The move many Magic fans were hoping for never happened. Paul George will not come to Orlando. Neither will Klay Thompson, it seems. The four-time champion reportedly decided to meet with the Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, LA Clippers, and Philadelphia 76ers but not the Magic.
That was quite a disappointment for anyone hoping the Magic would bring in one of the former All-Stars. Orlando had other plans, however, and agreed to a three-year, $66 million deal with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
Caldwell-Pope is an impactful role player and checks a lot of the boxes for the Magic. So, let's look at three needs Orlando addressed with this signing.
3. 3-point shooting
The Orlando Magic finished last season as one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the league. They had few respected volume shooters, and only Jalen Suggs and Joe Ingles shot around 40 percent. The lack of spacing hurt the Magic's offense, and it became clear that Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner needed to be surrounded by better outside shooters.
Ironically, the first solution came from the only team that attempted fewer three-pointers during the regular season than the Magic. The Denver Nuggets took the fewest three-pointers in the NBA but had four rotational players shoot around 40 percent.
One of those players is Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Shooting over 38 percent in all of his last five seasons, Caldwell-Pope has proven himself as a solid outside shooter. That is just what the Magic need.
While he is not quite the same volume shooter as Klay Thompson Paul George, he can add a new dimension to the Magic's offense without needing the ball in his hands a lot.
He won't take anything away from Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner but should be able to make things easier for them by stretching the floor.
2. Preserving the team's defensive identity
That the Magic needed some help offensive was clear all season long but became even more obvious in the playoffs. Unfortunately, most impactful scorers and table-setters available do not fit the Magic's identity as a big, tough defensive team. So, the question was how much Orlando could afford to move away from that identity to improve the offense.
Caldwell-Pope makes that question pointless because he fits the Magic's defensive identity like a glove. The 31-year-old is a great defender and does all the dirty work on that end of the floor. Defensively, the team should be able to get going without missing a beat. Facing a backcourt of Jalen Suggs and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will not be fun for opposing offenses.
Suggs already established himself as an All-Defensive Team player, and Caldwell-Pope also got some votes for the second team this year. They might even be one of the best defensive starting backcourts in the league behind Boston's Derrick White and Jrue Holiday.
Plus, the Magic did not have to move away from what they value the most to land an impactful role player. Knowing exactly who you are as a team is important.
1. Veteran and championship experience
For a team as young as the Magic, veteran experience is incredibly important. Most of Orlando's main guys only have seven playoff games from one of the least highlighted series this year under their belt. If everything goes according to plan, the Magic's young core will be thrust into unfamiliar situations.
The lights will be brighter next season, the stakes higher, and the pressure more intense. It will be great to have someone who has been through it all and won at the highest level. Last season, the Magic had Joe Ingles to provide veteran experience, but Ingles did not play much and has not yet won an NBA championship.
Caldwell-Pope, on the other hand, will be in the midst of it, supporting his young teammates on the court. He not only has plenty of NBA experience to pass on, but he has also won at the highest level. In the last four years, Caldwell-Pope has won two NBA championships. He knows what it takes to compete with the best teams out there, and the Magic will have to learn that. After all, we're all hoping that they can eventually build a championship contender around Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Jalen Suggs.
Throughout his three-year deal, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope should be able to help guide the young guys.