Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley watches from the sideline as they take on the Boston Celtics during game five of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. David Butler II-Imagn Images

Magic Could Pursue One-Time NBA Champion Before Free Agency Ends

Originally posted on Orlando Magic on SI
By Don Strouble | Last updated Jul 27, 2025 11:35 AM ET

There is no question the Orlando Magic have made significant upgrades to the roster this offseason while retaining key players. Orlando’s front office sees an opening to compete for a title, and it’s taking advantage. However, what if the Magic are still just one puzzle piece away from lifting the Larry O’Brien trophy?

Enter Al Horford.

The championship winning stretch big man is still an unrestricted free agent and can serve as a tremendous veteran presence for a young roster such as Orlando’s. Recently, Bleacher Report named Horford as one of the 10 best free agents still available.

“It may be unrealistic to expect Al Horford to log more than the 27.7 minutes per game he averaged in his 18th season, but the 39-year-old big man is still a positively impactful player on both ends,” it wrote.

Beyond Moritz Wagner, the Magic are sorely in need of perimeter shot making from their front court. With a career 3-point average of 37.7 percent, Horford can alleviate the issue. Most importantly, Orlando is getting a savvy elder statesman of the game who has won titles at multiple levels with a ton of advice to give.

The Magic lost their championship winning vet in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in the Desmond Bane trade, and it wouldn’t hurt to replace him with another. Horford can return to the Central Florida area, where he won back-to-back titles with the Florida Gators in 2006-2007.

According to Bleacher Report, the Golden State Warriors are at the forefront to land Horford. However, it’s still worth it for Jeff Weltman and the rest of the Magic brain trust to take a swing.