2. Joe Ingles
Joe Ingles is the Magic’s resident veteran, and his experience and lockerroom presence are incredibly valuable. At 36, Ingles’ on-court production is declining fast, however. Despite being one of the few Magic players with any postseason experience, he was pretty much a non-factor in the playoffs.
The Magic need three-point shooters of Ingles’ caliber but preferably some who can contribute when it matters the most and fit the team’s timeline better. Plus, there are big injury concerns with Ingles. Playing 68 regular season games at his age is nothing to scoff at, but there is no guarantee that he will be as available in the future. In the last two seasons, he only played 45 and 46 games.
Orlando has until June 29 to pick up Ingles’ team option. While it would not be a tragedy if the Magic brought the veteran back for another season, the team could benefit from some more production off the bench. A strong second unit and depth are crucial to most successful seasons. Three-point shooting is obviously a priority, and Ingles can provide that, but he only took an average of 2.4 threes per game this season. That is not enough.
Other than that, the Magic also need a true point guard who can run the team’s halfcourt offense instead of forcing Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner to be the main creators on the team while adding some shooting. The playoffs underlined that need every time the Magic’s offense stalled out.
Not bringing back Ingles could make room for some more reliable contributors the Magic desperately need if they want to build a contender. This season was a pleasant surprise, but from now on people will expect big things from this team.