5 perimeter scorers the Magic need to land this offseason

The Orlando Magic are one of the up-and-coming teams in the Eastern Conference, but after falling to the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games in their first-round series, it's clear that they need more perimeter scoring to complement Paolo Banchero. Which players should they look to add this offseason in order to take the next step?

The free agent market is loaded with difference-making talents, and the Magic have a strong recruiting pitch. The team is young, tough, and well-coached. Jonathan Isaac and Jalen Suggs are bulldogs defensively, while Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner are unselfish stars who seem like a lot of fun to play with. This is a team that isn't governed by the egos of its best players, which is rare in the NBA. They also play in Florida, which means no state income tax.

With its best players still playing under cheap rookie contracts and Gary Harris and Markelle Fultz potentially coming off the books, the Magic are projected to be flush with cap space next year, and they can free up even more by declining the options of Mo Wagner and Joe Ingles. That means that everything is in play, whether Orlando wants to chase a superstar or add multiple mid-level pieces. One note: everybody seems to be aboard the Klay Thompson to Orlando train, but I'll believe he's leaving Golden State when I see it. With that being said, let's get into the possibilities.

5. Buddy Hield

Of the bottom 12 teams in the NBA in 3-point percentage, only the Magic actually made the playoffs. Jamahl Mosley has done a phenomenal job in leading this team to relevance, but to continue their ascent, the Magic need to be better from outside.

Buddy Hield fell out of favor in Philadelphia late in the season after the Sixers traded for him in February, but he's still one of the best perimeter shooters in the NBA. Unlike some of the other players we'll get into on this list, he's not a star that is going to drastically alter the makeup of the team. The one thing he's really good at is the one thing the Magic really need.

Hield is a 40 percent 3-point shooter for his career, which would have been the best percentage on the Magic this season. Jalen Suggs has drastically improved his shooting year over year, but there's nobody on the team that will make opposing teams think twice about double-teaming Banchero when he touches the ball. Hield would do that.

4. Malik Monk

The Sacramento Kings faded down the stretch, eventually being knocked out of the Play-In Tournament by the New Orleans Pelicans. A big reason for that was the absence of Malik Monk, who missed the end of the season with an MCL sprain.

Monk has really worked on his game to be more than just a shooter, which is why he was a finalist for the Sixth Man of the Year award. With one small exception (he dropped from 13.8 points per game in 2021-22 to 13.5 last year), he's improved his scoring average every year he's been in the league. He set a career-high with 15.4 points per game this season, and he would provide a lot more scoring pop than Harris, who scored less than seven points per game this year.

Perhaps it's just the traumatized Tar Heels fan in me, but I can still remember Monk as a member of the Kentucky Wildcats. He lit my Heels up for 47 points in an early-season contest in 2016, then hit a ridiculous contested three in the final seconds to tie the game when the teams met again in the Elite Eight. Thankfully for Carolina, Luke Maye hit a buzzer-beater to win it, but I've never been so relieved to survive against a single player as I was to escape Monk.

Even for great college players, it usually takes some time to find themselves in the NBA, but Monk has done just that. He's only 26, but he would be one of the elder statesmen on the Magic, and with his improved play every year he's been in the league, it's a role that could suit him.

3. Donovan Mitchell

If Orlando is looking to make a big splash to solve its perimeter woes, the answer was just staring them in the face for seven games. Donovan Mitchell put the Cavs on his back to nearly single-handedly drag them past the Magic and into the second round.

Mitchell averaged over 28 points per game in the series, but he saved his best for last, scoring 50 in a losing effort in Game 6, then dropping 39 to lead Cleveland back from an 18-point deficit in the deciding game.

Mitchell is one of the most dynamic scorers in the game, but it's an open secret that he doesn't plan to stay in Cleveland when his contract expires next year. This has caused people to speculate that the Cavs could look to trade him before then rather than lose him for nothing.

Mitchell angled for a trade to the Knicks before the Jazz ultimately dealt him to Cleveland. He grew up in New York and isn't shy about his ties to the area, as his dad worked for years for the Mets. If Mitchell really wants to get to New York, he could probably make it happen, but is that the best option for him? The Knicks have a good thing going right now, but pairing Jalen Brunson and Mitchell in one backcourt would be too detrimental defensively to allow the Knicks to be true championship contenders. Mitchell could go to the Nets, but they're a mess and will always play second fiddle to the Knicks anyway.

The Magic could make a lot of sense. Mitchell's defensive deficiencies could be mitigated by the presence of Suggs and Isaac, and his scoring ability would create a deadly 1-2 punch with Banchero.

Even with just one year left on his deal, Orlando would have to give up a lot to acquire Mitchell. The Cavs sent Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji, three firsts, and two pick swaps to Utah for Mitchell, but they knew they were getting him for three years.

The Magic can't make a deal like that without Mitchell first signing an extension and expressing a desire to be there. Even so, they can't gut the team to get him. If the Cavs are reasonable, though, because they know he's planning on leaving anyway, Orlando might be able to craft a deal that works for both sides.

2. DeMar DeRozan

The Bulls are in NBA purgatory. Not good enough to make a playoff run, not bad enough to get a high draft pick. It's not where you want to be. Chicago will almost certainly try to move off Zach LaVine's onerous contract this offseason, but why stop there? DeMar DeRozan is set to become a free agent, and even though he's an excellent player, the smart thing for the Bulls to do is pull the plug and start over on a full rebuild.

DeRozan is one of the most efficient scorers in the NBA, and he would give the Magic a true co-pilot for Banchero on offense. He's never been a real threat from the 3-point line, although he did hoist more shots from deep this season than he has in any year since 2018. Instead, he is one of the last true midrange artisans in the league, getting his 24 points per game on a variety of elbow jumpers, pull-ups, and crafty moves to the basket.

DeRozan could see a move to the Magic as being the perfect career play. After nine years with the Raptors, he was traded for Kawhi Leonard, only to see his old team win the NBA title in its first year without him. The Bulls have been mediocre during his time there, as he's been surrounded by players on bad contracts, like Levine and Nikola Vucevic. The Magic are on the rise, and DeRozan could be a big part of what puts them over the top.

1. Paul George

If the Magic really want to make a run at it, Paul George may be their best bet. The 34-year-old forward still has plenty left in the tank, and though the Clippers have expressed a desire to keep George, Leonard, and James Harden together, that may not be the smart play for anyone involved.

George is an L.A. guy, and may not want to leave Tinseltown at all, but from a basketball perspective, he has to be frustrated by Leonard's inability to stay on the court. Once again, Kawhi missed critical playoff games, and the Clippers ended up falling to the Mavs in six games as a result.

George would make the Magic much more difficult to guard, as he and Banchero could keep opposing defenses stretched thin with their ability to get their own shots from anywhere on the floor. He's not the disruptive defensive player he once was, but he's far from a liability on that end and would fit in well with Orlando's scrappy team D.

The Magic are one of the few contenders that could actually afford George when he hits the open market, but the decision will ultimately rest with him. Does he want to ride it out with the Clippers and hope that Kawhi is miraculously able to stay on the court? Does he trust Harden (if he also returns) to not throw another hissy fit and force his way out of town, just like he's done in every previous stop? Or would he rather hitch his wagon to a young, talented team that would view him as the missing piece in a title run? Seems like an easy choice, but then again, we don't know what Disney park he prefers.

George should be Orlando's top priority this offseason, and the team's pursuit of him will show how serious the Magic are about being real contenders.