Among the many teams trying to improve themselves this offseason, the Orlando Magic are certainly one. Drafting young prospects in Aaron Gordon and Elfrid Payton and trading away Arron Afflalo were their first moves.
Less than a week later, they waived veterans Jameer Nelson and Jason Maxiell. After shedding some salary space with nelson and Maxiell, Orlando could start to add some pieces to their team. Could Marvin Williams be one?
According to NBA insider David Aldridge, the Magic could be in on the veteran small forward:
Marvin Williams solidly on "next" line for threes after top four/five. Talking with Spurs, Heat, Wizards, Hornets, Clips, Magic, Suns.
— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) July 4, 2014
Williams, 28, is a nine-year NBA veteran, and was the second overall pick out of the 2005 NBA Draft, from the University of North Carolina. Williams is a career 10.8-point-per-game scorer, and while he failed to live up to the billing of a second overall pick, he has been a consistent scorer off both the bench and starting.
Marvin spent the past season playing for the less than competitive Utah Jazz. He averaged 9.1 points, on a .439 shooting percentage, while adding 5.1 rebounds per contest.
Clearly Williams is no star, but he could be a valuable piece off the bench for any team.
If Aldridge’s report is correct, the Magic could looking to add Williams to their relatively young roster. Williams would bring several factors to Orlando’s lineup which they are already lacking.
The big one is bench scoring. They ranked 25th overall in scoring in general, but failed to get too much help from their bench anyways.
Tobias Harris started half the games he appeared in, and gave Orlando a solid 14.6 points per game. But players on their roster that were strictly bench players and backups failed to give too much help.
For example, E’Twaun Moore only gave Orlando 6.3 points per contest, while Kyle O’Quinn only put up 6.2. While it’s obviously unclear how Orlando would use Williams if he was signed, but it’s safe to say he wouldn’t be starting.
Williams scored his 9.1 points per game in just 25.4 minutes. He started 50 of his 66 games, but he wasn’t playing starter’s minutes.
A full-time bench role would be ideal for Williams if he did sign with the Magic.
Aside from that, Williams is a decent rebounder at the small forward spot, averaging 5.1 rebounds per game last season is a solid number, and could be a nice addition to Orlando’s 21st-ranked rebounding from last season. Looking at their other forwards, Harris added a cool 7.0 rebounds, but Maurice Harkless only added 3.3, while Moore pulled down only 1.7.
Williams made $7.5 million last season, and you could argue that he was slightly overpaid at that rate. At age 28, Williams could looking for a long term deal to lock him up for several years.
A potential deal for Williams could look something like four years, $24 million, depending on which team he chooses to sign with.
No matter which direction Orlando chooses to go with, Williams could potentially be a great fit off the bench for the Magic. Having a veteran forward on a rather young team could be a smart move, especially if Marvin can still score and rebound like he did last season.