- Magic forward Jonathan Isaac is looking forward to returning after missing two straight seasons, Khobi Price of the Orlando Sentinel writes. Isaac has been rehabbing from a torn ACL. Orlando drafted him No. 6 overall in 2017.
- Magic guard R.J. Hampton improved in some areas but regressed in others as he was asked to adapt to a new role this season, observes Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel. The addition of lottery pick Jalen Suggs and the late-season comeback by Markelle Fultz meant Hampton didn’t handle the ball as much as he did after Orlando acquired him in a trade midway through his rookie season. He also became less efficient in finishing at the rim, which caused his scoring average to fall to 7.6 PPG after averaging 11.2 PPG last year in 26 games with the Magic.
- Magic guard Gary Harris found his rhythm as the season came to a close, something that could help him in free agency, Khobi Price of the Orlando Sentinel writes. Harris is set to become an unrestricted free agent. He averaged 11.1 points per game with Orlando this season, shooting 43% from the floor and 38% from deep. The 27-year-old has played eight NBA seasons.
Rookie guard Jalen Suggs underwent surgery last week on his right ankle, according to the Magic, who announced in a press release that the procedure repaired a “slight” stress fracture in the ankle.
The team didn’t announce an exact recovery timeline for Suggs, but said he’s expected to resume basketball activities this summer and make a full recovery by the start of training camp in the fall.
“In assessing Jalen’s right ankle at the conclusion of the season, and consulting with multiple doctors, we came to the determination to undergo this preventative measure,” president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said in a statement. “We feel by addressing this now Jalen can still have a productive summer leading into training camp.”
It’s unclear how the injury might have affected Suggs’ play in his rookie year. He missed time due to a right ankle sprain and a right ankle bone bruise in the second half of the season.
The No. 5 pick in last year’s draft, Suggs had perhaps the most underwhelming rookie season of any player selected in the top 10, averaging 11.8 PPG, 4.4 APG, and 3.6 RPG with a subpar .361/.214/.773 shooting line in 48 games (27.2 MPG). Besides the ankle issue, the former Gonzaga standout also dealt with a fractured right thumb that cost him 20 games in December and January.
Suggs is still just 20 years old and was highly regarded coming out of college, so the Magic certainly still view him as an important part of their future and will look for him to take a step forward in his second season. It doesn’t sound as if his 2022/23 debut will be delayed at all by last week’s surgery.
- Can Wendell Carter establish himself as one of the league’s top 10 centers? That could be the next step for the Magic big man, according to Khobi Price of the Orlando Sentinel.
After blowing up their roster midway through the 2020/21 campaign, the Magic embarked on the first full season of their rebuilding process in 2021/22. The results were about what you’d expect: Orlando won just seven of its first 42 games and finished the year at the very bottom of the Eastern Conference standings with a 22-60 record.
The Magic’s handling of Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac, who were both recovering from ACL tears, showed just how patient the franchise is willing to be as it rebuilds its roster from the ground up. Fultz didn’t play until he was about 14 months removed from his injury, while Isaac didn’t suit up at all during the 2021/22 season despite having sustained his injury way back in August of 2020.
With Isaac unavailable all year and Fultz missing for most of the season, the Magic didn’t get a chance to see how a couple of their important young veterans fit alongside their new prospects, but they did give those prospects an opportunity to play big minutes.
While No. 5 overall pick Jalen Suggs had an underwhelming rookie season, second-year guard Cole Anthony took a step forward and rookie forward Franz Wagner established himself as a very promising building block for the future. Orlando will be looking to add another long-term cornerstone with its top-six pick in this year’s draft.
The Magic’s Offseason Plan:
In his fourth NBA season, Mohamed Bamba finally stayed healthy and enjoyed a mini-breakout, setting new career highs in points (10.6), rebounds (8.1), and blocks (1.7) per game, while shooting 38.1% on three-pointers. The performance suggested that Bamba, who turns 24 next month, is finally on the way to becoming the player the Magic envisioned when they drafted him sixth overall in 2018.
