Orlando Magic Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southeast Notes: Lillard, Coulibaly, Washington, Williams, McClung

September 14th, 2023 at 5:03pm CST by Tristan Tucker

While the Heat continue to explore options to acquire star guard Damian Lillard from the Trail Blazers, the NBA eliminated one potential option that could have led to Portland delaying a trade, notes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

As part of the league’s ruling that healthy star players can’t sit out from games, the NBA also prohibited teams from making any long-term shutdown “when a star player stops participating in games or plays in a materially reduced role in circumstances affecting the integrity of the game.”

As Jackson notes, ESPN’s Bobby Marks said the rule specifically precludes Lillard and Portland from mutually agreeing for the seven-time All-Star to stay away from the team while it works on a trade. A punishment for disregarding the rule would involve significant fines, per Marks.

While it’s unclear whether either party was exploring that as an option, it won’t be possible anymore. This is advantageous for the Heat, writes Jackson, who says that Portland must decide whether to play Lillard and risk possible injury, which would diminish his value.

There are still a handful of notable free agent point guards available if the Heat don’t get Lillard, such as the recently released Cameron Payne, but the Heat haven’t been actively pursuing one, Jackson writes. According to Jackson’s source, the Heat could look at options that involve Tyler Herro or Josh Richardson as the starting primary ball-handler if the team is unable to land the star guard.

Of the available free agent point guards, Goran Dragic is a veteran option who spent 2015-21 in Miami. Jackson writes that Dragic has interest in joining the Heat.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Wizards rookie wing Bilal Coulibaly was one of the 2023 draft’s biggest risers, culminating in him being selected with the No. 7 overall pick. Josh Robbins of The Athletic spoke to three anonymous NBA scouts about Coulibaly, who spent part of the last year playing alongside No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama. The scouts agreed that athleticism and an impressive defensive toolbox and instincts are among Coulibaly’s strengths, while his shooting and physicality are improvement points. However, all scouts appeared to be high on the 19-year-old’s upside. “The sky’s the limit for him,” one anonymous scout said to Robbins.
Hornets forward P.J. Washington re-signed with Charlotte on a three-year, $46.5MM deal in August, nearly two months after free agency began. While there was some speculation about whether Washington would ultimately return to the Queen City, the 25-year-old forward sounds relieved to be back with the Hornets. “It means the world to me,” Washington said in a video posted by the Hornets social media team (Twitter link). “Obviously, back in 2019, Charlotte took a chance on me and I’m just blessed to be in the position I am today.”
The Magic announced they signed Brandon Williams and Mac McClung to Exhibit 10 deals on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. Orlando’s G League affiliate Osceola Magic acquired the returning player rights to both Williams and McClung. If an Exhibit 10 player is waived by an NBA club before the season begins and spends at least 60 days with that team’s G League affiliate, he can earn a bonus worth up to $75K. This week’s G League trades assure that Williams and McClung can suit up for Osceola this season if and when they are waived by Orlando. Williams was acquired from the College Park Skyhawks in exchange for Joel Ayayi, Robert Baker II and a 2023 G League first-round pick, per the Orlando Sentinel’s Jason Beede (Twitter link), while McClung was acquired from the Delaware Blue Coats in exchange for the rights to Jeff Dowtin and a 2024 G League second-round pick (Twitter link).

Magic Sign Mac McClung To Exhibit 10 Contract

September 13th, 2023 at 8:39pm CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 13: The signing is official, the Magic announced in a press release.

AUGUST 22: Free agent guard Mac McClung has agreed to a deal with the Magic, league sources Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). According to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link), it’ll be an Exhibit 10 contract.

McClung only appeared in four NBA games in 2022/23 after signing a two-way contract with the Sixers. However, it was an eventful season for the 24-year-old, who earned a spot in the Rising Stars event and the G League’s Next Up game at All-Star weekend. Of course, he also competed in the Slam Dunk Contest and won it with a series of memorable dunks.

McClung appeared in 31 G League regular season games for the Delaware Blue Coats – Philadelphia’s affiliate – and averaged 19.8 points, 4.9 assists, and 2.7 rebounds in just 26.8 minutes per game. He posted an impressive .550/.474/.823 shooting line during the NBAGL regular season and helped lead the Blue Coats to a G League title.

An Exhibit 10 contract can be converted to a two-way deal, so it’s possible McClung will earn a spot on the Magic’s extended (18-man) roster with a strong training camp. If he’s waived before the regular season and then spends at least 60 days with the Osceola Magic, Orlando’s affiliate, he’d earn a bonus worth up to $75K.

Orlando previously agreed to Exhibit 10 deals with Trevelin Queen and Miye Oni.

Former Celtics, Magic Forward Brandon Hunter Dies At 42

September 13th, 2023 at 8:00am CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA forward Brandon Hunter has died at age 42, according to announcements from his college coach Jeff Boals (Twitter link) and the Magic (Twitter link).

