The Warriors have more than one reason to keep a close eye on Orlando as the Magic work through extension talks with Anthony Black.
Black’s next deal could land in the $23-25 million annual range, and that kind of number would add even more strain to a payroll that is already climbing. If the Magic get squeezed, Golden State could be positioned to benefit either through a trade or by waiting for free agency next summer.
On the latest episode of the Warriors Plus Minus podcast, The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson pointed directly to Orlando as a team Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the front office should be watching.
..." You're watching Orlando very closely, right?
Like what happens, do they, do they fall off the wagon here? Like it becomes untenable because now you know, you're about to have to start paying people, right?"
Thompson said.
Black is coming off a breakout season in which he put up 15.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.4 steals in almost 30 minutes a night. If the Magic can’t get an extension done with the 22-year-old, he could become a name Golden State circles in restricted free agency, especially with the cap space the Warriors are projected to have next summer.
If Orlando does pay Black, that money could come at the expense of someone else in the rotation, with Jalen Suggs the most obvious candidate. Suggs, along with Desmond Bane, is one of the players blocking Black from a starting spot in a healthy Magic lineup.
Suggs would bring some things the Warriors value. He has size, defense and enough secondary handling and playmaking to fit next to Stephen Curry.
Last season, he averaged 13.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 5.5 assists. The concern is availability: he has played just 92 games over the past two years, and he still has four years and $115.5 million left on his contract.
Golden State may be looking even bigger than Suggs. According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints in July, the Warriors have reportedly shown some level of interest in both Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner.
That kind of move would require a major shift from Orlando, but it is not impossible. The Magic finished eighth in the Eastern Conference last season, and the franchise replaced Jahmahl Mosley with first-time head coach Sean Sweeney.
With expiring contracts and draft capital in hand, the Warriors would be ready if Orlando stumbles early and decides a significant roster change is needed.
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