The Orlando Magic surprised many when they not only made the cut for the 2024 NBA Playoffs but also finished fifth in the Eastern Conference standings. Despite a young roster, the Magic turned lots of heads and earned the respect of people in the basketball realm. The challenge now for the Magic is to build on that form and be better going forward.
The 2024 NBA free agency will offer a channel for the Magic to do just that by finding a piece that could help them right away in the 2024-25 NBA season. Klay Thompson has often been linked to the Magic, but if not the Golden State Warriors sharpshooter, someone like Philadelphia 76ers sniper and former Oklahoma Sooners star Buddy Hield could be the guy for Orlando.
Buddy Hield as an Orlando Magic NBA Free Agency Target?
For Dan Favale of Bleacher Report, the Magic can take a serious look at Hield, who was traded by the Indiana Pacers to the 76ers in February.
The pressure he puts on defenses with both his outside volume and motion would be a boon for the Magic offense. Since entering the league, he’s downing 40 percent of his triples on more than 7.5 attempts per game. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are the only players matching or exceeding those benchmarks over the same span.
Speaking of Thompson, some want Orlando to take a look at him. That’s cool, but he’s older (34) than Hield (31), and it’s tough to imagine him actually leaving the Golden State Warriors.
Nostalgia won’t factor into Hield’s free agency. The Sixers have grander plans for their cap space and no real obligation to him.
Hield did not give his free agency stock a nice boost with his letdown play for the 76ers in the playoffs, as he only averaged just 5.5 points on 41.2 percent shooting from the field in limited minutes during Philly’s first-round loss to the New York Knicks, but if anything, that perhaps helps Magic on the negotiation table.
Hield is a career 38.6 percent shooter from behind the arc in the NBA.
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