Hoops Rumors is checking in on the 2024 offseason for all 30 NBA groups, recapping the summer time’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and extra. We’ll check out every crew’s offseason strikes and take into account what would possibly nonetheless be coming earlier than the common season begins. At present, we’re specializing in the Orlando Magic.
Free agent signings
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: Three years, $66,000,000. Third-year participant choice. Signed utilizing cap room.- Goga Bitadze: Three years, $25,000,000. Re-signed utilizing Early Hen rights.
- Moritz Wagner: Two years, $22,000,000. Second-year crew choice. Re-signed utilizing Hen rights. Waived proper to veto commerce.
- Gary Harris: Two years, $15,000,000. Second-year crew choice. Re-signed utilizing Hen rights. Waived proper to veto commerce.
- Cory Joseph: Two years, minimal wage ($6,772,731). Second-year crew choice. Signed utilizing minimal wage exception.
- Jarrett Culver: One yr, minimal wage. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed utilizing minimal wage exception.
- Myron Gardner: One yr, minimal wage. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed utilizing minimal wage exception.
- Tre Scott: One yr, minimal wage. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed utilizing minimal wage exception.
- Jalen Slawson: One yr, minimal wage. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed utilizing minimal wage exception.
Trades
- Acquired the appropriate to swap their very own 2030 second-round choose with the Pelicans’ 2030 second-round choose and the appropriate to swap their very own 2031 second-round choose with the Pelicans’ 2031 second-round choose from the Pelicans in change for the draft rights to Antonio Reeves (No. 47 choose).
Draft picks
- 1-18: Tristan Da Silva
- Signed to rookie scale contract (4 years, $17,567,626).
Two-way signings
Departed/unsigned free brokers
Different strikes
- Signed Franz Wagner to a five-year, maximum-salary rookie scale extension that begins in 2025/26. Projected worth of $224,238,150 (beginning at 25% of the cap). Projected worth can improve to $246,661,965 (27.5% of the cap) or $269,085,780 (30% of the cap) if Wagner meets Rose Rule efficiency standards. Contains 15% commerce kicker.
- Renegotiated and prolonged Jonathan Isaac‘s one-year, $17.4MM contract. Elevated 2024/25 wage by $7.6MM to $25MM. Added 4 years, $59,000,000. Partially assured in 2026/27 ($8MM). Non-guaranteed in 2027/28 and ’28/29.
Wage cap scenario
- Went beneath the cap to make use of room.
- Now working over the cap ($140.6MM) and beneath the posh tax line ($170.8MM).
- Carrying roughly $150.4MM in wage.
- No arduous cap.
- Full room exception ($8MM) obtainable.
The offseason up to now
For the previous a number of years, the Magic have constructed their roster patiently and incrementally, ceaselessly re-signing their very own veteran free brokers to versatile, short-term offers and including younger expertise via the draft whereas forgoing main splashes on the commerce and free agent markets.
In some methods, they caught to that strategy once more this offseason. Function gamers Goga Bitadze, Moritz Wagner, and Gary Harris all obtained new offers as free brokers, with Wagner and Harris signing what have turn out to be Orlando specials: two-year contracts with robust first-year assured salaries and crew choices on the second yr.
I’m undecided there was one other crew on the market ready to provide Wagner $11MM or Harris $7.5MM for the 2024/25 season, however Orlando, working far beneath the posh tax line, can comfortably afford these salaries. And the truth that the Magic had been keen to go a bit larger than different groups might need earned them a pair key concessions — not solely do each contracts have second-year crew choices, however each gamers agreed to waive their proper to veto a commerce, so if the Magic have the chance to make an in-season deal for a higher-salary participant, Wagner and/or Harris may very well be used for matching functions.
Bitadze’s deal, in the meantime, is assured for 3 seasons, signaling his worth in a free agent class that lacked many dependable choices at heart past Nic Claxton and Isaiah Hartenstein. Bitadze stays considerably underrated. He’s coming into his age-25 season, made 33 begins for a playoff crew, and hit a career-high 60.3% of his subject objectives whereas blocking 1.2 photographs in simply 15.4 minutes per sport. With Wendell Carter and Wagner additionally within the combine at heart, the Magic have three strong – if unspectacular – choices within the center.
The 2 most profitable contracts the Magic handed out this summer time had been to gamers who had been already below contract for 2024/25. Because of their extensions, Franz Wagner and Jonathan Isaac at the moment are below crew management via 2030 and 2029, respectively.
The Wagner funding (a projected $224MM+ over 5 years, starting in 2025/26) is a little bit of a tricky capsule to swallow for a participant who has by no means averaged 20 factors per sport, made 28.1% of his three-pointers final season, and put up a dud in Recreation 7 of the first-round playoff loss to Cleveland (six factors on 1-of-15 taking pictures). That deal is extra about what the Magic imagine the 23-year-old will turn out to be than what he’s proper now. Nonetheless, I’d really feel a bit higher about it if Orlando may have gotten Wagner to conform to even a Desmond Bane-type contract, a bit beneath the max.
