After his poor playoff showing, many thought Gary Harris played his last game with the Orlando Magic and would have to find a new team in free agency. Instead, the veteran and the Magic agreed to a two-year, $15 million contract.
With that singing, the Magic get back one of the few players from last season's roster who had a reputation as a good outside shooter. Between him and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Orlando now has two veterans with a reputation as a three-point threat, and hopefully, it will help them space the floor.
Jalen Suggs shot the three well last season, but he still has to show that he can replicate that production, and Jett Howard and Tristan da Silva still have to prove themselves as shooting threats at the NBA level before teams will respect them from behind the arc.
Nevertheless, this signing was rather unexpected. Most of us thought Harris was almost surely on his way out. On the other hand, the Magic clearly do not want to lose any of their defensive prowess, and most other shooters available in free agency are not great defenders.
Either way, Harris is set to be back with the Magic for another two years. So, let's look at three players impacted most by the signing.
3. Jett Howard
Jett Howard was a lottery pick in last year's draft but spent most of his rookie season with the Magic's G League team. That way, he got a chance to develop while waiting for his shot at NBA minutes.
Many Magic fans believe he should get his shot in the 2024-25 season. After all, the Magic need more shooting and that is what they drafted Howard for last year. With several of last season's rotational players hitting free agency, it seemed that minutes might finally open up for Howard.
Having young contributors on cheap contracts will be incredibly valuable once extensions for the core three kick in for the Magic. Howard can only get there by gathering some NBA experience, however.
Gary Harris returning to the Magic after they already signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope makes it much more unlikely that Howard will get a shot. Harris is a veteran and more proven player—despite his struggles in the playoffs—and will be first in line to get backup wing minutes. Harris has not had a healthy season since joining the Magic, however, so Howard might get a chance to get into the rotation if the veteran is injured again. That means the youngster has to constantly be ready.
2. Anthony Black
Much like Jett Howard, Anthony Black struggled to see consistent minutes last season. Injuries pushed him into the rotation early in the season, and he played quite well. Especially his defense got Magic fans excited about what he could become. Nevertheless, he found himself back on the bench once the team was healthy.
Black was a sixth overall pick for a reason and most Magic fans would like to see him get some more minutes. With Markelle Fultz and Gary Harris hitting free agency, many of us started hoping for some Anthony Black minutes in the 2024-25 season.
After all, he fits the team's defensive identity, shot the three well on a low volume last season, and could develop into an impactful two-way guard. Now that the Magic have made some moves, he seems positioned to be at the end of the bench again.
The starters will likely be Jalen Suggs, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, and Wendell Carter Jr. That leaves Cole Anthony and Gary Harris as the main guards off the bench. Both were a big part of the Magic's rotation last season, and coach Jamahl Mosley might not be quite ready to give some of their minutes to the youngster.
So, Black will have to work incredibly hard and show that he can impact winning basketball to get on the court. The Magic are trying to win. No one will just be given minutes, and Black will have to take steps as an offensive player. Injuries can happen to anyone at any time and, much like last season, Black will have to be ready to step up even if he didn’t get consistent minutes before.
1. Paolo Banchero
Paolo Banchero is a unique talent and has a chance to be one of the biggest names in this new generation of NBA stars. To accomplish that, he needs to be surrounded by the right players.
More than anything, Banchero needs shooters around him to space the floor and allow him to get to the basket. Signing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and bringing back Gary Harris offers some of that. Neither one has quite the same gravity as a shooter as Klay Thompson or Buddy Hield, for example, but they can knock down threes while fitting the Magic's defensive identity.
So, between Caldwell-Pope, Harris, Jalen Suggs, Tristan da Silva, and Jett Howard, Banchero will hopefully have more space to operate offensively.
At the same time, however, the Gary Harris signing—along with the other moves—makes it pretty much impossible for the Magic to bring in a table-setting point guard now. A table-setter is something Banchero specifically wished for to help him carry the playmaking load.
Knowing this, Jalen Suggs, Cole Anthony, and Anthony Black now have a whole summer to work on their playmaking and prepare for playing without a true point guard. Nevertheless, Banchero will likely have to carry a huge part of the playmaking load once again while also being the team's primary scorer.
That is a lot to ask of such a young player, but it will also make Banchero even better down the line. Expectations are that the Magic will put together another winning season, but they are not one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference yet. The Magic are still an incredibly young team, and part of the 2024-25 season will still be about figuring some things out.