The Magic’s 2023-24 season was a huge success overall. Several players showed notable improvements, Paolo Banchero made his first All-Star game, and the young core got its first taste of playoff basketball.
It was not a great season for everyone, however. A number of players dealt with injuries and some just did not play their best basketball. So, let’s look at three Orlando Magic players who hurt their contract value in 2023-24.
3. Gary Harris
Gary Harris might have just played his last game in a Magic uniform after four seasons in Orlando. The 29-year-old guard will be a free agent this summer, and the Magic might decide to let him walk.
No matter where he signs his new deal, his performance this season will impact his new salary, however. Not only did Harris only play 54 games, but he also averaged the fewest number of points per game since his rookie season.
Harris is one of the few respected three-point shooters on this Magic roster, and his average from beyond the arc was fine during the regular season. In the playoffs, he failed to show up, however. Having been to the playoffs twice with the Denver Nuggets in 2018-19 and 2019-20, Harris was one of the few Magic players with substantial postseason experience.
He should have been a real factor in this series with his experience and two-way ability. Instead, he put together five very forgettable games and one decent game. Outside of Game 2, Harris only made three of his fifteen three-point attempts.
That poor showing might not just cost him another deal with the Magic but also hurt his contract value elsewhere.
2. Markelle Fultz
Despite being picked first overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2017, Markelle Fultz spent the majority of his NBA career with the Orlando Magic. He has already expressed a desire to stay in Orlando and be a part of this surging team going forward. His contract is coming to an end, however, and the Magic might decide to go with someone else instead.
Fultz’s 2023-24 season did not boost his contract value. If anything, it probably hurt it. The 25-year-old was a number-one pick for a reason, but he never got a chance to fulfill his potential because of injuries. Over seven seasons in the league, he only played more than sixty games twice.
2023-24 was just another season in which he spent a large number of games on the bench due to injuries. His minutes per game went down dramatically compared to the 2022-23 season, and he put up his lowest scoring average since his rookie season.
Plus, Fultz still has not developed a three-point shot, and it is tough to be a role player in today’s NBA without an outside shot. The Magic need a point guard of Fultz’s caliber, but they cannot afford to have a non-shooter next to Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, and Wendell Carter Jr. The only one of those players who shot over 38 percent from three was Suggs.
Another injury-ridden season and uncharacteristically low production probably hurt Fultz’s contract value, and teams will consider especially the former issue this summer.
1. Joe Ingles
Joe Ingles has a $11 million team option for the 2024-25 season that the Magic can either pick up or decline. Ingles is a seasoned veteran and a useful locker-room presence, but his production on the court has declined drastically.
Averaging 4.4 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 3 assists for the regular season, he put up his worst numbers since the 2015-16 campaign. In the playoffs, he was also pretty much a non-factor, averaging only 9.7 minutes per game and only scoring more than one basket once.
Playing 68 regular season games in the NBA at 36 years old is impressive, but it seems that Ingles’ time as a productive NBA player is coming to an end. His value is off the court, and $11 million is a big number for someone who does not contribute to the on-court production.
Ingles’ 2023-24 season hurt his contract value, probably both in the Magic’s eyes as well as in those of other teams around the league. The Magic could save plenty of money by declining Ingles’ team option, and it seems unlikely that any other team will offer him that much. After all, the veteran minimum is much lower than that.