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The Orlando Magic have completed two free-agent signings in 2017, but still have a major need to address: backup center. The only true bigs on the roster following their decision to waive Stephen Zimmerman are Bismack Biyombo and Nikola Vucevic. Thus it should come as no surprise that, according to David Pick, the club held a “face to face meeting” with Marreese Speights recently.
Speights, 29, is coming off a solid season with the Los Angeles Clippers, with whom he averaged 8.7 points and 4.5 rebounds in just 15.7 minutes per game. Speights’ best asset is his shooting; though he came into the league as a mid-range ace, he’s extended his range beyond the three-point arc, and drained 1.3 triples per game for L.A. at a 37.2 percent rate.
Speights would thus provide Orlando two things it lacks: depth at center as well as perimeter shooting. Whether he’s interested in coming aboard is an open question, but if he could be had at a fair price, it’d be hard to argue against signing him.
Speights, a former Florida Gator, may be best known for providing bench depth on the Golden State Warriors’ championship team in 2014/15. In the regular season, Mo Buckets cashed in 10.4 points in just 15.9 minutes.