Free agency ambitions likely modest this summer
The Orlando Magic entered free agency last year determined to improve their roster. Flush with abundant cap space and desperate to reach the playoffs, the team signed point guard D.J. Augustin, center Bismack Biyombo and forward Jeff Green. The Magic committed a total of $39.3 million to the trio of Augustin, Biyombo and Green for the 2016-17 season alone.
One year later, the Magic will enter a new free agency period with a much different plan.
With new executives atop their basketball operations department and precious little cap room available, the Magic almost certainly will be more careful with their money.
Orlando has significant needs, but prudence appears to be the overriding principle this time. Without making trades the franchise could generate up to $14.6 million in space, but that would not be enough to compete for coveted unrestricted free agents such as point guard Kyle Lowry, power forward Paul Millsap or swingman Andre Iguodala.
Even if the Magic possessed enough cap space to sign a
marquee free agent to a maximum-salary deal, the team would face a significant obstacle. A five-year playoff drought and an absence of an established star on the roster would make it difficult to lure a top-flight free agent.
Faced with those hurdles, Orlando would have to overspend for second-tier free agents this summer, and new president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman and new GM John Hammond seem reluctant to take on major long-term salary commitments.
Weltman and Hammond have been on the job for less than six weeks, and their short-term vision remains unclear. On one hand, bottoming out during the upcoming season would be dangerous because it would endanger the growth of young players such as Aaron Gordon. On the other hand, it seems like Weltman and Hammond will have to rebuild the rebuild that their predecessors started five years ago.
Weltman and Hammond are hamstrung by the contracts the Magic gave out last summer. Although Green is now an unrestricted free agent, the Magic owe Biyombo $17 million per season for at least two more seasons and owe Augustin $7.25 million per season for three more seasons.
If the Magic had never made long-term commitments to Biyombo or Augustin and instead had signed players to one-year deals, the Magic would have had up to $37 million in cap room this summer.
Weltman has said he “would like to bring in players that could either grow with us or help those younger [players already on the team] grow themselves.”
The team has obvious weaknesses with its outside shooting, its depth and its defense.
Yet at the same time, Weltman and Hammond are disinclined to address those needs through long-term signings, because Biyombo’s and Augustin’s combined salaries will account for onequarter of the cap. Also, Gordon is on schedule to become a restricted free agent in 2018.
One option in the weeks ahead will be to re-sign Jodie Meeks, a shooting guard the team acquired last summer through a trade.
Injuries limited Meeks to just three games in 2015-16 and only 36 games last season, but he played effectively in his limited time on the court. He made 40.9 percent of his 3-point tries for the Magic.
Because of Meeks’ recent injury history, he might be inclined to accept a one-year deal. Meanwhile, the Magic might be willing to overpay him a bit because there would be no negative longterm cap consequences to a one-year contract.
The Magic also own Meeks’ Bird rights, so the Magic would be allowed, if necessary, to exceed the $99 million cap figure to retain him.
Re-signing Meeks would be the kind of prudent move Weltman and Hammond seem intent on making.