There is a tendency when a team has money to burn in free agency to focus only on the big fish in the pond.
Indeed, the Orlando Magic as a team should be looking to add at least one starting-level player to bolster their lineup. Even if that is just looking for an upgrade over Gary Harris or the spot he is leaving behind.
But the summer cannot be just about filling that spot. There is a lot more for the team to do quite clearly.
The Magic have relied on young players to fill in the roster. That works for a time. But the playoffs showed how valuable consistency and veteran presence are. The Magic will not abandon their young players—especially last year's two rookies who struggled to crack the rotation.
Still, there should be some urgency to spend and to put together a winning team that can advance deeper into the playoffs as Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs continue to develop.
It does feel like anything is possible this offseason.
But more importantly, the Magic should realize they are not just one piece away from title contention. They still need to rely on their depth to get them further into the postseason.
That is why this summer is not about signing one big-money player. With the Magic's ample cap room— potentially up to $50 million but realistically somewhere between $30-$50 million— they should be looking not only to add a starter in the $23-$25 million range, but also another high-level bench player to fill the remaining cap room they have.
With the mid-level exception falling at $13 million, the Magic should also be looking to fill out their roster with players in this range (for reference, Cole Anthony will make $12.9 million this year, so that is a reasonable number for a high-level reserve).
As much as there is attention on the big fish in this free agent market, the Magic's success might be determined by how the team fills out the rest of its roster this summer.
The Magic need a starting point guard. But they could also use improved wing depth and security at forward this offseason. There is much work to do to solidify the team's bench and roster.
5 mid-level free agents the Orlando Magic should pursue
5. Malik Beasley, Milwaukee Bucks
The place to start is with a player who has already had at least some speculation and rumor connected to the Orlando Magic.
Milwaukee Bucks sharpshooter Malik Beasley has bounced around the league a little bit, but had a strong showing last year, averaging 11.3 points per game and hitting 41.3 percent of his three-pointers on 6.9 attempts per game. He made 42.4 percent of his catch-and-shoot three-pointers on 5.3 attempts per game, according to data from Second Spectrum.
Beasley has been a good high-volume shooter for a long time—shooting 38.5 percent from three on 5.9 attempts per game for his career.
How Beasley slipped through the cracks to take a veteran's minimum contract with the Bucks last year is still a great mystery—he had a solid run with the Minnesota Timberwolves before heading to the Utah Jazz in the Rudy Gobert trade and then fell out of the rotation in the Los Angeles Lakers' playoff run in 2023.
That poor playoff performance probably hurt his value more than anything. And Beasley has not been a great playoff performer—he averaged 8.8 points per game but still shot 44.0 percent from three on far fewer attempts in the Milwaukee Bucks' series against the Indiana Pacers.
Beasley needs others to set him up. But he will hit from the outside when he gets hot.
And that is exactly what the Magic need. If they sign the guard they think they need and get better play from Anthony Black as a playmaker, then Beasley should get plenty of shot opportunities.
Essentially, the Magic are probably looking for someone like Gary Harris who is just willing to shoot on more volume. Part of that is the Magic expanding their offense and getting more of these open threes. Better shooters will help facilitate this passing by giving the drivers more space to attack downhill.
Beasley is a great shooter. He would immediately fill a role. He is still a starter-caliber player too. Having that off the bench is never a bad thing either.
4. Buddy Hield, Philadelphia 76ers
For a time, Orlando Magic fans had their eyes on Buddy Hield as the big free agent acquisition of this offseason.
Everyone was salivating over the opportunity to bring in a bursty shooter who would just fire threes. Hield felt like one of the more gettable free-agent targets to complete the Magic's lineup.
The heat on Hield has cooled considerably after he had a rough start to the year with the Indiana Pacers (he reportedly requested a trade that took time to satisfy) and then really struggled to crack the rotation with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Hield averaged 12.1 points per game for the entire season, shooting 38.6 percent from three. That was down from 16.8 points per game and 42.5 percent from three.
Hield is a volume three-point shooter, shooting 40.0 percent from three on 7.6 attempts per game for his career. Even entering his age 32 season, Hield is still a capable three-point shooter. Even for as bad as he appeared to play with the 76ers after his trade there this season, he still made 38.9 percent of his 6.6 three-point attempts per game.
The Magic would probably take that considering their shooting deficit—not only from a percentage standpoint (where they finished 24th in the league) but from a volume standpoint (they were 29th in the league in attempts).
The playoff performance is concerning though. Hield is not getting any younger and seemed unplayable for stretches.
He averaged only 12.8 minutes per game and appeared in only four games for the Philadelphia 76ers in their series with the New York Knicks. He averaged only 5.5 points per game but he shot 6 for 13 from three. When he got his chance in Game 6, he scored 20 points on 6-for-9 shooting from deep.
