With the NBA playoffs still in full swing, it’s time to think about the future in Orlando. The Magic’s appearance in the playoffs was a big step in the right direction, but it also exposed some of the team’s biggest weaknesses.
The front office therefore has important decisions to make this summer. Which free agents should they sign? What pieces does the team still need around Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs? Is now a good time to make a big deal?
One of those decisions will be whether to re-sign Gary Harris or let him enter free agency to find a new NBA home. After four seasons with the Magic, Harris will be a free agent and his time in Orlando could be coming to an end, depending on what the organization chooses to do.
So, let’s look at the pros and cons of the Magic re-signing Gary Harris.
The Magic desperately need more shooting, and letting one of the team’s only capable volume shooters walk could be risky. Harris is a 37 percent three-point shooter for his career and can theoretically stretch the court. If the Magic wanted to let him go, they would have to be incredibly confident that they could introduce other three-point threats.
On the defensive end, Harris has been a solid asset for most of the season. He is a capable perimeter defender and coach Jamahl Mosley trusted him to guard Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland in the playoffs as well as players like Damian Lillard and Tyrese Haliburton in the regular season.
Additionally, Harris is one of the few veterans on the roster and has experience playing alongside the young core.
Gary Harris already failed to show up for the Magic when it mattered most once. Besides a 14-point performance in Game 2 of the playoffs, he had a pretty forgetful playoff run.
Shooting just 31.8 percent from three, he struggled to stretch the floor, and that hurt the Magic. If you only have a handful of reliable three-point shooters, you need them to shoot when it matters most.
But it wasn’t just the playoffs. During the regular season, Harris averaged his lowest scores since his rookie campaign and he has been dealing with injuries for years now.
Additionally, the starting backcourt of Harris and Jalen Suggs incredibly struggled to handle playmaking responsibilities. Paolo Banchero had to make up for that while carrying the brunt of the scoring load and that’s something something the Magic must correct.
It just seems like the Magic will be able to find more reliable options to provide shooting and playmaking in free agency to replace Harris. Otherwise, bringing it back to the right price wouldn’t be the worst thing.