A standout at Ohio University from 1999 to 2003, Hunter was selected 56th overall in the 2003 draft by the Celtics. He appeared in 36 games for Boston as a rookie, then was picked in the 2004 expansion draft by the then-Bobcats, who traded him to Orlando.

Hunter played in 31 games for the Magic in 2004/05 before making the move to international basketball. He spent time in Greece, Italy, Puerto Rico, Israel, Turkey, Latvia, Germany, France, and Uruguay between 2006-13. As an NBA player, he averaged 3.3 points and 2.8 rebounds in 9.4 minutes per night across his 67 appearances (12 starts).

Boals’ announcement refers to Hunter as “one of the best to ever put on the green and white” for the Ohio Bobcats. The former standout forward is still the program’s all-time leading rebounder, having grabbed 1,103 boards during his four college seasons. He averaged a double-double (21.5 PPG, 12.6 RPG) as a senior, earning his third consecutive All-MAC first team nod.

Our condolences go out to Hunter’s friends and family.

Magic Sign Trevelin Queen, Brandon Williams

September 12th, 2023 at 6:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Magic have signed free agents Trevelin Queen and Brandon Williams, according to a team press release.

Queen’s agreement with Orlando was previously reported. He received an Exhibit 10 contract and Williams’ contract mirrors Queen’s deal, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel tweets.

If they are waived before the season starts, both players could earn bonuses worth up to $75K if they spend at least 60 days with the Osceola Magic, the team’s G League affiliate.

The camp additions will give the Magic 19 players on their roster, including two-way deals. They can carry 21 players into camp, so more signings are likely to be completed. They have a two-way deal available, so it’s possible Queen or Williams could have their contract converted to that slot.

Queen, a 6’6” swingman, played in seven games last season for the Pacers, averaging 3.0 points and 2.4 rebounds in 10.0 minutes per game. He also appeared in 24 games (15 starts) with Fort Wayne of the NBA G League, averaging 22.6 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 34.3 minutes per game.

Queen has also played in 17 career NBA regular season games with Houston and Indiana. During the 2021/22 season, Queen was named NBA G League Most Valuable Player and led the Rio Grande Valley Vipers to the G League championship.

Williams, a 6’2” guard, played in 27 games (25 starts) last season with College Park of the NBA G League, averaging 19.8 points and 5.9 assists in 31.6 minutes per game.

Williams played in 24 career NBA regular season games with Portland, averaging 12.9 points and 3.9 assists in 26.7 minutes during the 2021/22 season.

World Cup Notes: F. Wagner, Schröder, Top Players, Banchi

September 11th, 2023 at 10:28am CST by Arthur Hill

Germany’s Franz Wagner was thrilled not only to win a gold medal at the World Cup, but to be able to accomplish the feat while playing alongside his brother, writes Cesare Milanti of EuroHoops. Franz and Moritz Wagner are also teammates on the Magic, but their undefeated run through the World Cup field is the highlight of their careers.

“It’s special,” Franz Wagner said after Sunday’s win over Serbia. “Special to have our parents here too. This is so surreal, it doesn’t make sense that we are both on this team and we can enjoy it.”

Wagner appears to be fully recovered from a sprained ankle he suffered in Germany’s opening game. Although he missed the rest of pool play, he was back for the knockout round, scoring 22 points and grabbing five rebounds in a semifinal win over Team USA, then posting 19 points and seven rebounds in the gold medal contest.

“There were so many moments this year in so many games that the other team made a run, this game, the game before against the States,” he added. “We never let it slip, we just kept playing and kept staying together. That made a huge difference in all these games.”

There’s more from the World Cup:

Tournament MVP Dennis Schröder hopes Germany’s success will lead to more exposure for basketball in his home country, per Aris Barkas of Eurohoops. The German team has become more successful in international competitions, but the games aren’t widely available to the public. “We first thought the tournament was going to be on the TV. Only the final was on the TV,” Schröder said. “Basketball is a great sport and I hope we can get our respect for what we are doing the last two years. I wish that every single game is on TV. Ten years ago when I started, we had Dirk Nowitzki but nobody knew who were the other guys on the team. Now we go to Japan and the Philippines and they know us. We hope to get this respect also in our country and get recognized.”
Schröder was a first-team selection by Brian Windhorst of ESPN on his list of the best players at the World Cup. Joining him on the first team are Team USA’s Anthony Edwards, Canada’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Slovenina’s Luka Doncic and Serbia’s Bogdan Bogdanovic. Making up Windhorst’s second team are the USA’s Mikal Bridges, Australia’s Josh Giddey, South Sudan’s Carlik Jones, Serbia’s Nikola Milutinov and the Dominican Republic’s Karl-Anthony Towns.
Luca Banchi was honored as the tournament’s best coach after leading Latvia to a fifth-place finish in its first-ever World Cup.

