The Orlando Magic are on the rise.
The team entered Thursday's games fifth in the Eastern Conference and one of the youngest teams in the NBA. Not only do they have a large part of their core intact but the team's two stars are 22 and 21 years old.
President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman will manage one of the most important offseasons in Magic history this coming summer. He will need to tread carefully to maintain the team's culture and add to it.
Orlando has money to spend. But the team has the looming contract extensions for Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero. The team needs to spend efficiently while maintaining flexibility to account for near-max money for their young trio.
Orlando also has four unrestricted free agents this offseason in Markelle Fultz, Gary Harris, Chuma Okeke and Goga Bitadze. The team has that and has to balance the involvement of rookies Anthony Black and Jett Howard -- plus the 2024 first-round pick. All while the team is looking to fill some key needs too.
The roster will look for upgrades this free agency. Whatever the Magic accomplish this season, they will expect to match and improve on it next year. This year's free agency class will go a long way to that.
The team will be looking for their fifth starter this offseason. Gary Harris has been excellent in his role as the starter for the Magic and could be retained. But as it stands, there are potential upgrades at that position on the open market this summer.
The team could also use better center depth and better shooting, of course.
This free-agent class is not deep with talent, but the Magic should use their cap space and make one significant free-agent splash. Now is the time to do it with their added cap space and the clear value of having a shooter in the starting lineup would be.
Orlando needs to add pieces to complement Banchero and Wagner as they phase out of their rookie contracts.
As the team moves into a playoff contender they should solidify their bench with players who can contribute any given night. This is the time to have at least one eye on free agency and what the Magic might add to the team this summer.
12 2024 free agents the Orlando Magic should already be eyeing
Jrue Holiday, Boston Celtics
Jrue Holiday is the perfect fit for this starting unit. The Orlando Magic have struggled with offensive consistency and are in need of a third ball handler and organizer.
Holiday can be just that and more while giving the team some needed championship-level experience to elevate the team.
He has embraced his role as the fourth scorer in the starting unit for an elite Boston Celtics team with two forward stars similar to the duo in Orlando.
Holiday can space the floor and knock down open shots -- hitting 44.5 percent of his threes this season for the Celtics. But he can also attack the paint and find open teammates for easy points.
Holiday thrived playing as the tertiary scorer in Milwaukee the three seasons prior and won a ring with the Milwaukee Bucks. He is shooting 44.5 percent from three this season and shot 39.5 percent in his three seasons in Milwaukee. He can distribute the ball well too when called upon to be a facilitator. He has a career average of 6.4 assists per game.
There is an argument that Holiday is the best perimeter defender in the NBA and would add to a top-five Magic defense. He has been in the top eight in Defensive Player of the Year voting in the last three seasons while making three first-team all-defensive teams.
It seems too good to be true to pair him with Jalen Suggs, who is projected to be a defensive specialist throughout his career. We will see if he is able to hit the open market.
He has a player option for next season and Boston has been outspoken about the intention to sign him to an extension. But if they cannot agree to a long-term deal and the Celtics struggle in the playoffs, Holiday could look to decline his player option in search for guaranteed long-term money.
Boston does not have the cap space Orlando does (although Boston holds Holiday's Bird Rights to go over the cap and sign him). Nobody knows what Boston's appetite is to avoid the punitive second tax apron.
The Magic could convince Holiday to play in Central Florida for more money and an up-and-coming team. He would have more of a role as a scorer like he has throughout his career and would significantly upgrade the Magic's starting unit. It would be a match made in heaven.
12 2024 free agents the Orlando Magic should already be eyeing
Paul George, LA Clippers
Paul George would be the biggest free agent signing since Grant Hill to join the Orlando Magic. He is a nine-time All-Star and has been in MVP conversations throughout his career.
For a team in need of veteran leadership and better outside shooting and two-way play, George would fit in and play a role and be capable of taking over games when necessary too. If the Magic went all-in for another star -- as many thought they might do for Dejounte Murray at the trade deadline -- Paul George is about as big as they could go.
It certainly would be ambitious. And there is at least some noise that George might be looking to exit LA before the team moves into the Intuit Dome this summer.
There are rumors that contract talks are not going as planned with the Clippers and he could be looking for a new home this offseason.
He could be an elite player in Orlando. He is comfortable sharing the ball with his current teammates and being a catch-and-shoot threat when on the court with James Harden and Kawhi Leonard.
