The Magic intend to sign free agent forward Admiral Schofield, according to Josh Robbins and Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Orlando has been granted a hardship exception, so the team won’t have to waive anyone to open up a spot on its 15-man roster for Schofield.
A team can receive a hardship exception when it has at least four players who have missed three or more games due to injury/illness and those players are expected to remain sidelined for another two weeks (or, in this case, through the end of the regular season). Jonathan Isaac and Markelle Fultz have long been ruled out for the season, and the Magic have five other players who have missed at least three games and may not return before season’s end.
Schofield, 24, was selected with the 42nd overall pick in the 2019 draft, but lasted just one year with the Wizards. He was traded during the 2020 offseason to the Thunder, who subsequently waived him.
The former Tennessee standout signed a G League contract and was the first player selected in January’s NBAGL draft. He averaged a modest 10.1 PPG and 5.7 RPG in 14 games (26.2 MPG) for the Greensboro Swarm – Charlotte’s G League affiliate – and struggled with his shot, making only 38.2% of his attempts from the floor and 22.7% from beyond the three-point line.
Despite his inconsistent play at the Walt Disney World bubble, the Magic will take a flier on Schofield down the stretch. Robbins and Charania indicate he”ll receive a 10-day contract, which suggests the deal will be completed today — as of tomorrow, there will only be 10 days left in the regular season, so any standard contract signed after today would just be a rest-of-season arrangement.
Lone Magic fan here. Thanks for still putting out articles on our irrelevant team. Hopefully Jonathan Isaac can stay healthy and we can start learning how to draft.