The Isaac renegotiation and extension ($84MM in whole cash over the subsequent 5 seasons) really could be the higher worth of the 2 offers. That will sound odd on the floor, provided that the ahead averaged simply 15.8 minutes per sport in 58 appearances final season. Nevertheless it was his first full yr again after lacking most of three seasons as a consequence of knee points, and when he’s wholesome, Isaac is among the league’s most impactful defensive gamers.
The Magic had a +10.9 web ranking when Isaac was on the court docket final season, in comparison with a -0.3 mark when he sat. Plus, his new contract – which dips to round $15MM yearly starting in 2025 – is barely absolutely assured for the subsequent two years, with a partial assure in 2026/27 and non-guaranteed salaries within the closing two seasons.
Moreover re-signing their very own gamers, the Magic continued so as to add younger expertise to their roster within the draft. This yr’s No. 18 choice was Orlando’s lowest high choose since 2012, so the crew doubtless gained’t rely on Tristan Da Silva to play a major position as a rookie. Nonetheless, the previous Colorado ahead, who made 39.5% of his three-pointers over his final two faculty seasons, is sensible on a roster that completed dead-last amongst 30 NBA groups in three-pointers made in 2023/24.
The summer time of 2024 deviated from the Magic’s current offseasons in a single essential method. After profitable 47 video games, the crew was able to take an even bigger swing by including a high veteran free agent to its younger core. Orlando made use of its cap room to land Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, a three-and-D wing who has been a starter for 2 separate champions groups (the 2020 Lakers and 2023 Nuggets) up to now 5 seasons.
A 40.6% three-point shooter over the previous 4 years, Caldwell-Pope ought to present much-needed ground spacing for the Magic whereas additional fortifying a protection that ranked third within the NBA final season. Maybe simply as importantly, he and fellow newcomer Cory Joseph will be a part of Harris as the one gamers on Orlando’s roster who’ve gained an NBA postseason collection.
The Magic’s assured take care of Joseph was a bit stunning, provided that he was waived by Golden State midway via the 2023/24 season and didn’t discover a job down the stretch. However like Caldwell-Pope, he has championship expertise – having gained a title with the Spurs in 2014 – and can present veteran management within the locker room.
I had thought Orlando would possibly goal a degree guard able to enjoying a bigger on-court position, particularly with Markelle Fultz and secondary play-maker Joe Ingles departing in free company. However the Magic seem set to depend on former No. 6 general choose Anthony Black to tackle elevated obligations alongside ball-handlers like Jalen Suggs, Cole Anthony, Wagner, and rising star ahead Paolo Banchero.
Up subsequent
The Magic’s projected 15-man common season roster seems to be full, however the crew does have a pair of two-way spots open, with Trevelin Queen the one participant presently on a two-way deal in Orlando. Non-guaranteed signees like Mac McClung, Jalen Slawson, Tre Scott, and Myron Gardner may find yourself competing for these spots; the membership may additionally regulate the waiver wire to see if any intriguing targets shake free earlier than opening night time.
It’s value noting that the Magic are working about $20MM beneath the posh tax line. Few NBA groups have that kind of monetary flexibility at this level — solely the Pistons, Jazz, and Spurs have smaller crew salaries for 2024/25. That would make Orlando a preferred commerce accomplice for golf equipment seeking to shed a bit wage, although a deal alongside these traces is extra prone to materialize in the course of the season than within the preseason.
Two Magic rotation gamers are eligible for extensions up till October 21 and each are attention-grabbing instances. We’ll begin with Jalen Suggs, a former No. 5 general choose who’s up for a rookie scale extension.
In contrast to Wagner, Suggs gained’t obtain a maximum-salary supply, however after a season during which he knocked down 39.7% of his three-pointers and earned All-Defensive second crew honors, the 23-year-old’s inventory is on the rise and an extension gained’t come low-cost.
Within the yr earlier than he signed a five-year, $131MM rookie scale extension with Minnesota, Jaden McDaniels averaged 12.1 PPG with a .398 3PT% and glorious protection. It’s protected to imagine Suggs’ representatives will deliver up that deal in negotiations with Orlando and make the case that Suggs (12.6 PPG, .397 3PT%, glorious protection) deserves the same payday, or perhaps a bigger one, given his further offensive obligations.
Carter will turn out to be eligible for a veteran extension on October 1, giving Orlando a three-week window to get one thing accomplished. He nonetheless has a pair years left on his present contract, so if the 2 sides don’t work one thing out this offseason, they’ll have one other probability in 2025.
As outlined above, Orlando has no scarcity of choices at heart, however Carter – a strong defender who can stretch the ground – is the very best of the bunch and has been a coveted goal for groups in want of a giant man (together with the Pelicans). If the Magic can lock him up at a good worth, I count on they’ll achieve this, however it’ll doubtless take a major bump on his present contract, which can pay him $22.8MM over the subsequent two seasons. The Magic could be restricted to providing him a beginning wage value as much as 140% of subsequent season’s estimated common wage.