The timing of his emergence complicates matters though. The Magic signed Wendell Carter last year to a four-year, $50MM extension that will go into effect in 2022/23 and were better this season when Carter was on the court without Bamba (-0.9 net rating) than when they played together (-5.5) or when Bamba played without Carter (-14.8).
Will the Magic be willing to invest heavily in a second young center? Will there be enough competition for Bamba on the free agent market that he even requires a significant investment? Answering these questions will help shape the rest of Orlando’s offseason, since the decision on Bamba will impact whether the team operates over the cap or under it.
Of course, the Magic’s luck in the lottery also may have a major impact on the Bamba decision. If the team brings in a prospect such as Chet Holmgren, Paolo Banchero, or Jabari Smith, the frontcourt rotation will start to get crowded, especially with Isaac on the way back.
Several of the Magic’s other key offseason decisions relate to their veteran players. Gary Harris and Robin Lopez played their roles well, but it’s unclear if the club envisions them as part of its plans going forward now that they’re unrestricted free agents. Terrence Ross is under contract for one more season, but he seemingly wants to be traded and Orlando would presumably love to accommodate him. His down year in 2021/22 will make it difficult to get anything of real value for him, however.
Salary Cap Situation
Note: Our salary cap figures are based on the league’s latest projection ($122MM) for 2022/23.
Guaranteed Salary
- Jonathan Isaac ($17,400,000)
- Markelle Fultz ($16,500,000)
- Wendell Carter ($14,150,000)
- Terrence Ross ($11,500,000)
- Jalen Suggs ($6,922,320)
- Franz Wagner ($5,258,280)
- Cole Anthony ($3,613,680)
- Chuma Okeke ($3,433,320)
- R.J. Hampton ($2,412,840)
- Total: $81,190,440
Player Options
- None
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Moritz Wagner ($1,878,720)
- Devin Cannady ($1,752,638)
- Total: $3,631,358
Restricted Free Agents
Mohamed Bamba ($10,096,703 qualifying offer / $22,706,229 cap hold): Bird rights- Bol Bol ($2,701,440 qualifying offer / $4,106,189 cap hold): Bird rights
- Total (cap holds): $26,812,418
Two-Way Free Agents
- Ignas Brazdeikis ($1,616,044 cap hold): Early Bird rights
- Admiral Schofield ($1,616,044 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Total: $3,232,088
Draft Picks
- No. 1 overall pick ($10,907,160)
- No. 32 overall pick (no cap hold)
- No. 35 overall pick (no cap hold)
- Total: $10,907,160
Extension-Eligible Players
Note: These are players who are either already eligible for an extension or will become eligible before the 2022/23 season begins.
- Markelle Fultz (veteran)
- Terrence Ross (veteran)
Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds
- Gary Harris ($30,723,215 cap hold): Bird rights
- Robin Lopez ($6,000,000 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Fran Vazquez ($4,508,640 cap hold) 1
- Arron Afflalo ($1,811,516 cap hold): Non-Bird rights 2
- Marreese Speights ($1,811,516 cap hold): Non-Bird rights 2
- Vic Law ($1,616,044 cap hold): Non-Bird rights 2
- Total: $46,470,931
Offseason Cap Outlook
The cap hold for the Magic’s lottery pick pushes their total guaranteed salary over $92MM. That still leaves nearly $28MM in cap space if the team lets all its free agents walk and renounces its remaining cap holds, but I’m not convinced the Magic badly want to create cap room, since they’re unlikely to be major players in free agency.
I’d expect them instead to try to retain Bamba and perhaps explore a new deal with Harris. The decision to operate over or under the cap could come down to how successful – and how expensive – those efforts are. One thing to keep in mind: if new deals for Bamba and Harris project to leave the Magic with, say, $10-12MM in cap space, it makes more sense for the club to simply stay over the cap and keep its full mid-level exception.
