Orlando Magic: Locking Up Tobias Harris The Right Move

In an offseason that has been wildly entertaining since the beginning of July, when free agents could speak with other teams, the Orlando Magic have been relative bystanders. This is not an issue, however; in fact, it was always kind of the plan. The Magic have a young core that they are keen to see take them to the next level, what they want is for this team to grow from within.

Many also believe the organization are saving their money, and best pitches, until next summer as well.

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So it was no surprise to see the team not get many meetings with some key free agents this time out. In fact, it was more surprising that Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap held a meeting with the team, and for a minute there it looked like he might join the Magic and rapidly accelerate the rebuilding process.

A back-to-back All-Star his last two years in the league, the 30-year-old ultimately opted for a shorter deal to stay at home with the Hawks. It is thought Orlando offered him somewhere in the region of $80 million over four years.

Many still expect the Magic to go after some modest players as this month winds on, and it will be exciting to see what role players they can add to this intriguing mix. The biggest question facing them this summer however has now been answered, and it is sure to delight most fans.

Restricted free agent Tobias Harris is going nowhere, having agreed to a reported four-year, $64 million deal.

First off, it is great that Harris is sticking around to help this team grow. He turned in his most accomplished season last year, and as an offensive-minded forward he chipped in with 17.1 points per game.

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As impressive as this was (his offensive arsenal truly expanded and this was evident as early as the preseason friendlies) it also ranked fourth among all small forwards in the league, behind only LeBron James, Rudy Gay and Gordon Hayward.

The Magic ranked 27th in offensive efficiency last year, so having Harris and his skill set return is a big boost. Potentially playing next to new recruit Mario Hezonja in certain lineups means this team finally has a bit of firepower to trouble opponents, something it has really lacked in recent years.

I have been somewhat critical of Harris before, particularly defensively, and there’s no question he will have to show more life on that end for this team to climb the standings.

Harris is one of the best young, up and coming wings in the league however. This we knew already. But this is a position that is vital for contending teams, and is evident in the fact a “Three and D” guy like DeMarre Carroll was recently made the highest earner on the Toronto Raptors squad after agreeing to a four-year deal there worth $60 million.

Harris is no “Three and D” expert, not yet anyway. But he has the potential to be, and he’s certainly not afraid to step into that long-range shot when defenses give it to him. Two years ago he shot a horrific 25 percent from three-point range, a terrible number. Last year, however, his considerable improvements included his long-range shooting, as he shot a much better 36 percent.

The long-range shooting is definitely getting there, the defending just needs to catch up.

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After scanning Twitter when the news broke though, one thing jumped out at me above all others. Harris is also only 22 years of age as well, younger than some of the incoming players in this year’s draft class. It was that above everything else that really hit home to me how good this guy could become.

I’d said before that if a team like the New York Knicks came in with a big offer, I’d be OK with letting Harris walk and plugging that money into a higher profile impact player. Maybe even two.

But this is the best part. This has been a crazy summer so far with the anticipated cap rise (that is only going to keep rising for at least the next two seasons, if not more) meaning next to no deals look bad on paper anymore. You can afford to give a specialist like Carroll big money, because next season it won’t eat up as much cap room as in years gone by.

Yet the Magic have locked Harris in to a $64 million deal over four seasons? Seriously?

That’s fantastic value for a guy who could be an All-Star in as little as two years if he continues improving at the pace he already has. I didn’t think it was possible for Orlando to bring him back at that rate, I was sure a team would come in with a big offer that would make the Magic think long and hard about what direction they wanted this team to go in.

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But that never happened, and once again general manager Rob Hennigan and the front office have done a smart bit of business here. It is similar to the equally excellent deal they inked center Nikola Vucevic to last year.

Four years, $53 million for a guy who ranked 14th in the league last season in estimated wins added (13.9) and who also had a player efficiency rating of 21.6 (good for 18th in the league).

Both deals for up-and-coming talent are arguably more fair for the team than the players, testament to the job Hennigan has done, and the belief among the players that this is a team going places. Unlike so many other contracts being agreed to at this time, there is reportedly no player or team option to potentially opt out of the contract early.

It’s great that the Magic have sorted what could have turned into a sticky situation early, not allowing Harris to hang out on the line too long, risking the possibility of another team coming in with big bucks. That scenario likely would have happened when one of the bigger players in free agency this year struck out on their intended targets.

The unpredictable and oftentimes confusing decision making of the Sacramento Kings meant they too could have tossed huge sums at Harris, just to save face in what has been a poor summer so far for them.

That never came to be though, as the Magic committed money to their man early, keeping him with the team for the next four years. By that time, he should in theory only be hitting his prime.

His deal, combined with Vucevic’s, means that down the road they will be able to give big money to Victor Oladipo to keep him around, while also likely being a player in free agency next summer as well.

With those three young guys around, not to mention the weather and tax breaks in Orlando, playing for the Magic should look like an attractive proposition in 12 months time. Playing in the weaker Eastern Conference will also help as well.

Does that mean a guy like Kevin Durant would want to come down and spend some of his prime here? Unlikely, but it should hopefully make other big-name free agents at least consider this team in the future.

All in all a good time to be a Magic fan, there is optimism there once again. The young core is staying together and growing (just like recent NBA superpowers like the Golden State Warriors and Oklahoma City Thunder). Now all that remains is bringing in some role players who can provide more off the bench, while also hopefully giving Maurice Harkless a second chance to shine.

That’s for another day, though; what matters now is that the Magic did what they needed to do, and they did it at a great price, once again.