NBA Free Agency: One move every team needs to make
By Tom West
Orlando Magic: Sign Nicolas Batum
The Magic will be looking rather different in 2016-17. Victor Oladipo and Ersan Ilysova are out, and along with the 11th overall pick that turned out to be Domantas Sabonis, they bought in Serge Ibaka. He’s a strong complimentary piece to their frontcourt and adds much-needed versatility, perimeter play and rim protection alongside Nikola Vucevic, but it was an awful lot to sacrifice for a past-his-prime Ibaka, especially with only one year left on his contract.
Nevertheless, the Magic are making changes. Jodie Meeks is also coming in from Detroit. Now, a small forward will likely be next in free agency, with the likes of Nicolas Batum and Chandler Parsons being potential candidates for max contracts and players worth their interest.
The Magic could be one of the teams to throw Parsons the max he wants, despite his multiple knee injuries to hold him to no more than 66 games in each of the last two seasons. But in a search for shooting after ranking 16th in three-point percentage and 22nd in made threes, Parsons shot 41.4 percent from deep last season and could form a dangerous scoring duo next to Evan Fournier.
Playmaking and defense is where Batum sets himself apart, though. He can create more for others and take control of an offense when need be (5.8 assists per game last season), and that passing ability from the three will be more beneficial to the young group of players the Magic are hoping start to blossom.
Unless they believe Aaron Gordon is ready to make himself a starting small forward and form an imposing, athletic lineup next to Ibaka (with weak spacing), the Magic could use a new small forward.
Next: Washington Wizards