If one of Bamba or Harris doesn’t return or if Orlando sheds some salary, possibly by trading Ross, the path to cap space is more obvious. But for now we’re assuming the Magic will at least begin the offseason as an over-the-cap team.
Cap Exceptions Available
- Mid-level exception: $10,349,000 3
- Bi-annual exception: $4,050,000 3
Footnotes
- Vazquez was the Magic’s No. 11 pick in 2005. He never signed a rookie contract and has since retired, but the team has yet to renounce its rights to him.
- The cap holds for Afflalo, Speights, and Law remain on the Magic’s books from prior seasons because they haven’t been renounced. They can’t be used in a sign-and-trade deal.
- These are projected values. If the Magic operate as an under-the-cap team, they would renounce these exceptions and instead gain access to the room exception ($5,329,000).
Salary and cap information from Basketball Insiders and RealGM was used in the creation of this post.
Former No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz, who spent much of the 2021/22 season recovering from a torn ACL, only ended up appearing in 18 games for the Magic and found himself playing alongside mostly new teammates, given that the roster has been overhauled since he suffered that ACL tear.
However, as Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel writes, Fultz acquitted himself well in his limited action this season, shooting a career-high 47.4% from the field and averaging a career-best 5.5 APG despite logging only 20.0 minutes per contest.
According to Price, in a recent appearance on FM 96.9 The Game’s Open Mike with Mike Bianchi, Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman described Fultz as “exquisitely talented in creating offense for others” and said the team believes he has a “crazy physical package of size and skills and vision.” It sounds like Orlando has big plans going forward for Fultz, who – for his part – was thrilled to feel fully healthy and comfortable during the final couple months of the season.
“I’m honestly the most excited I’ve ever been just to have a summer where I’m not really focused on rehab or recovery and I can really attack my summer head-on,” Fultz said. “I know I have a few goals I want to hit, but this is the summer I can really focus on my summer and enjoy the process.”
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- The Wizards will have a lottery pick this June, but they’re unlikely to use the draft to add a starting point guard, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington, who says the team figures to turn to free agency or the trade market to find that player.
- After making the Eastern Conference Finals a year ago, the Hawks were one of the first teams eliminated from this year’s playoffs. Chris Kirschner of The Athletic takes a look at what went wrong in 2021/22 for Atlanta and says that Nate McMillan‘s job security wasn’t a question as of a few days ago — it’s unclear if the way the Hawks’ season ended could change the equation at all, Kirschner writes.
- In his offseason preview for the Hawks, ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider link) outlines how team ownership’s willingness to pay the luxury tax could impact Danilo Gallinari‘s future and examines the case for extending forward De’Andre Hunter before he reaches restricted free agency in 2023.
Magic center Mohamed Bamba, who is eligible for restricted free agency this summer, hopes to stick around in Orlando long term, writes Khobi Price of the Orlando Sentinel.
“I want to be here,” Bamba said of his NBA future. “I just want to make that clear. I’ll let that stuff handle itself and continue to work.”
As Price details, Bamba enjoyed his best year as a pro during the 2021/22 NBA season, averaging a career-best 10.6 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 1.7 BPG and 1.2 APG across a career-most 25.7 MPG as a starter alongside fellow big man Wendell Carter Jr., who was drafted one slot behind Bamba in 2018. Bamba also did a good job protecting the rim, Price notes. A career 68.5% free-throw shooter, the 7’0″ Bamba also connected on a career-best 78.1% from the charity stripe on a modest 1.0 attempts per game.
There’s more out of the Southeast Division:
- After a disappointing 35-47 season, the Wizards face a fascinating summer. Bobby Marks of ESPN (Insider link) provides a thorough preview of Washington’s offseason, contending that it all starts at finding a reliable point guard to play alongside shooting guard Bradley Beal, who could decline his $36.5MM player option this summer and enter free agency. Center Thomas Bryant will also be an unrestricted free agent. Marks notes that, when it comes to assets, the team possesses 10 tradable player contracts and a lottery pick in the upcoming draft.
- Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr. intends to monitor the development of the team’s two most recent second-round selections, reserve point guard Cassius Winston and backup forward Isaiah Todd, writes Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. “It’s a big offseason for those two,” Unseld said. “It’s a big offseason for all of our young guys. You’re going to have a season of ebbs and flows. Consistency is the thing we’re searching for and that’s one thing that young players at times have difficulty with… I thought Cash had some really good moments. Not a ton of sample size with the Wizards, but even with [Washington’s NBAGL affiliate the Capital City Go-Go]. Both he and Isaiah had big games and great opportunities to learn and grow.” Winston averagd 12.7 PPG and 4.6 APG as a reserve with the Go-Go, while Todd logged 12.1 PPG and 5.2 RPG for Washington’s G League club.
- While the Hawks won Game 3 on Friday to pull to within 2-1 in their first-round series, the Heat’s performance so far is showing Atlanta what the team still needs in order to make consistently deep playoff runs, writes Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. Kirschner opines that finding a great perimeter defender needs to be a top priority for the Hawks in their roster-building, as Miami All-Star small forward Jimmy Butler has largely been dominant against Atlanta wings De’Andre Hunter, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Kevin Huerter.
- Earlier on Thursday, we noted that the Magic‘sTerrence Ross would welcome a trade. He has also changed his representation, rejoining CAA Sports as a client on and off the court, Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal tweets. CAA’s Aaron Mintz, who negotiated all of his previous contracts, re-signed him after Ross left Klutch Sports. Ross will be a free agent next summer.
Magic swingman Terrence Ross initially expected to be traded in March 2021 when the team moved Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon, and Evan Fournier, writes Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel. However, Ross remained in Orlando through that trade deadline and through the 2022 deadline too.
With just one year remaining on his contract with the Magic, Ross hasn’t explicitly requested a trade, but he has made it clear he’d welcome a change of scenery, according to Price. Asked if he plans to talk to the front office about wanting to be dealt, Ross told The Orlando Sentinel that the Magic are “well aware of that, so there’s no point,” adding that it’s up to the team to make that decision.
“We’re definitely in different spots,” Ross said. “I feel like I’m a part of that old regime, and they’re going in a different direction. I don’t know what they’ve got in store for me. It’s hard to say. They don’t really let me know too much about what they’re doing. I’m kind of here just along for the ride.”
Ross averaged just 23.0 minutes per game in 63 appearances for the Magic in 2021/22, which was his lowest MPG average since he joined the team in 2017. He fell out of the rotation entirely at times down the stretch as Orlando leaned further into developing its young players.
Of course, Ross’ play this season didn’t help matters — his .397 FG% and .292 3PT% were both career lows. If his three-point percentage had been more in line with his career rate (36.1%), it presumably would’ve been easier for the Magic to move him at the deadline.
Now that he’s on a relatively reasonable ($11.5MM) expiring contract, it will be interesting to see whether there’s a team willing to send the Magic an asset or two this offseason to acquire Ross and bet on a bounce-back season. For his part, the 31-year-old wing says he’d like to be part of a team that’s not going through a rebuild.
“If I was younger (or) one contract before this, it would be a different story,” Ross said during an appearance on the Outta Pocket podcast. “… But I’ve kind of already done that, I’ve been through a few rebuilds already. I’m 10 years in. Time is kind of going against me at this point, so I don’t really want to stay in another rebuild.
Ross added that he’s had fun and had “some good runs” in Orlando, but that he’s prepared to transition into a new situation, preferably on a playoff team.
“At least being on a contender and just helping a team and bringing some of the knowledge I have of being a vet,” Ross said on the Outta Pocket podcast. “Coming off the bench and get buckets.”