One of the important things to remember about the Orlando Magic this offseason is they have options.
There are ideas big and small to explore for the Magic, but they have a lot of players they can target to improve their backcourt and their offense.
Fans have their list. There are still people putting together lists that include the All-Stars like LaMelo Ball, Trae Young and Darius Garland. There are still the more reasonably priced players like Austin Reaves, Anfernee Simons, Coby White and Collin Sexton.
See? Options.
That is to the Magic's benefit. They have the contracts to make moves for any of those players. It is easy to find frameworks to get conversations started -- and even multiple ways to get deals done throughout the league.
But things are not that simple. The Magic are also trying to fit everything into the increasingly complex puzzle of their salary cap situation.
The team will be over the luxury tax line for the first time since 2012 and is flirting with the first apron with about $20 million in room (and $11 million reserved for Moe Wagner's team option).
For the 2027 season, the Magic know they will be taking on an additional $50 million expense when Paolo Banchero signs his max extension.
All of these considerations are front and center as they determine who to add to the roster and how to build their roster. How they structure their salaries matters as much as who they add to ensure they can continue improving. And that does not get to Anthony Black's potential extension in the summer of 2027.
The salary cap will continue to rise, but so will the Magic's payroll. And who the team acquires this offseason plays a role in that.
Take Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves as an example.
For fans thinking Reaves -- who would fit the Magic's need for playmaking and scoring after averaging 20.2 points per game and shot 37.7 percent from three last year -- might be the cheap option, they are at least paritally correct.
Reaves is slated to make $13.9 million next year. But he is now widely expected to decline his $14.9 million player option and seek a richer contract.
A much richer contract.
According to Eric Pincus of Bleacher/Report, Reaves will be seeking a contract starting at $30 million per year. Austin Reaves' agent, Aaron Reilly, is promising a show that will maximize his value.
Regardless of how you put it, Reaves is expecting a significant raise after next season.
While acquiring Austin Reaves would cost the Magic something small -- Cole Anthony's salary matches and there are ways to make it work with Goga Bitadze's salary and some filler -- the eventual cost for Reaves could tip the Magic well into the second apron.
Orlando must consider not only how much it will cost to acquire a player like Reaves, but also how much it will cost to retain him. The Magic almost should have their extension ready to go for a player they acquire like Reaves.
The biggest concern is that the Magic cannot afford to take on another big salary.
Orlando already has $99.9 million in guaranteed salary for the 2027 season. That does not include the anticipated extension for Banchero -- $42.5 million starting salary if Banchero does not make All-NBA next season and $51.0 million if he makes All-NBA. It also does not include Kentavious Caldwell-Pope's player option for the final year of his deal.
That leaves the Magic already a few million dollars above the projected $170.1 million salary cap already in 2027. It is still $20 million below the luxury tax line. But the Magic will want to fill out the roster elsewhere. And whoever they acquire in a trade this offseason will surely cost more than $20 million per year by then.
Orlando still has to consider how much it is willing to retain these players and how deep into the taxt the team wants to go.
Reaves is the most extreme example because of how much his salary is expected to increase. But this issue is present with all the other key players Orlando might acquire.
Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons is owed $27.7 million next season and then enters free agency. Utah Jazz guard Collin Sexton is owed a more meager $19.2 million next season but then also enters free agency. Chicago Bulls guard Coby White is also owed only $12.9 million next year but will almost certainly get twice that with another strong season as a free agent.
There might be something to having a salary locked into a fixed amount rather than expending assets to acquire a player and then risk losing them in free agency to some unknown value. Especially if they are a strong fit for the team.
That is one of the many risks the Magic are weighing this offseason.
Orlando knows it must make a move for one of these players or a similar player this year. The team knows it needs offensive improvement. But it also knows it needs to be careful about how it aligns its contracts.
Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman hinted at exit interviews that the Magic are entering a phase where they will be swapping out contracts. The Magic have a lot of their salary slots filled, it is now about combining and swapping those slots for the players they want.
Orlando will make a move for one of these players. The team will take a risk on someone.
But the Magic are not just making moves for the upcoming season. They are thinking about their future too. And there is a lot to consider.