World Cup Final Notes: Germany, Schröder, Serbia, Bogdanovic

September 9th, 2023 at 3:26pm CST by Rory Maher

Raptors guard Dennis Schröder has helped lead the German national team to a perfect 7-0 record at the 2023 World Cup ahead of Sunday’s final against Serbia. Germany’s captain says he hopes he’s helping basketball become more popular in his home country, as Aris Barkas of Eurhoops relays.

“I hope that basketball gets to be little bit more attractive and gets more attention,” Schröder said. “Because I’ve been here 10 years now, and from that point to this point, it’s a huge difference. And I’m glad that I can be a part of it. And try to put Germany, our country, on the map. And that’s the reason why I play a national team. I try to help others, like little guys coming up, same as me, 15 years ago. That they can make a difference take care of their families and play on big stages.”

The 30-year-old, who has averaged 17.9 points, 6.7 assists and 1.4 steals thus far at the tournament (27.9 minutes), says doesn’t feel nervous ahead of the gold medal game, according to Barkas.

“I mean, when you play basketball, you compete on the highest level anyway,” said Schröder. “Every summer game, it’s the same game for me. Of course, it’s the World Cup, it’s a big honor to play in the finals. It’s something special, but at the end of the day, it’s still a game.”

Here’s more on tomorrow’s final:

Magic big man Moritz Wagner says Germany’s upset over Team USA in the semifinal was a major milestone for the country, writes Cesare Milanti of Eurohoops. “Germany just made the World Cup final… I think this is the biggest win in German basketball history,” said Wagner, who finished with 10 points on 3-of-5 shooting in 13 minutes in the victory.
Bogdan Bogdanovic has been Serbia’s best player at the World Cup, and he says he’s thrilled to have secured another medal for the national team, which can finish no worse than second place (silver). “I’m really happy and grateful, and also happy for this team,” the Hawks swingman said, per George Efkarpides of Eurhoops. “I know how much effort we put in since day one; the coach was really hard on us, it was tough for me too. Being out of the national team for a couple of years, I forgot how it is. That struggle. In the NBA you have a guy to bring you towels, this and that, here you kind of have to do everything by yourself. We went through all this and made it to the finals.” Asked about Finals MVP Nikola Jokic, who chose to rest this summer after winning the NBA title, Bogdanovic said the Serbian star “texts us after every game.”
Serbian head coach Svetislav Pesic led Germany to its lone EuroBasket gold medal in 1993. According to Barkas of Eurhoops, Pesic says he has fond memories of his time with the German Basketball Federation and respects the current group. “Both teams deserved to be in the final,” Pevic said. “Both teams demonstrated team basketball. I have, of course, and not only me but everybody, big respect for the German team. The German team is one team whose most important quality is continuity. They have played together for five years. This is a generational team and they played together excellently. They demonstrated one more time here in Manila.”

World Cup Notes: USA, Edwards, Germany, Canada

September 8th, 2023 at 5:31pm CST by Rory Maher

Head coach Steve Kerr once again stressed the high level of international competition following Team USA’s upset loss to Germany, per Aris Barkas of Eurohoops.

“This is not 1992 anymore,” Kerr said. “Players are better all over the world. Teams are better. It’s not easy to win World Cup or Olympic games.”

Kerr also gave the Germans credit.

“Congrats to Germany, they were fantastic,” he added. “Every time we made a run, they got a great shot, an offensive rebound, a big play. I am proud of my guys, they fought and gave us a chance in the end, but we couldn’t exactly get it.”

Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards said the team lacked toughness in the semifinal loss, but he refused to use lack of size as an excuse, relays George Efkarpidis of Eurohoops.

“We got out-rebounded all night. … They were more physical than us,” Edwards said.

Here’s more from the 2023 World Cup, which concludes Sunday:

German head coach Gordon Herbert got a three-year commitment from his roster, which is filled with experienced veterans. The group’s continuity showed in the victory, writes Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. “I think that helped us immensely,” Magic forward Franz Wagner said. “From the first day we got together this summer, we believed that we’re a special group and we can win against any team.”
Could the three-year blueprint be something the Americans emulate going forward? As Fischer notes, former USA Basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski got three-year commitments from players when he took over in 2005. “I’m not sure how you would do that,” Kerr said. “If you wanna ask the same 10 guys to play every summer, I think that’s very unrealistic. Part of the deal with USAB is you pass the baton to the next coaching staff, the next group of players. It’s different than most countries. But we’re unique in that we have a deep talent pool and a lot of very worthy players. And I think those players and coaches all deserve to have the honor of wearing that USA jersey.”
Despite dropping its semifinal to Serbia, which will face Germany for a chance at gold, the Canadian national team is still determined to defeat the U.S. and claim the bronze medal, according to Barkas of Eurohoops. “It’s very important for the country, the players, the program,” head coach Jordi Fernandez said. “We are very emotional right now, but getting a medal will be very important for us and we know we can still get better. We want to leave this tournament hungry and thirsty for more.”

