Orlando Magic: 4 Offseason Keys To Success
By Luke Duffy
2. The Future Of Tobias Harris
Tobias Harris is a restricted free agent this summer, and the word among many is that a team like the New York Knicks may offer him a big contract to tempt him away from Orlando. While his current employers could top any deal, it would take away financially from other moves they could potentially make. This isn’t a huge issue, the salary cap will soon rise and it’s not like a superstar is likely to come to the Magic in it’s current state.
But having as much financial flexibility as possible is always a plus. On top of that, the organization needs to be sure that Harris is worth the money that may have to be spent to lock him down long-term. Coming off his best season as a pro, it still remains to be seen if he’s nailed down a starter role, or if he’s more of a sixth man kind of player. He’s got the talent no question, it just may be that he’s in the wrong place at the wrong time with this Orlando team.
Whatever the organization decides to do though, they need to do it quickly. If they’re going to keep him, do it quickly and plan accordingly for the rest of the summer. Harris is morphing into a dependable offensive player with plenty of moves to get his points. Defensively he’s not the finished article, but there’s still hope he’ll show more improvement on that end too.
If they do let him walk, either drafting a forward who will take his place or nabbing a free agent themselves will need to be done. This is why it’s crucial to sort out his future with the franchise early. This is an important summer for the Orlando Magic, and a lot of what they may or may not do hinges on if Harris stays with the team or not.
Personally, I wouldn’t be crushed if the team did let him walk, but he may come back to haunt the team one day. I’m convinced there’s still more to come from the guy, and the possibility of him morphing into one of the best forwards in the league in the colors of a different team is daunting. It’s a big decision to make.
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