George has showcased he can be just as productive working off-ball and would be one of the best available options on the market to work alongside Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero. And he is still a solid defender with plus-size at the shooting guard position, giving the Magic added size that they like.
George is averaging 22.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game and can do a little bit of everything on the court at his 6-foot-8, 220-pound frame. He would drastically improve Orlando's offense and provide a third creator in the starting unit.
Most importantly, he is shooting 40.2 percent from deep on 8.2 attempts per game. George would also provide the reliable shooting that the starting unit desperately needs. He is a better career shooter from distance than Gary Harris while shooting at a higher volume. It would be an instant jolt of offense into the roster.
He not only would improve the Magic's offense, but he is also a solid defender. Paul is not the all-defensive player he was in his prime, but he would provide even more switchability to Orlando's defense. The starting five would be the tallest in the NBA and arguably the best defensive unit in the league.
George is a proven playoff performer too at 21.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game in 108 playoff games. The Magic need that experience and leadership from their starting lineup.
The question for the Magic if they wanted to push their chips in is whether they feel Banchero and Wagner can comfortably cede the spotlight at this stage in their development. George though works as a secondary player who can sometimes take over, especially at his age.
There will not be a more attractive suitor other than the Philadelphia 76ers who can offer max-money and a primary role on a playoff team. He has injury concerns and will be 34 by the start of next season. But if he is willing to negotiate with the Magic to not damage their long-term future, the pairing makes sense.
Orlando will immediately be considered an Eastern Conference contender and establish themselves as a win-now team by bringing in an elite talent like Paul George. The starting five would be beautiful to watch as they play through each other on offense and switch everything on defense.
12 2024 free agents the Orlando Magic should already be eyeing
Malik Monk, Sacramento Kings
Malik Monk is a more viable option in free agency as he is an upcoming unrestricted free agent and the Sacramento Kings are limited in what they can offer him using Early Bird Rights because of the two-year, $19-million deal he signed with them.
After two stellar seasons with the Kings as one of the best Sixth Men in the league, Monk is going to get a hefty raise that the Magic can certainly pay.
He is only 26 years old and is playing some of his best basketball off the bench for the Kings. He has added to his game since joining the Kings and has carved a role as one of the best passers on the roster.
This season he has played more of a point guard, ball-dominant role for the second unit and he has been impressive. He has the second-highest usage percentage on the roster behind All-Star De'Aaron Fox and is averaging 5.3 assists per game.
He has become more than just a spot-up wing scorer but a facilitator. Monk is doing this with a lackluster second unit with no player averaging more than 7.1 points per game besides Monk.
Monk can still score the basketball and is averaging the most points per game in his career. He is third on Sacramento with 15.9 points per game and is a front-runner for Sixth Man of the Year.
He would be pivotal for a Magic team that could use additional scoring from the perimeter but also much-needed ball handling. Monk would improve the Magic's offense drastically.
12 2024 free agents the Orlando Magic should already be eyeing
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Denver Nuggets
The two-time NBA Champion has proven that he can be the glue guy for a contending roster. He is the ultimate 3-and-D specialist who can guard an opposing team's best perimeter scorer while stretching the floor among the best of them.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has a very similar game to Gary Harris. They primarily are catch-and-shoot guys who move off the ball to find openings to get their shot off. Both can defend at a high level and will always play within themselves.
Unlike Harris, Caldwell-Pope has proven he can stay healthy. He has eight seasons where he missed six games or less.
Caldwell-Pope is one of the NBA's elite in knocking down shots and defending. He has averaged 40.4 percent from three the last four seasons on three different teams.
Caldwell-Pope finished 11th in voting for Defensive Player of the Year in 2021 while playing with LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. Now playing for the Nuggets, he is their best perimeter defender and averaged 10.3 points and 1.3 steals in their championship run last season.
He has shown true professionalism during his career and would bring a veteran presence to the starting lineup as well as fewer health concerns than other potential free agents.
Bringing in players with championship experience will only help the Magic learn from veterans who have experienced this journey to success before.
Denver will also be working against the cap so the Magic can offer Caldwell-Pope a more lucrative deal to bring in a veteran shooter that would drastically help Orlando on both ends of the floor.
12 2024 free agents the Orlando Magic should already be eyeing
Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors
There were rumors that Orlando was inquiring about Klay Thompson during the trade deadline and they have continued heading into the offseason. He would be the most notable name on this list. But he comes with added baggage.
He is not the same player that he was before the injuries. The Golden State Warriors relied on him as their key defender during their dynasty, but Thompson has had difficulty guarding opposing players this season.
