Orlando Magic Daily
Fansided

1 reason why the Orlando Magic re-signed each of their free agents

The Orlando Magic were expected to throw some weight around in free agency. Instead they used it to bring back most of their own free agents. Here is one reason why it made sense for each player.

By Philip Rossman-Reich

The Orlando Magic spent most of their offseason bringing back their depth and re-signing their own players. It may not have been the most exciting thing to do, but there was a reason the Magic invested in their own.
The Orlando Magic spent most of their offseason bringing back their depth and re-signing their own players. It may not have been the most exciting thing to do, but there was a reason the Magic invested in their own. / Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 5
Next

Gary Harris: 3-Point Shooting

Gary Harris took the brunt of the criticism for his poor playoff showing. Harris had one critical job for the Orlando Magic and in the playoffs he did not perform it. Everyone could see how inconsistent the offensive production was from the team's guards.

Harris' struggles and his status as a free agent likely meant the team was parting ways.

But that was always a bit of a puzzling thing. For a Magic team whose biggest weakness was shooting, why would the Magic part with one of their best 3-point shooters so easily?

With the Magic able to carve out a clearer reserve role for him with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, it made sense to stick with one of the team's better shooters.

Harris was eighth on the team hitting 37.1 percent from three last year. But he has been historically one of the most reliable 3-point shooters on the team, shooting 43.1 percent from three in 2023 and 38.4 percent in 2022.

That made Harris' 7-for-22 showing from deep in the playoffs all the more disappointing. His misses hurt more because his role on the team was to take threes.

Regardless of what the Magic did with Harris, everyone recognized shooting had to be a focus for the team this offseason. Adding Caldwell-Pope (who shot 40.6 percent from three last year and has shot better than 40 percent in two of the last three seasons) improved the team's shooting. Orlando probably was also looking for some extra shooting off the bench.

Of course, the concern with bringing Gary Harris back is that the Magic might fall back on old habits and decisions, choosing to go with a veteran like Harris rather than give opportunities to young players like Anthony Black and Jett Howard.

On one hand, Black and Howard have to earn their playing time. Conversely, when winning matters, coaches tend to lean on veterans.

In either case, Harris will give the team a reliable shooter. And in a smaller role off the bench, Harris will have a chance to thrive in a way he did not with the pressure of starting.

Home/Magic Free Agency