With NBA free agency almost upon us, word is starting to leak out about which players certain teams are interested in. The Orlando Magic have been linked to Golden State Warriors wing Klay Thompson for some time now, and – according to Matt Moore of Action Network – they could make significant offers to Thompson and Nuggets guard Kentavious Caldewell-Pope:

“The Magic are one of the few teams in playoff contention with cap space, along with OKC. They have nearly $50 million in space to use, with Jonathan Isaac being the highest-paid player on roster at $17 million for next season.

League sources suggest the Magic are willing to offer the Warriors' Thompson or Caldwell-Pope short-term, big money deals starting at two years, $50 million.

The Magic are clearly looking for offensive boosts after having a bottom-10 unit.”

Orlando reached the playoffs despite their youth and desperate need for more outside shooting. Thompson, assuming he can bounce back to some degree, would be an excellent fit with the Magic's young core of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner.

But, of course, all things hinge on what kind of deal Thompson is looking for. He could be willing to take less money per year in exchange for more years with Golden State, as Moore points out:

“I don't think it's absolute that Klay Thompson's days as a Warrior are done. The Magic are interested in Thompson, but league sources say those offers are centered around short-term deals. Thompson may want more guaranteed money over more years, which allows for the Warriors to retain him.

So far, there are no discussions of three-plus-year offers for Thompson outside of Golden State.”

Could Kentavious Caldwell-Pope make sense for the Magic?

While Klay Thompson would be a welcome addition to the Magic, Caldwell-Pope could be more available – depending on what the Nuggets decide to do, also per Moore:

“The Nuggets continue to play it close to the vest with their plan to try and retain Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in free agency. Keeping KCP on market value would mean going into the second apron, limiting Denver's ability to both improve and make in-season additions in the event of injury.

KCP is rumored to be getting offers north of $20 million per year, with the Magic and Sixers both willing to offer deals well beyond what Denver would want to offer.

While Denver can match any offer for KCP with more years using his bird rights, the more the contract is, the more work it would have to do to get under the CBA's second apron to free up flexibility for trades with multiple players or adding buyout candidates.

The reality is that with Jamal Murray extension-eligible this summer, Aaron Gordon holding a player option for 2025-26 and Michael Porter Jr.'s contract still holding $115 million over the next three seasons, Denver is facing tough decisions as to how to build a sustainable contender around three-time MVP Nikola Jokic”

What is certain is that the Magic are in the rare enviable situation where they have a young, affordable team capable of making playoff noise and a whole lot of cap space to pair with it. If they want to make a big move, this summer is the time to do it.