3 Free agency mistakes the Orlando Magic must avoid making

Mistake #1: Don't get any playmaking help

The Magic's most pressing need this offseason is to add shooting. Reliable volume shooters are incredibly important in today's NBA, and we saw the Magic struggling when they did not have that. 

So, that is something they need to fix this summer but there is more. Paolo Banchero has already mentioned in an interview with the Washington Post that he would love to have a table-setter on the team. Banchero is a great passer, but does not want to be the team's point guard at all times. Sometimes, someone needs to get him an easy shot as well. 

And yet, recent speculations suggested that the Magic are more focused on finding shooting guards and leaving the starting point guard spot to Jalen Suggs. With Markelle Fultz likely on his way out, the Magic might lose the only "true" point guard on the roster and that could end up being a problem. 

In the playoffs, it looked like the Magic could really use someone to orchestrate the offense and set up the main guys. Too often, the team just put the ball in Banchero's hands and hoped he could get a bucket. The next time around, the Magic will be more experienced and older, and maybe things will look different. 

At the same time, they might not, however, and the Magic should definitely get some playmaking help. That doesn't necessarily mean they have to add a ball-dominant star point guard like Trae Young. That might change the dynamic of the team a little too much, but there are options in between. 

Even if they want to leave the starting spot to Suggs, the Magic should look to add a backup point guard—someone who offers more playmaking than Cole Anthony and Anthony Black—or a combo guard like Malik Monk or D'Angelo Russell. Both could add a scoring punch, stretch the floor, and make plays for their teammates. Other options, like Klay Thompson, for example, could offer the first two but no playmaking to fall back on. 

After all, there is no guarantee that Banchero will be as healthy as he was in 2023-24. Without his playmaking, the Magic's offense might just fall apart when facing a strong defense.