As things presently stand, the Orlando Magic have to feel pretty good about their offseason.
They landed a combo wing in Tristan da Silva that fans have quickly fallen in love with after a great Summer League, secured one of the premier free agents on the market in two-time NBA Champion Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and even locked up some of their own, with Gary Harris, Moritz Wagner, Franz Wagner, and Jonathan Isaac all returning to the team on new long-term contracts.
And yet, if there's one minor area the team might not have addressed quite as much as they should have, it is at the point guard position, as they are down one former starter without an obvious replacement.
That's right, after a promising start to his time in Orlando that garnered him a three-year, $50 million contract, Fultz has slowly but surely seen his future with the Magic shrink with each passing month, going from averaging 14 points, 5.7 assists, and 3.9 rebounds in 29.6 minutes of action a night in 2022-23 to just 7.8 points, 2.8 assists, and 3.2 rebounds in 21.2 minutes last season. Fultz clearly fell behind Jalen Suggs and even Cole Anthony – who appeared in 38 more games than the former first-overall pick last season – and after entering free agency earlier this summer, somehow remains unsigned despite having a pretty interesting combination of size, speed, and defensive ability that should inspire some team like the Brooklyn Nets to give him a shot on the minimum, especially with a one-way scorer like Cam Thomas leading the way.
While the idea of not bringing back Fultz is understandable, why didn't the Magic pursue another quality ball handler to help ease the burden on Suggs and Banchero, be that the top guard on the market in Tyus Jones or a more value-conscious option like Reggie Jackson, Cameron Payne, or Kris Dunn, who ended up with the Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks, and Los Angeles Clippers respectively on value-conscious contracts? Outside of KCP, who can play the two, the only other guard the Magic added this offseason is Corey Joseph, the 32-year-old journeyman who averaged just 2.4 points in 11.4 minutes of action last season for the Golden State Warriors.
Do the Magic believe that 2024-25 is the year that Anthony Black comes into his own and plays like a former first-round pick? Or are they at least willing to give the Memphis product a few months to figure it out before trading for a backcourt upgrade in February? Perhaps someone like Dennis Schroder, who has been incredibly effective playing with the Wagner brothers on the German National Team? Either way, it will be interesting how things shake out for the Magic, as they will suddenly be going from a feel-good story that League Pass hipsters hype up on social media to a legitimate Eastern Conference contender with expectations to make it to and maybe even out of the second round.
Tyus Jones reveals why he signed with the Suns over Magic, Clippers
So, why, you may wonder, did Jones sign with the Suns over the Magic, Clippers, Wizards, and other teams that could have either paid him more money or offered him a better chance to win a title?
Taking to social media to share his thought process, Jones revealed that the Suns offered him a perfect storm of contention, growth opportunities, and a chance to start, which he seemed to value most of all.
“The chance to play for the Phoenix Suns made the most sense on a lot of levels and my family – beginning with the way (Governor) Matt Ishbia and the front office recruited me to how Coach (Mike Budenholzer) showed me how I can significantly impact a team that has a real opportunity to challenge for an NBA title as their starting point guard,” Jones told ESPN.
“My agent (Kevin Bradbury) walked me and my family through multiple free agent offers and sign-and-trade proposals at a number of different financial levels, but the Suns' opportunity is where I can best maximize my value for a return to free agency next year as well as give myself a chance to be part of what I think will be a special team and season.”
Now granted, could the Magic have offered Jones a chance to start? Potentially so, but it would have gotten somewhat dicey, as KCP signed with the Magic to be their starting two guard, and unless the team decided to do something creative like moving the ex-Nugget to the three and starting Paolo Banchero, who wants to play the four, at center, rolling with Suggs at the one with Anthony as a sixth man coming off the bench simply feels like the best course of action considering Jones' floor and ceiling.
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