The Orlando Magic set the table for their free agency with Sunday's decision to decline team options for Moe Wagner and Caleb Houstan. They maximized their cap room, dipping them below the luxury tax and giving them access to the mid-level exception.
The Magic still face some restrictions as they prepare for free agency. Using more than $5.7 million of the mid-level exception to add a new player will hard cap the team about the first apron, an amount the team is roughly $13 million beneath after accounting for the team's rookies.
That likely means the Magic are out on Nickeil Alexander-Walker as he has plenty of competition to sign him. The Magic do not have have access to the full mid-level exception.
In all likelihood, the Magic will be trying to spend the $5.7 million taxpayer mid-level exception (that hard caps the Magic at the second apron, which they are already hard capped at) to fill out the roster before re-signing Wagner and Houstan.
The question then becomes: Who do the Magic target with their limited flexibility? The Magic are going to have to hunt the bargain bin a bit for some shooting.
One of those potential shooters was taken off the board when Sam Merrill agreed to a four-year, $38-million deal to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers. That average annual value of $9.5 million might be more in the Magic's price range -- although it still would have required the Magic spending the non-taxpayer MLE and trigger a hard cap at the first apron.
Merrill was not reported as a target for the Magic. But the 37.2-percent (last year) sharpshooter is certainly the kind of shooting specialist the Magic should be hunting. Orlando seems to be hunting to support its shooting in free agency.
A main target, though, has emerged as the Magic seemingly pivot to lower-tier prospects at the mid-level exception. It is a player Magic have long been after.
Tyus Jones appears to be the team's primary target
There has been some speculation and predictions that the Magic may end up settling on spending the taxpayer MLE (a contract worth about $5 million that does not trigger a hard cap) on Tyus Jones.
Eric Pincus of Bleacher/Report predicted that move in his offseason preview, and Bobby Marks of ESPN also predicted the Magic signing Jones to a two-year, $12-million deal to give the team a shooter and steady point guard hand off the bench.
Marc Stein and Jake Fischer have furthered that reporting (subscription required). Sunday evening, they reported the Magic made their moves Sunday to create the wiggle room to sign Jones to a new contract.
There is enough noise to suggest this is the direction the team will head when free agency opens at 6 p.m. on Monday.
Jones has been a long-time Magic target. He was one of the players many fans thought the team would target last year to solve its point guard issues.
Jones had an inconsistent season last year for the Phoenix Suns. He averaged 10.2 points per game and 5.3 assists per game while shooting 41.4 percent from three. He is a career 37.8 percent 3-point shooter. For a Suns team that needed a point guard, he did not even start.
But he has been a low-mistake player. His 1.1 turnovers per game last year were just the second time in his career he averaged more than a turnover per game.
Jones' weakness is undoubtedly his defense. He has a career 0.1 defensive box plus-minus and was at -1.3 defensive box plus-minus last year with the struggling Suns. The Suns had a 116.1 defensive rating with Jones on the court, 1.6 points per 100 possessions better than the team's average.
Jones gives the team a solid point guard who is an efficient three-point shooter and a good passer. That is something the team needs. He knows who he is and does not do much more than that. That helps a young team looking to contend, even if there are questions about his Playoff capabilities.
There is some appeal there.
The Magic have plenty of other options too
Tyus Jones is not alone, even if he seems like the clear option at the moment based on reporting (which, when has that been accurate?). The Magic have plenty of other players they can grab to satisfy their shooting needs.
Fans have pitched signing Gary Trent Jr., a 41.6-percent shooter last year and a career 39.1-percent shooter. He is coming off a minimum salary last year with the Milwaukee Bucks. He could be gotten for relatively cheap.
Trent Jr. has been a good volume shooter throughout his career, capable of hitting big with his volume. Last year, he had a 29-point game and added a 37- and a 33-point game in the Playoffs against the Indiana Pacers.
Trent Jr. would be a good veteran option to boost the team's shooting, even if he is a bit undersized for what the team needs.
The other option would be Tyus Jones' brother, Tre Jones.
Jones averaged 7.2 points per game with the San Antonio Spurs and Chicago Bulls. He averaged 11.5 points per game and 4.9 assists per game in 18 games with the Bulls last year.
Jones is a solid defender -- a mostly positive defensive box plus-minus -- but can be a struggling 3-point shooter. He made 50.0 percent of his threes with the Bulls, but is a career 31.1 percent 3-point shooter at 1.5 3-point attempts per game in his career.
It should be clear, the Magic are going to have to compromise somewhere at this price point. There is no perfect option.
It also appears the Magic are looking to add a shooter, rather than boost their forwards or centers
All signs are pointing toward the Magic signing Tyus Jones when they are allowed to negotiate contracts this evening. Orlando will add a key player one way or the other.