May 5, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward PJ Tucker (2) reacts after a call during game three of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
The Orlando Magic need to make some moves this summer, and once again attracting the mid-level guys is the best course of action.
It may be a negative outlook, but the Orlando Magic are unlikely to get any meetings with big-name free agents this coming offseason.
That brief flirtation with Paul Millsap in 2015 aside, the star players mostly won't entertain the idea of going to Orlando long-term.
Why should they? The Magic have finished bottom of their division for five years straight, and have won more than 30 games only once in that same period.
For context, they have won only 32 more games total in that time frame than the Philadelphia 76ers, who spent most of it actively trying to lose games.
So yeah, you can understand why the Chris Pauls and Kevin Durants of the world skip sitting down with the Magic. Unfortunately, the same also applies for Kyle Lowry as well.
May 3, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (7) reacts in the third quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers in game two of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
The 31-year-old has a player option in his contract this summer, and though he has said he will test free agency, it's hard to see him taking the Magic seriously. That may actually be a good thing given his age and recent injury history, but nevertheless, it is disheartening as well.
The Toronto Raptors just got swept out of the playoffs by the Cleveland Cavaliers, and have many questions surrounding their team. Bringing everybody back next season would likely lead to a similar result, meaning other teams should look to pounce now that there is some uncertainty around the future of the Raptors.
Enter the Orlando Magic.
This would be the perfect opportunity for the team to go for the lower hanging fruit, the valuable role players on this team.
That strategy should apply to all potential free agent dealings, and in fact, it's a tactic they've used in recent years when adding guys like Evan Fournier and Bismack Biyombo.
The key difference this time, however, is that general manager Rob Hennigan and his magical whiteboard are no longer overseeing proceedings.
So with that in mind, wouldn't it make a lot of sense for the Magic to go after another unrestricted free agent on that Toronto team? A guy by the name of P.J. Tucker?
After spending some time out in the wilderness with the Phoenix Suns (with five years overseas before that), the small forward made a name for himself this season. A move to a top-four team in the East got him the recognition he rightly deserves as a hard-nosed, tough defensive player.
That being said, he didn't cover himself in glory during their postseason run, averaging five points per game with a Player Efficiency Rating of 7.7.
So why then would the Magic want to try and add a 32-year-old veteran who has traveled far and wide playing the game of basketball, and who doesn't raise any eyebrows statistically?
It's because he's the kind of player opponents hate to play against, and somebody who isn't going to break the bank to sign either.
Tucker earned $5.3 million this season, and with other roster moves expected in Orlando, acquiring him would be entirely possible without gumming up the payroll.
It's unfair to say the move by the Raptors to bring him in flopped, but he was seen as a potential missing piece to getting past Cleveland and was anything but — even if Dwane Casey didn't use him properly until Game 4, by which point it was too late.
It's much easier to make a scapegoat out of a guy like that, taking the blame away from guys such as Lowry and DeMar DeRozan (glossing over the fact he shot 47 percent this year).
Again, we can return to why exactly the Magic would want to do this, but we need to remember there are no big names coming into town to have dinner.
You build your roster around dependable guys like Tucker and D.J. Augustin, and you hope your young players like Aaron Gordon and Elfrid Payton grow alongside them. That situation becomes much more appealing for higher level players down the line, even next step guys such as George Hill and Jeff Teague.
Besides, wouldn't he be the perfect foil off the bench when Terrence Ross comes out of the game? The team could start with Ross, who showed real promise in the 24 games he played with the team.
He would begin raining three-pointers, before Tucker checks in to guard the best player on a team's second unit.
He could even play crunch time minutes in a "shut down shop" lineup featuring Biyombo, Evan Fournier and Payton.
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Tucker himself had a defensive rating of 103.4 during the playoffs, despite getting hammered by the Cavaliers in round two.
That number was identical to Patrick Beverley of the Houston Rockets (103.3), and the two have more in common than just that. Both give their all defensively, although Beverley gets more credit for it. Both also had to spend time overseas before finding a home in the NBA.
But both have that quality that contending teams usually need, and it is something guys like Draymond Green also possess.
When you're in a tough, slog it out series, you want somebody like Tucker, Beverley or Green on your team. They annoy opponents, opposing fans love to hate them, and they're invaluable for their defensive effort.
The Magic could do with a bit of a mean streak to them as well. Biyombo may be an intimidating force in the paint, and he does set a brick wall of a screen. But even he isn't out there hurting people.
We're not condoning inflicting pain on opponents, but great teams generally need an enforcer. P.J. Tucker can be just that for the Orlando Magic, even if he wouldn't be much more than that.
At a time when most teams are looking for their Kyle Lowry, the Magic need to keep building their team out of P.J. Tuckers, in the hope a Lowry someday likes what he sees.
