characteristics of taking the right shots and making the right shots that would fit seamlessly with Orlando, the organization would have to evaluate whether that potential is worth the cost of business in trading for him.
2023 Orlando Magic Offseason Needs: Perimeter Sharpshooters
Lonnie Walker IV, Los Angeles Lakers
You may think to yourself, “L . . . Lonnie Walker IV?” the player who until Game 6 of the second round series between the Los Angeles and Golden State Warriors was fairly nondescript until he single-handedly kept the Lakers alive in the second half with a 14-point outburst?
Yes, that Lonnie Walker IV.
The idea behind the Orlando Magic adding Lonnie Walker would be similar to that of what the Sacramento Kings did in this past offseason where they added Malik Monk off of the Los Angeles Lakers. Monk averaged 19 points in the postseason making the King formidable in their run to break their historic playoff drought.
Walker is a career 35 percent shooter from three with this past season having 95 percent of his long distance shots assisted on. He still has areas he needs to improve as a shooter. But the former Miami Hurricane has always had a ton of untapped potential.
Out of his five seasons so far in the league, he has shown he is an above average shooter when given the opportunity to be an off-ball shooter rather than the sole creator. Looking at his rookie, sophomore and this season combined, the average three point percentage is 38.4 percent.
The key there? Winning teams.
For his career when playing more than 30-plus minutes, Walker averages 19 points per game, 3 rebounds per game and 2 assists per game while shooting 49 percent from the field and 44 percent from three on 5.9 attempts.
Orlando shouldn’t direct their attention fully to Walker IV but as an option if others fall through.
Walker could play exactly like the pre-mentioned Monk, making $6 million this year, any contract offer under $10 million a year over 2-3 years could help make the Magic backcourt and shooting options robust.
2023 Orlando Magic Offseason Needs: Perimeter Sharpshooters
Isaiah Joe, Oklahoma City Thunder
Quentin Grimes, New York Knicks
Two 23-year-old guards who have an absolutely loaded clip to them. They are both flamethrowers from three who can light any team up on any given night. Mix one of them on a team that just dies for a catch and shoot sniper the offense immediately opens up for Wagner, Banchero and Fultz to have easier penetrative scoring.
Isaiah Joe of the Oklahoma City Thunder shoots 70 percent at the rim (within three feet), 49 percent from the midrange (3-24 feet) and an astounding 41 percent from three with 48 percent from the corners.
With Joe entering the third year of his rookie contract, Oklahoma City, young and filled with picks already, would have to decide that it is in their best interests to get assets from trading Joe than keeping him. Their lineup already has a backcourt of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey and Luguentz Dort, so if the Orlando Magic can offer anything of interest they could be getting a very valuable player to accent Magic’s core.
To a lesser degree, Quentin Grimes has a shot from long distance. But even with that being said, he is shooting above league average at a scorching 39 percent from the long-distance line and 44 percent in the corners.
Having played with Julius Randle, RJ Barrett and now Jalen Brunson, Grimes’ shot diet consisted off of bail out threes and spray outs off double teams, it is easy to see that in a system where he is closer, (but not exactly) an equal threat to the others could continue his production with similar efficiency.
With his production having not the same potency along with the New York market always striving to find better and better options, the Knicks may look to move away from Grimes if the deal is right.
Though the Magic should consider taking the chance as his contract is nearly identical to Joe’s, if Orlando has a choice, it would be best to go for Isaiah first.
2023 Orlando Magic Offseason Needs: Perimeter Sharpshooters
Draft Options
With the 6th and 11th picks, the Orlando Magic could determine that they would rather draft, train and coach the best fit to be alongside the youthful stars and core. However, when drafting high in the lottery comes with certain expectations and roles built in.
Can the Magic add a high pick while still developing and assigning minutes to players already on the roster?
Orlando has to understand that hitting on their draft picks will be crucial.
Franz Wagner is nearing when the Magic will need to decide in offering what can only be assumed the max rookie extension. Paolo Banchero will not be that far behind. So making the franchise as appealing and winning as possible will be in the forefront of decision-making.
As the combine and individual teams scout and invite prospects to one on one evaluations here are the current draft prospects in the wing position that the Magic can consider.