This was Hield's first time in the playoffs. Everyone struggles in their first playoffs. But that he struggled even to carve out a consistent role on an injury-depleted Sixers team in need of shooting is at least mildly concerning.
Hield has gone from a sure $ 20-million-per-year player to taking only a piece of the mid-level exception. That could benefit the Magic, especially if he wants a prove-it deal and to recycle back into free agency.
3. Gary Trent Jr., Toronto Raptors
In the summer of 2021, Orlando Magic fans had seemingly one obsession. They wanted Gary Trent Jr. on the team.
He fit a positional need at shooting guard. He was an excellent three-point shooter. And even facing a major pay increase, he seemed affordable. Trent Jr. was one of the big targets for the Magic.
He ended up signing a manageable three-year, $52.1 million contract. The Magic ended up retaining Gary Harris and everyone moved along.
Everyone still had their eyes on Trent Jr. And there is no reason to stop. If he opts out of the final year of his contract (that will pay him $18.6 million), Trent Jr. is one of the best shooters avilable on the market.
He had a down year by his standards last year, averaging only 13.7 points per game. But he still shot 39.3 percent from three on 6.4 attempts per game. He is a career 38.6 percent three-point shooter on 6.4 attempts per game.
Again, so much of this spot the Magic need to fill off their bench is to get some volume shooting and someone who is a constant threat from deep. That is what Trent Jr. would bring immediately.
Still, there are concerns.
Trent Jr. is on the smaller side at 6-foot-5, pigeonholing him into the shooting guard position defensively. He also is not a particularly strong defender. He has had a negative defensive box plus-minus every year except for 2022 and 2023.
Perhaps being on a better defensive team—and playing alongside Anthony Black and Jonathan Isaac in bench lineups—would help hide him defensively so the Magic could get the most of his shooting. At 25 years old, Trent Jr. should have some good basketball ahead of him.
The question is whether Trent Jr. will stick with the Raptors for one more year, understanding he will not make the same amount on the market. Or whether he would be willing to take a bench role on a rising contender like the Magic.
2. Caleb Martin, Miami Heat
There always seems to be some warning with role players who thrive in the Miami Heat's system. They never seem to do well outside of that ecosystem and the "culture" they build. Still, it is hard to resist the temptation when one of them does so many things so well and surrounded by the right players steps up on the biggest stage.
If Caleb Martin hit free agency after his run in the 2023 Playoffs, where the Miami Heat stunned everyone to make the NBA Finals, he would be looking at a contract that would pay him well in excess of the mid-level exception.
Martin did not live up to the promise of his 2023 Playoff showing. But he still had a career season averaging 10.0 points per game.
Still, that was a product of increased minutes. He did not meet expectations for a Heat team that struggled all year. They needed more from him.
Unlike the other players on this list, Martin is not a volume shooter. He shot only 34.9 percent from three on 3.6 attempts per game.
And while he is an excellent defender and fits the Magic's defensive ethos better than anyone on this list, there is a lot unproven with Martin. Especially considering he has failed to live up to his 2023 Playoff run—where he averaged 12.7 points per game and shot 42.3 percent from three.
Martin would fit what the Magic want to do, though. He clearly can defend or the Heat would not be so in love with him. It is just tempering expectations and putting him in a position to succeed in the way the Heat did for that brief moment.
1. Gordon Hayward, Oklahoma City Thunder
The Orlando Magic are looking for veterans to stabilize their lineup. They probably are not so opposed to someone with a manageable injury so they can still give some space for their young players to improve. And the Magic might even be willing to roll some cap room over for next year—before they officially ink new deals for Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs.
And so one place they might turn is to a former injury-riddled star who is looking for a bit of redemption.
Everyone can admit the experiment that sent Gordon Hayward to the Oklahoma City Thunder from the Charlotte Hornets fell flat on its face. Hayward averaged only 5.3 points per game in 26 appearances with the Thunder. He did not play in the playoffs.
It was another down, injury-filled year for Hayward overall. He appeared in 25 games for the Hornets, averaging 14.5 points per game and shooting 36.1 percent from three. He has not hit 60 games in a season since 2019.
Hayward is an emergency, end-of-summer signing at this point. He should not get all of the mid-level or even much more than the room mid-level exception the Magic might be reserving for Mo Wagner—unless it is a one-year rollover deal like the one the magic essentially gave Joe Ingles.
But there is still something in Hayward. He is capable of creating his own shot. He is a better playmaker than people give him credit for. And while he is not a volume shooter—a career 37.0 percent three-point shooter on 3.6 attempts per game—he is capable of spacing the floor and hitting from the mid-range.
There is the chance to give him some redemption.And he is plenty capable of still having some big moment, even in a smaller role.
But especially considering this free agent class, it is easy to see how quickly options run out. And why the Magic have to be sure about who they will pursue and get their first or second targets.