2023 Orlando Magic Offseason Needs: Backup Center

2023 Orlando Magic Offseason Needs: Backup Center

Dwight Powell, Dallas Mavericks & Mason Plumlee, LA Clippers

The free agent big man pool starts to dry up pretty quickly after that. At least with guys whom the Orlando Magic might be able to attain.

The Magic are not likely to be able to pay the money Brook Lopez or Nikola Vucevic are looking for in their last big contracts — they also do not fit the team’s emphasis on versatility and mobility especially considering the team’s lack of outside shooting.

Naz Reid is a realistic target for sure. But he has his own detractions.

Jakob Poeltl is likely due to receive a big payday. Maybe the Magic invest in him. But he is clearly a starter and was a big factor for the Toronto Raptors. They seem determined to re-sign him after acquiring him at the deadline.

They could also chase after Kristaps Porzingis if he opts out of his contract (that would likely be for a bigger deal, so that may not work, especially considering his injury history). They could make a restricted free agency offer on P.J. Washington — he averaged 15.7 points per game last year but at 6-foot-7 is better suited as a power forward than as a center.

There are injury-prone centers like Thomas Bryant out there too. The Los Angeles Lakers traded him knowing they could not afford to retain him this offseason. But he is not even in the Denver Nuggets’ rotation this postseason.

The other two best options are Mason Plumlee and Dwight Powell. Neither of those players will exactly wow anybody. But they are serviceable backup big men who can be relied on for a spot start.

Powell is the more intriguing of the two because of his mobility around the basket. But both players are glorified rollers who will not do much more than that.

Powell averaged 6.7 points per game and grabbed 4.1 rebounds per game last year with 0.3 blocks per game. Plumlee averaged 10.8 points and 8.9 rebounds per game last year, including 7.5 points and 6.9 rebounds per game after the trade to the LA Clippers.

Both players should command salaries just a bit north of the mid-level exception, perhaps around $10-12 million.

But both of these players are extremely limiting. But so are the options.

As you can tell, this is a critical need for the Magic and one that might not be so easily solved in free agency. They could look to trades to make this happen. It is still too hard to guess what players might become available in a trade.

But this is a big need and the options for the Magic are limited.