Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers, and Orlando Magic Off-Season Preview

Will LeBron re-sign with the Lakers? Who will the 76ers land this off-season? Will the Magic break up the Warriors championship core and sign Klay Thompson? The Laker, 76ers, and Magic have a lot of decisions to make this summer, which could make this off-season a wild one. In this preview, I will lay out all the contract information, draft picks, and cap space. I will dive into each team’s top priorities and team needs and select the best fits in the draft and free agency.
 
You can check out the previous teams I have already previewed in the links below.
 
 

Los Angeles Lakers

Under Contract:

  • Anthony Davis: 4 Years Left – $219.1M (5 Years – $189.9M + 3 Year Extension – $177.13), Last Year is Player Option
  • Rui Hachimur: 2 Years Left – $35.26M (3 Years – $51M)
  • Austin Reaves: 3 Years Left – $41.81M (4 Years – $53.83M), Last Year is Player Option
  • Gabe Vincent: 2 Years Left – $22.5M (3 Years – $33M)
  • Jarred Vanderbilt: 4 Years – $48M, Last Year is Player Option
  • Jalen Hood-Schifino: 3 Years Left – $14.19M (4 Years – $17.88M, Rookie Contract), Last 2 Years are Team Options
  • Christian Wood: 1 Year Left – $3.04M (2 Years – $5.75M)
  • Maxwell Lewis: 3 Years Left – $6.52M (4 Years – $7.64M), Last Year is Team Option

Options:

  • LeBron James: Player Option – $51.42M, Extension Eligible
  • D’Angelo Russell: Player Option – $18.69M
  • Jaxson Hayes: Player Option – $2.46M
  • Cam Reddish: Player Option – $2.46M

Free Agents:

  • Taurean Prince (UFA)
  • Max Christie (RFA)
  • Spencer Dinwiddie (UFA)

Draft Picks:

  • 17th Pick (NOP has the option to receive or defer this pick)
  • 55th Pick (From LAC)

Cap Space:

  • Projected Maximum Cap Space: $28.8M

Top Priorities/Team Needs:

  • Get LeBron to re-sign: Staying with the Lakers is most likely LeBron’s beat chance to win another title. It has been speculated he will play for another 2 seasons. He could pick up his player option and get an extension for another year or opt out of his contract and sign a 2-year contract. This is the Laker’s top priority heading into the off-season.
  • New head coach: The Lakers need a new head coach after letting go Darvin Ham. This is a critical hire they need to hit on if they want to maximize their talent and make another championship run. If LeBron stays and plays a couple more years, this would be his last coach of his career. A few top candidates are JJ Redick, James Borrego, and Sam Cassell.
  • Upgrade the role players: In their series against the Nuggets, the Lakers led by 9+ points in every game before losing the series in 5 games. They may not be that far off from being a contender as many people believe. However, they need to upgrade their role players around LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Austin Reaves. Revamping the guard and wing depth is crucial and adding another big man or two would ease the burden off LeBron and AD.
  • Perimeter defense: The Lakers don’t have a good perimeter defender that can guard their opponent’s best guard/wing. They don’t need to make a big trade for an elite defender, but adding multiple players that can improve their defense is a must going forward. Making a trade for a player like Dorian Finney-Smith and adding De’Anthony Melton in free agency would be a massive improvement for their defense.
  • Another playmaker: With D’Angelo Russell likely to opt out of his player option, the Lakers will have a big hole at the point guard position. They need to acquire a player that can be a primary playmaker that can drive to the paint to open up the offense, be a solid defender, and shoot the ball. While it may be difficult to find one player that can fill all those needs, they should try to acquire multiple players to have depth. Players like Tyus Jones, Chris Paul (likely to be cut by GSW), and/or De’Anthony Melton would be great fits for this team.

Draft Fits:

  • 17th Pick:
    • Tristan Da Silva
    • Ja’Kobe Walter
    • Isaiah Collier
    • Daron Holmes II
  • 55th Pick:
    • Tristen Newton
    • Melvin Ajinca
    • Quentin Post
    • Adem Bona

Free Agent Fits:

  • Chris Paul (Likely to be cut by GSW)
  • Tyus Jones
  • De’Anthony Melton
  • Naji Marshall

Philadelphia 76ers

Under Contract:

  • Joel Embiid: 3 Years Left – $165.67M (4 Years – $213.28M), Extension Eligible, Last Year is Player Option
  • Paul Reed: 2 Years Left – $15.83M (3 Years – $23.56M), Non-Guaranteed
  • Ricky Council IV: 3 Years Left – $6.52M (4 Years – $7.38M), Non-Guaranteed, Last Year is Team Option

Options:

  • Jeff Dowtin: Team Option – $2.2M

Free Agents:

  • Tyrese Maxey (RFA)
  • Tobias Harris (UFA)
  • Buddy Hield (UFA)
  • Nicolas Batum (UFA)
  • Robert Covington (UFA)
  • De’Anthony Melton (UFA)
  • Kyle Lowry (UFA)
  • Mohamed Bamba (UFA)
  • Kenyon Martin (UFA)
  • Kelly Oubre Jr. (UFA)
  • Cameron Payne (UFA)

Draft Picks:

  • 16th Pick
  • 41st Pick (From CHI)

Cap Space:

  • Projected Maximum Cap Space: $72.8M

Top Priorities/Team Needs:

