3 Magic players who will benefit from playing with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

1. Paolo Banchero 

In just his second NBA season, Paolo Banchero established himself as one of the new young stars in the league. He made his first All-Star appearance and led his team to the playoffs. There is so much more to come, but the Magic need to surround Banchero with the right players. 

At this point in his young career, that seems to be 3-and-D players who can space the floor and a table-setter to help facilitate the ball. The latter is something Banchero specifically asked for, but the Magic decided to focus on the former. 

While not getting a true point guard means that Banchero will have to carry a heavy playmaking load once again, signing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope should still make his life easier. Caldwell-Pope has been a plus 38 percent 3-point shooter for the past five seasons, shooting 40 percent or more three times. 

He is not a crazy volume shooter, but has more gravity than anyone else on the Magic's roster. Teams are very well aware of the role Caldwell-Pope played in the Denver Nuggets' title run and will not ignore him. 

Especially if Jalen Suggs can shoot like he did last season (39.7 percent on 5.1 attempts per game), the floor should open up significantly. More space means Banchero has a better lane to get to the rim, and defenses cannot collapse on him. Hopefully, that will also help with his turnover numbers. 

Banchero and the Magic would probably still benefit from a true point guard, even as a reserve, but signing an impactful 3-and-D guy means they are one step closer to building a truly competitive team. Besides, the Magic are still developing and building. Another season as the team’s primary playmaker will only help Banchero grow in that department, which will still be beneficial even if the Magic bring in a true point guard eventually.

So, while it is kind of a double-edged sword for Banchero, he should still benefit from Caldwell-Pope’s shooting and veteran presence.