The Orlando Magic are in full rebuild mode and have made some tough decisions in free agency to help shore up its roster.
Orlando has signed free agent center Robin Lopez, re-signed Moritz Wagner, waived Dwayne Bacon and allowed Otto Porter to signed with the Golden State Warriors. James Ennis is the only other free agent still pending but he is receiving interest from several contending teams.
Orlando’s roster now sits at 14 players, giving them just one open spot remaining. A spot the team is unlikely to fill.
The Orlando Magic put their free-agent focus on shoring up their frontcourt while still maintaining plenty of flexibility for the near future.
With its lone free agent signing of Lopez, the Magic acquired a veteran big on a one-year, $5-million dollar deal. He will serve as the third center for the Magic behind Wendell Carter and Mohamed Bamba.
Lopez could very well outwork Bamba for the No. 2 center spot. He provides insurance if the Magic were to trade one of its centers or if one were to get injured — that insurance could be needed with neither Bamba or Carter hitting 60 games in any of their previous seasons.
Lopez is the lesser-known Lopez brother. His twin brother, Brook Lopez, plays for the world champion Milwaukee Bucks. Unlike Brook Lopez, Robin Lopez is not known for his offense. He is rather known for his defense and tough play.
But Lopez has had five seasons in which he has averaged more than 10 points per game. He averaged nine points last season in 19 minutes per game with the Washington Wizards last year.
This may not be the flashiest signing, but Lopez is exactly what the Magic needed. They needed to shore up their center depth and bring in a veteran to help support their extremely young roster. Lopez checks off all the boxes at a relatively affordable price.
The Magic also re-signed Moritz Wagner, the brother of No. 8 pick Franz Wagner. He is sure to help the rookie adjust to life in the NBA.
Moritz Wagner more than proved himself in his 11 games with Orlando last season. Wagner started 10 games, averaging 11.0 points and 4.9 rebounds per game while shooting 37-percent from three in 26 minutes per game.
The big man provided shooting, hustle and toughness. Wagner played like a man on a mission, who thought his career was on life support. He made an impression in a Magic uniform and it will be interesting to see how much he plays next season.
The Wagner signing was bit of a surprise with the addition of Lopez but it is a welcomed one. This signals a lot of competition for the backup center and power forward positions.
That essentially filled up Orlando’s roster, especially with the decision the team made on its unguaranteed contract for Bacon. The Magic officially waived Bacon on Sunday, bringing their roster back to 14.
In Bacon’s lone season with the Magic, he averaged 10.9 points in 25 minutes per game. He was the only player to appear in all 72 games during the 2021 season.
He can obviously score the ball. But the problem with Bacon is consistency, he only shot 40-percent from the field and 28-percent from three. It made sense for the Magic to let him go.
Bacon had ample opportunity to play last season and did not prove his value. The Magic are deep at guard and this clears the way for the young guys to play.
Furthermore, Orlando did not re-sign Otto Porter, which did not come as a surprise for Magic fans.
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Porter has shot the ball well during his career and is a respected veteran. But he did not do much in a Magic uniform. Porter only played in three games and averaged 8 points per game.
It is hard to say whether Porter is a player on the decline. He has simply dealt with a lot of injuries and it is hard to know what he can still do on the court. Joining a contender like the Warriors makes sense for him.
Although James Ennis has not signed with another team, it does not look like the Magic will bring him back.
Orlando has 14 players under contract with the addition of Lopez and its two first-round picks. Ennis had a great year shooting the ball, posting 43-percent from three and 47-percent from the field. He provided the Magic veteran leadership and shooting.
But injuries are a concern, he only played in 41 of the possible 72 games last season. Barring a trade or another roster move, it does not look like Orlando will bring back Ennis.
The Magic are likely done with free agency. They still have their two-way contracts to fill and likely will examine players on their Summer League roster to fill them.
But the team is potentially not done yet. There is likely a trade market that is developing soon around the NBA. It may be centered still on star players like Damian Lillard and Ben Simmons. But the Magic have plenty of value to offer in trades — both in the cap space they can rent and Terrence Ross or Gary Harris as valuable veterans who could help contending teams.
The Magic’s free-agent work is likely done. But they are far from finished this offseason.
Orlando Magic use free agency to shore up their front court - Orlando Magic Daily
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