  • Re-sign Tyrese Maxey: Maxey had a breakout season averaging career high numbers in every category. When Maxey played with Embiid, they had a record of 29-7, which is on pace for a 66-win season. Maxey will garner a max contract and re-signing him is the top priority for the 76ers.
  • How do you spend the cap space?: The 76ers have a lot of important decisions to make this summer with a large amount of cap space available. They should look at re-signing a few of their own free agents for continuity and team chemistry. Targeting another star player should be in the mix to pair with Embiid and Maxey. Paul George is the top target, but if they miss on him, they could look at DeMar DeRozan or seek a trade for Jimmy Butler. They could also fill the roster with high level role players, such as Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Malik Monk, or Klay Thompson to name a few. Finding the right guys to fit alongside Embiid and Maxey are key for a championship run.
  • Re-sign a few role players: As I mentioned above, re-signing a few of their own free agents should be a priority for continuity and team chemistry. Nicolas Batum, Kelly Oubre Jr., Kyle Lowry, and De’Anthony Melton are who they should target to bring back at the right price.

Draft Fits:

  • 16th Pick:
    • Tristan Da Silva
    • Ja’Kobe Walter
    • Johnny Furphy
    • Tyler Smith
  • 41st Pick:
    • Keshad Johnson
    • Baylor Scheierman
    • Jalen Bridges
    • Cam Spencer

Free Agent Fits:

  • Paul George
  • DeMar DeRozan
  • Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
  • Malik Beasley

Orlando Magic

Under Contract:

  • Jonathan Isaac: 1 Year Left – $17.4M (4 Years – $69.6M), Non-Guaranteed, Extension Eligible
  • Cole Anthony: 3 Years – $39.1M, Last Year is Team Option
  • Paolo Banchero: 2 Years Left – $27.5M (4 Years – $50.16M, Rookie Contract), Last Year is Team Option
  • Wendell Carter Jr.: 2 Years Left – $22.8M (4 Years – $50M), Extension Eligible
  • Jalen Suggs: 1 Year Left – $9.19M (4 Years – $29.96M, Rookie Contract), Extension Eligible
  • Anthony Black: 3 Years Left – $25.68M (4 Years – $32.93M, Rookie Contract), Last 2 Years are Team Options
  • Franz Wagner: 1 Year Left – $7.01M (4 Years – $22.78M, Rookie Contract), Extension Eligible
  • Jett Howard: 3 Years Left – $18.15M (4 Years – $23.17M, Rookie Contract), Last 2 Years are Team Options
  • Caleb Houstan: 2 Years Left – $4.21M (4 Years – $8.21M, Rookie Contract), Non-Guaranteed, Extension Eligible, Last Year is Team Option

Options:

  • Joe Ingles: Team Option – $11M
  • Moritz Wagner: Team Option – $8M

Free Agents:

  • Markelle Fultz (UFA)
  • Gary Harris (UFA)
  • Goga Bitadze (UFA)
  • Chuma Okeke (RFA)

Draft Picks:

  • 18th Pick
  • 47th Pick

Cap Space:

  • Projected Maximum Cap Space: $65.4M (Does not take non-guaranteed contracts into account)

Top Priorities/Team Needs:

  • Extend Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner: Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner are both cornerstone pieces for the future of this franchise. The former is the leader of their dominant defensive identity and has improved significantly on offense. The latter has taken a step back with his three-point shooting but has improved at driving to the basket and being more physical inside the arc. He has also made significant strides on the defensive end. You could argue that both deserve max contracts, but the front office should look at extending them below the max salary. Regardless, extending these two players should be the top priority heading into the off-season.
  • Shooting: Three-point shooting has been the Magic’s Achilles heel all season. They were the 7th worst shooting team during the regular season, shooting 35.2%. Their shooting got worse in the playoffs, shooting a mere 30.9% from behind the arc. Shooting is the biggest hole for this team and the front office needs to focus on adding more shooting to the roster. Malik Monk and Klay Thompson could be options in free agency, and Ja’Kobe Walter is an option in the draft.
  • Primary playmaker: It’s apparent they need a primary playmaker. Jalen Suggs ended the season as the starting point guard, but he is more of a 2-guard (shooting guard) instead. Cole Anthony came off the bench as the backup point guard and Anthony Black could eventually develop into that starting role but needs another year of development. They should look to add a point guard that can be the primary playmaker while cutting down the turnovers. A player like Tyus Jones could provide an immediate help as a low-usage point guard that can shoot and has led the league in assist-to-turnover ratio for multiple seasons.
  • How to spend the cap space: The cap space listed above does not include non-guaranteed contracts, such as Jonathan Isaac and Caleb Houstan, making the projected cap space closer to $46M. They should pick up Moritz Wagner’s team option to remain as their backup center. They need to keep in mind the financial restrictions they will face after extending Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner, and Paolo Banchero. However, signing a player or two to short-term deals that can add shooting would be ideal. Adding Malik Monk, Klay Thompson and/or Tyus Jones to 2-year deals would allow the Magic to take the next step.
  • Keep developing: The Magic’s top 3 players are all 22 years old or younger. They are years away from reaching their prime and need to continue their development to maximize their potential. Anthony Black is another player that has potential to be an integral part of the future but will benefit from a few more years of development.

Draft Fits:

  • 18th Pick:
    • Ja’Kobe Walter
    • Carlton Carrington
    • Tyler Kolek
    • Johnny Furphy
  • 47th Pick:
    • Jamal Shead
    • Cam Spencer
    • Keshad Johnson

Free Agent Fits:

  • Malik Monk
  • Klay Thompson
  • Tyus Jones

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