The Magic formally announced four free agent signings today, and didn’t stop there, moving on to locking up their lone draft pick. The team announced this afternoon in a press release that second-rounder Stephen Zimmerman has officially signed his first NBA contract. The terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.
Zimmerman, a center out of UNLV, was the 41st overall pick in last month’s draft. Because the Magic sent their first-round pick to Oklahoma City in the trade that landed Serge Ibaka, Zimmerman was Orlando’s only draftee of 2016.
In his lone season at UNLV, Zimmerman averaged 10.5 PPG, 8.7 RPG, and 2.0 BPG in 26 contests (26.2 MPG). The seven-footer was ranked 40th overall by Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com, which was nearly right in line with his draft slot. On the night of the draft, Givony noted (via Twitter) that Zimmerman, who turns 20 in September, may have been selected higher if not for medical concerns about his right elbow.
With deals for Bismack Biyombo, Evan Fournier, Jeff Green, and D.J. Augustin now finalized, the Magic don’t appear to have any cap room left. It’s possible the team uses some of its room exception to sign Zimmerman, but his deal is more likely to be a two-year, minimum-salary pact.