1. Amen Thompson, Overtime Elite
Playing in a 16-20 age professional league that was founded three years ago in Overtime Elite, Amen Thompson is projected to be the best shooting guard in the class. Not by leaps and bounds but by consensus in the top five players of the Draft entirely. Having a 2-to-1 turnover ration and shooting 23.3 percent from three on 2.7 attempts however would make him a work in progress.
At 6-foot-7 some see him as more of a facilitator or playmaker at the next level, with some comparison picturing him as a “taller Ja Morant”
2. Gradey Dick, Kansas
Coming out of Kansas, the 6-foot-7 combo wing has played himself into a top-10 lottery pick. One of the better fits for the Orlando Magic to draft, Gradey Dick shot 40.3 percent from three with just fewer than six attempts per game. Not having a high free throw rate means Dick can find himself only cutting out of necessity rather than to a part of his game.
Current comparison picture him as Kevin Huerter, citing his secondary playmaking ability.
3. Ausar Thompson, Overtime Elite
Similar to his twin brother, Ausar Thompson is not a great 3-point shooter built more with the physical tools to be frustrating on defense and finish strong inside with playmaking abilities.
Current comparisons paint him as a young Andrew Wiggins.
4. Anthony Black, Arkansas
Falling in line with the other prospects, Anthony Black is a 6-foot-7 combo guard likely falling around pick 8-10. He is nearly identical in statistics and tendencies as the Thompson twins — low 3-point percentage with 2.6 attempts per game coming out of Arkansas. Scouts and draft experts picture him as a point-forward that’s play style best compares to Josh Giddey.
5. Keyonte George, Baylor
The smallest combo guard out of the four listed above, Keyonte George stands currently at 6-foot-4. Playing point guard and shooting guard, he has a low percentage three-point shot at 33.8 percent although taking nearly eight per game.
Some websites project that his shot will fall at an average to even above average rate in the NBA seeing as he would have more space than in the college game and likely not be on the ball as much. An almost identical 1:1 assist to turnover ration scares people enough to project him closer to the mid-1st round picks, currently 14th or 15th overall.
The best comparison out there currently is Jamal Murray.
2023 Orlando Magic Offseason Needs: Perimeter Sharpshooters
Back to the Backcourt
Since 2020, the Orlando Magic have used four draft picks for perimeter talent. One has hit in Franz Wagner. The other three, depending on the fan or front office, are still works in progress to determine their role on the Magic.
Coming out of their drafts, Caleb Houstan was projected to be a low-ceiling 3-and-D player, compared to Darius Miller and R.J. Hunter whose careers lasted on average five seasons.
Houstan only played 51 games with Orlando last year. In 16 minutes a game he averaged 3.8 points on 33.8 percent shooting from three.
Houstan was the embodiment of the saying “bright eyed and bushy-tailed.” If you had the opportunity to key in on Houstan during games you noticed a college-like attempt, moving, cutting, off-ball screens and filling wing positions. Not a self creator, a 6-foot-8 frame with a high release point could make him plausible as a future starter if the cards play right for his career.
He was the youngest player in his draft class. So nobody is ready to give up on him. But he will have toe arn his opportunity.
Cole Anthony was compared to small guard slingers Collin Sexton or Mo Williams. Fans have an up-and-down relationship with Anthony. He shot a league average 36 percent from three this year. Since Dec. 7, Anthony shot 39.7 percent from three averaging 13 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists per game. The Magic essentially broke even with him on the floor.
The Magic like playing him off the bench as the lead guard for the second unit. Near the end of the season talks became of how Anthony should focus on being the best version of himself and fill the sixth man role, competing for the NBA award.
Jalen Suggs may sadly have the biggest fall off from college prediction to NBA reality. Th hope is he can reclaim that potential with a fully healthy season. Suggs centered himself better when he got an extended run of play.
Suggs had two good stretches from deep although he averaged 32.7 percent for the season. In February he shot 38.9 percent and in April 41.2 percent.
What you can expect from the fifth overall pick reaching the third year of his deal is unknown. At 6-foot-4 with athleticism, you would like to see him be able to shoot better and foul less for how well tries on defense.
It may be sooner rather than later that we see the Magic make the decision to get off of Suggs to recoup any positive asset. Although they would rather wish he pans out.
This summer will go a long way to determining what direction the team will go. And what they think of the players on their roster.