The Orlando Magic have seemingly promised some major changes this offseason. President of basketball operations Jeff Weltman promised to make moves with a "win-now lens" and the team seemed to signal it was moving into a new phase.
With the financial restrictions the Magic are facing this offseason, everyone assumed that would mean the Magic would attack the trade market hard. They certainly will, as Weltman suggested, the team would be exchanging salaries during the team's exit interviews after the season.
Free agency though was locked behind a door.
With massive extensions for Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs kicking in this season, and Paolo Banchero's extension set to be signed this summer for the 2027 season, the Magic are flirting with the first apron and the real consequences of their big signings.
Orlando could be looking for some more high-priced players, but it will cost a lot -- both in terms of what the team would have to trade and the tax payments that come with it.
Still, the Magic know they need to improve dramatically.
Especially on offense, where the team was 27th in the league in offensive rating and 30th in 3-point field goal percentage. To be a team worthy of the tax that competes for a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals and beyond, the Magic need an injection into their offense.
This is an offseason to be aggressive.
Orlando should be looking for every option they can to improve their shooting and their offense, even with those restrictions. The Magic are at least rumored to be going after one of the best shooting options in free agency.
Marc Stein reported on The Stein Line Substack that the Orlando Magic are a potential suitor for Minnesota Timberwolves sharpshooter Nickeil Alexander-Walker (subscription required) as he hits the free agency market.
Like many teams around the league, the Timberwolves are feeling the pinch of their spending spree. They are a second apron team with several free agents they must be concerned with re-signing and so somebody will likely be sacrificed.
That is looking like it will be Alexander-Walker, whose contract, worth $4.3 million, expires this summer. Alexander-Walker will certainly make more than that after averaging 9.4 points per game and making 38.1 percent of his threes on 4.5 attempts per game. He averaged 8.3 points per game and shot 44.0 percent on 3.3 attempts per game.
Last season, he made 42.5 percent of his catch-and-shoot 3-pointers, according to data from Second Spectrum.
Stein reports Alexander-Walker could get the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, a contract or series of contracts that can total up to an initial salary of $14.1 million.
Even as a lower volume shooter, Alexander-Walker would give the Magic some needed athleticism and shooting and spacing. It is easy to see why the Magic might target him. He would be someone the team could chase to balance the rotation.
Getting to the non-taxpayer mid-level exception would be the challenge. To do so, Orlando would have to decline team options on players like Moe Wagner, Gary Harris, Caleb Houstan and Cory Joseph.
Orlando currently has $175.2 million in guaranteed salary for the 2026 season. That would put the Magic nearly $14.7 million below the tax line and give the Magic access to the non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
This would be the most aggressive the Magic could be this offseason. The question is whether Alexander-Walker as a potential sixth man or role player would be worth the $14 million salary that the Magic would have available to them.
For sure, Alexander-Walker would be a big boost as a shooter. A move like this would certainly signal the kind of aggression fans want to see from the Magic after several fairly quiet offseasons.
Orlando is certainly feeling the pressure now to improve with how good their stars are and the window that has opened with a weakened Eastern Conference.
The Magic still have to be aware of the cap and apron consequences of everything they do. But the team has kept the flexibility to make a lot of things happen. Including this potential dip into free agency.