Magic Faces 'Real Important' Free Agency This Summer
ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic is inching closer towards becoming a contender once again.
With Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero taken in consecutive drafts, alongside a young core with promising upside, the Magic is coming together and the team is more complete than its ever been. However, there is still work to do, and this summer could see a lot of that come into fruition.
“They could put together some serious cap space,” an Eastern Conference executive told Heavy. “They could sign two guys to big contracts. They could trade away some of their draft assets to get experienced players and just really put everything into turning that corner and becoming a playoff team. But you get the sense that they’re also thinking about taking a small step forward this year, then making the splash next summer. What they do this summer will be real important.”
A year from now, the Magic is expected to take as big of a leap as it took this season, improving its win total by double digits and growing together as a core. However, that core can be aided with some quality veterans that can turn the Magic from a lottery team to one that's postseason-bound.
The Eastern Conference is expected to be very competitive once again in 2023-24; that could mean the Magic may not be ready to put itself among the elite in the East.
With just a few free agents on the roster, and two draft picks in the top 11, the Magic doesn't have much flexibility to work with. However, the team has plenty of cap space because most of the players on the team are on cheap and/or rookie deals.
Orlando will have even more cap space next year once Gary Harris' contract comes off the books and Jonathan Isaac's deal becomes non-guaranteed, contingent on the idea that he stays with the Magic all year long.
There is a sense of urgency for the Magic to make the playoffs this year, but that doesn't mean Orlando will sacrifice all of the patience and work it has done to get to this point. The Magic believes in its core for the upcoming season, so expect the team to make a few shrewd moves in free agency as opposed to big blockbuster ones.
However, depending on how the team performs in 2023-24, it could be more likely to see those moves next summer.
You can follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.
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