After a rather uneventful draft for the Orlando Magic—they unsurprisingly picked Tristan da Silva in the first round and traded their second-round pick—free agency is the next big thing to look forward to. The Magic are one of the few playoff teams with plenty of cap space available this summer and are expected to make some noise.
There are several needs the Magic need to address this offseason. Shooting is on top of that list. Orlando finished last season as one of the worst 3-point shooting teams and did not have enough floor spacers to make the offense run smoothly.
Not surprisingly, they have been connected to Klay Thompson ever since the possibility of seeing him leave the Golden State Warriors emerged. Orlando has money and a consistent role on a playoff team to offer Thompson, and his negotiations with the Warriors are seemingly not heading anywhere. While it would be weird to see the four-time champion in anything other than a Warriors jersey, his gravity as a shooter could do wonders for the Magic’s offense.
Thompson has declined, and understandably so—almost no player can suffer the kind of injuries Thompson has been through and return to the court unchanged—but he still has an elite skill set to offer. NBA teams will always value 3-point shooting, especially when it comes in a package deal with Thompson’s reputation and championship experience.