Thompson has only had one offseason since his injuries to work on his body. He has been rehabbing injuries most of the time when he has been off the court. The Warriors have moved him to the bench now to try to stretch his abilities a little further and salvage their season.
A full summer to work on his lateral quickness and conditioning could see Thompson recover some of the ability he has lost due to his age and injury history.
He is a competitor and has heard the noise from critics since he returned to the court this season. He is still shooting 38.5 percent from three on 8.7 attempts and can get hot quickly.
His skillset would fit perfectly with the Magic's starting unit. A player who operates without the ball in his hands and needs little space to get his shot off.
In Orlando, Thompson would likely have more opportunities to get open looks. Stephen Curry is really the only offensive creator on Golden State minus an aging Chris Paul. They are smaller guards who mostly operate outside of the paint.
Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner are different players who are looking to attack their matchups and get to the rim. It is almost a requirement at this point to double-team Banchero in the paint and his passing is continuing to improve. Having a lethal shooter on the perimeter like Klay makes a lot of sense.
Thompson would fill the biggest need for the team as one of the best catch-and-shoot players in NBA history. He would be asked to do just that working off-ball while Paolo and Franz operate. If he can regain some agility that he has lost on the defensive end it will only make the signing that much better.
If he can come back with a vengeance next season and take advantage of a fresh start with a young team, then this would likely be the best signing of the offseason. He can prove that he can still be a major piece of a contending roster. If the Magic make some noise in the upcoming playoffs they can show Klay that his best opportunity for contention and money is in Orlando.
12 2024 free agents the Orlando Magic should already be eyeing
Bench Depth Options
The Orlando Magic should not just be looking to add some shooting to the starting lineup or a player with a major role. While the team should be expected to throw some of its considerable cap room and money around this offseason, they also need to shore up their depth.
They are likely to flip over a lot of players on the back end of their bench -- likely Chuma Okeke and possibly Goga Bitadze. And so finding some veterans to fill the bench will be vital.
Daniel Theis, LA Clippers
Daniel Theis is an intriguing option to pair with his national teammates Franz Wagner and Moe Wagner. He will be 32 to start next season, but he has shown that he is capable of playing solid minutes. He has 40 playoff games under his belt while playing for the Boston Celtics and started every game for them in 2020 during their Eastern Conference Finals appearance.
James Wiseman, Detroit Pistons
The former second-overall pick has had a difficult time finding his footing in the NBA. He was given the difficult task of joining a contending team and struggled due to injury and what was required of him. If the Orlando Magic can find him available at a bargain price, it would make sense to bring him in as a third center to see if he can succeed with a young Orlando team that plays together and for each other.
Robin Lopez, Sacramento Kings (since waived)
The former Orlando Magic center currently does not have a job, but he could have one final veteran's minimum deal left in his career and return to Orlando. He is a locker-room presence who averaged 7.1 points per game in his lone season with the Magic and could embrace a reunion in the Magic Kingdom.
Isaac Okoro, Cleveland Cavaliers
Isaac Okoro would find minutes in the Orlando Magic's rotation and will have a market this offseason. The former fifth overall pick has struggled to become the breakout player the Cleveland Cavaliers anticipated on draft night. But he still has value and has found his shot while being an excellent perimeter defender.
Gary Harris, Orlando Magic
If it is not broken, do not fix it.
Gary Harris has elevated the Orlando Magic since he joined the starting unit. They are 9-2 in their last 11 games, albeit against some struggling teams, but solid nonetheless. He is averaging 7.7 points per game at 41.7 percent shooting from three in his last 10 games, entering Thursday's game.
Harris will be 30 this offseason and has struggled with injuries, but he is an affordable player who can provide much needed floor spacing.
Robert Covington, Philadelphia 76ers
Robert Covington has had success as a 3-and-D wing playing as a consistent shooter and defender. He is a 36.2 percent career three-point shooter, but as early as last season he shot 39.7 percent from distance on 2.8 attempts per game. Not only will he fortify the Magic's shooting, but he has been an excellent defender throughout his career.
Delon Wright, Miami Heat
Delon Wright is another guard with size who can defend.
He is 6-foot-5 and can play either on-ball or off-ball. Wright has had difficulty staying healthy. But he fits the mold of taller guards who have defensive versatility.
He is shooting 38.1 percent from three this season and can be a reserve who can limit turnovers, defend multiple positions and knock down open threes.