2018 NBA free agency grades: Magic will re-sign Aaron Gordon

The Orlando Magic may have an abundance of frontcourt players on their roster already, but that doesn’t make re-signing Aaron Gordon any less right.

The Orlando Magic have agreed to re-sign Aaron Gordon to a four-year, $84 million contract, as first reported by Shams Charania of Yahoo! Sports. Gordon averaged career-highs of 17.9 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game in his fourth season.

The Los Angeles Lakers were reportedly a “team to keep an eye on” for the restricted free agent, but it ultimately wasn’t the right fit after the team landed four-time MVP LeBron James.

Gordon may have shot a career-low of 43.4 percent from the field last year, but this isn’t truly indicative of what he’s capable of. He nearly doubled his 3-point attempts per game from the season before, going from 3.3 to 5.9 per game. He still managed to shoot a career-high 33.6 percent from 3-point range, proving he’s adaptable on the floor.

The 22-year-old also shot an impressive 71.8 percent on shots within 0-3 feet of the basket,  higher than the likes of DeAndre Jordan and Andre Drummond. If he focuses his shooting inside the paint and behind the 3-point line, Gordon’s efficiency will only increase.

Gordon is arguably the best of the Magic’s many recent lottery picks. Elfrid Payton, Domantas Sabonis and Mario Hezonja are all no longer with the team. Victor Oladipo wasn’t the All-Star caliber player he is today when he was in Orlando. The Magic may have felt pressure to retain the one lottery pick that they didn’t prematurely move.

With that being said, the Magic still have a major logjam in their frontcourt. Jonathan Isaac and Mohamed Bamba are both younger, more intriguing players. Veteran centers Nikola Vucevic and Bismack Biyombo also compete for minutes.

Gordon has also missed significant time due to injuries. In his rookie season, Gordon missed 32 games due to a fracture in his left foot. Last season, Gordon was limited to only 58 games and missed the Slam Dunk contest with a hip flexor injury.

Fortunately for the Magic, his contract is nowhere near the five-year maximum contract he could have received. If he misses time or falls behind in the depth chart, Orlando can easily move him in order to acquire more assets or young players.

Gordon will also be playing for his fifth coach, former Charlotte Hornets head coach Steve Clifford. Clifford’s coached big-men Cody Zeller, Frank Kaminsky and the 32-year-old Marvin Williams in the 2017-18 season. None of those players are as talented or explosive as Gordon, so Clifford will be eager to coach him.

It’s clear that the Magic front office has done a poor job of drafting and developing young talent. That made re-signing Gordon a priority if they have any plans of remaining relevant. Orlando was fortunate it got Gordon on such an affordable deal though, and he shows no signs of slowing down.

Next: 2018 NBA free agency tracker: Grades for every deal so far

Grade: A