The Orlando Magic are expected to take a look at John Collins when free agency opens, giving them a possible answer to one of their most obvious needs: more shooting.
According to The Stein Line, Orlando is among the teams likely to show interest in the forward as the front office continues shaping the roster around its young core. The Magic have already started that process by hiring Sean Sweeney as the 16th head coach in franchise history, and now the attention turns to adding pieces that fit better.
That search comes with real pressure points. Orlando does not need a full teardown, but there are clear gaps to address if the team wants to move forward.
The biggest one has been easy to spot: consistent three-point shooting. That problem showed up again in the postseason, where spacing became a major issue.
The Magic have already made one notable move in that direction by waiving Jonathan Isaac to open up more roster flexibility. There had been talk that he could come back on a veteran minimum deal, but Orlando appears ready to stay active and keep pushing in free agency.
Collins is not a perfect match, but he does check some important boxes. If the price is right, he could give the Magic an athletic stretch big who can open the floor. Last season with the Los Angeles Clippers, Collins averaged 13.6 points and shot 40.6 percent from three-point range, offering a frontcourt option who can score inside and out.
Jeff Weltman has made it clear the work is not slowing down. During Sean Sweeney’s introductory press conference, he said the organization is still digging through every possibility to improve the team.
“It's free agency as well,” We So we've been plotting and ranking and trying to figure out 'if-this-then-that' scenarios. It truly doesn't change the work at all... we've been at it late, and we're doing all the work that we need to to try to puzzle the roster out.
I do think there are some basic holes that we want to punch where we can improve the roster and augment the players that we have. Obviously, the most important part of this whole process has been bringing Sean in the right way, and he's already addressing some of his staffing.
He's brought in a lot of great assistant coaches already, with more to come."
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