Magic Rumors: Raptors' Gary Trent Jr., Celtics' Grant Williams Among FA Targets
The Orlando Magic can create up to $60 million in cap space this summer and realistically will have at minimum $25 million to play around with on the market.
That will make them a very intriguing team to watch in free agency, and two players in particular to monitor as potential Magic targets are sharpshooter Gary Trent Jr. and forward Grant Williams, according to Sean Deveney of Heavy.
He reported that the Magic "have their eyes firmly" on Trent in particular.
"He'd be a good bet as their top priority in free agency," an Eastern Conference executive told Deveney. "But that's if they want to go all in."
Trent, 24, had a strong 2022-23 season for the Toronto Raptors, averaging 17.4 points while shooting 43.3 percent from the field and 36.9 percent from three. For teams looking for shooting this offseason, Trent—who has shot 38.4 percent from three for his career—is going to be a prime target.
Another option who "continually crops up around the Magic" is Williams, though because he's a restricted free agent, the Magic will likely need to make an above-market offer to keep the Celtics from matching.
"He is 24, he has proven his chops, on both ends," a Western Conference executive told Deveney. "You can't coach that kind of experience. He's got it. He is a perfect fit there. You want to become a playoff team, he is the kind of guy they'd want. But Orlando would have to overpay to get him and it is tough to expect a team to do that. Obviously, if you are Williams, you want to see the Magic being aggressive on the market."
Williams is a solid two-way player who averaged 8.1 points and 4.6 rebounds while shooting 39.5 percent from three this past season, largely in a role off the bench.
How the Magic approach this offseason will shed light on where they see themselves in their rebuild. They have an impressive young core built around defending Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero, forwards Franz Wagner and Wendell Carter Jr. and a trio of guards in Jalen Suggs, Markelle Fultz and Cole Anthony.
Going all-in for a veteran free agent who may not fit the timeline of that group (assuming Fultz is retained) might not make a ton of sense for the Magic. Younger players such as Trent and Williams, on the other hand, would fit nicely into the rebuild.
Or as one Eastern Conference executive told Deveney, the Magic could make smaller moves this summer and save the big splashes for down the road.
"They could put together some serious cap space. They could sign two guys to big contracts. They could trade away some of their draft assets to get experienced players and just really put everything into turning that corner and becoming a playoff team," the exec noted. "But you get the sense that they're also thinking about taking a small step forward this year, then making the splash next summer. What they do this summer will be real important."