World Cup Notes: SGA, Brooks, Doncic, F. Wagner

September 7th, 2023 at 10:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has separated himself from the field in the race for World Cup MVP, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet. The Thunder guard had 31 points and 10 rebounds Wednesday against Slovenia and has been outstanding while leading Canada to its first semifinals appearance in tournament history.

Among those impressed by SGA’s exploits is Canadian star Steve Nash, who served as general manager of the national team and had him on the roster for an Olympic qualifying tournament in 2016. Although Gilgeous-Alexander was just a teenager at the time and barely played, Nash could tell he had the potential to become something special.

“I mean, he’s got it, right?” Nash said. “He has the game, the feel, the understanding of his responsibility in the moment. It’s just a beautiful thing when you have a player like that in your arsenal.”

There’s more on the World Cup:

Canadian coach Jordi Fernandez credited Dillon Brooks for his strong defensive effort against Luka Doncic in the win over Slovenia, per Aris Barkas of Eurohoops. The Slovenians were upset by some of Brooks’ tactics before both players were ejected in the fourth quarter, but Fernandez doesn’t mind if Brooks takes the same approach in the semifinals against Serbia. “If they complain, they complain,” he said. “We have to play our game and we have to keep our composure, so we can control what we can control. I think yesterday we did a great job as a team defensively and especially Dillon put on a defensive clinic and it should be in a FIBA museum at some point.”
Doncic was upset at not getting more foul calls and made a money-sign gesture toward FIBA officials during the game, but he and Slovenia remain on good terms with the organization, Barkas adds in a separate story. Doncic downplayed the incident in a post-game press conference, according to Barkas, and Slovenian Federation president Matej Erjavec sat with FIBA secretary general Andreas Zaglis for Thursday’s contest against Lithuania.
Franz Wagner is confident that German teammate Dennis Schröder will bounce back in Friday’s semifinal meeting with Team USA after shooting 4-of-26 from the field against Latvia, relays George Efkarpidis of Eurohoops. Wagner also discussed the ankle injury that sidelined him for much of the tournament before he returned for the quarterfinals. “We tried to do as much rehab, icing, all that stuff as much as possible, and I think we did a really good job,” Wagner said. “And then the last week or so, I started working out on the court and was able to do a little bit more. I did a bunch of conditioning stuff, too, just so I can play again.”

World Cup Semifinals Set; Serbia, Germany Qualify For Olympics

September 6th, 2023 at 9:32am CST by Luke Adams

Germany completed a comeback win over Latvia on Wednesday to earn a place in the World Cup semifinals, while Canada defeated Slovenia to claim a spot in the final four as well.

The World Cup semifinal games, which will take place on Friday, are as follows:

United States vs. Germany
Canada vs. Serbia

Although Team USA will enter the semifinal as a heavy favorite, Germany is the only undefeated team left in the tournament, having come out victorious in all six of their games so far.

The Germans, who got Magic forward Franz Wagner back on Wednesday following an ankle injury, recovered from an early deficit and overcame an off day from guard Dennis Schröder, who made just four of his 26 shot attempts from the floor. The rest of the team shot 54.5% (24-of-44), with Wagner contributing a team-high 16 points to overcome Davis Bertans (20 points) and the Latvians by a score of 81-79.

The Canadians, meanwhile, pulled away from Luka Doncic and the Slovenians in a strong third quarter and won 100-89, earning their first-ever berth in a World Cup semifinal.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (31 points on 8-of-12 shooting) and RJ Barrett (24 points on 9-of-22 shooting) scored more than half of Canada’s points, while Dillon Brooks (14 points on 5-of-7 shooting) chipped in and played tough defense on Doncic, who scored 26 points on 8-of-20 shooting. Both Doncic and Brooks were ejected during a chippy fourth quarter.

While Latvia and Slovenia will join Lithuania and Italy in the classification games to determine the fifth-through-eight seeds, Germany and Serbia have assured themselves of spots in the 2024 Olympics by finishing as the top two European teams in the World Cup, regardless of the semifinal outcomes.

The eight teams that have qualified for the Paris Olympics so far are the United States, Canada, Germany, Serbia, France, Australia, Japan, and South Sudan. The remaining four spots will be claimed next summer in a series of qualifying tournaments.

NBA G League Announces Schedule For 2023/24 Season

September 5th, 2023 at 11:36am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA G League has officially revealed its schedule for the 2023/24 season, per a press release.

For a third consecutive year, the G League will begin its season with the Showcase Cup in the fall. The 16-game event will tip off on Friday, November 10 and will conclude with a single-elimination tournament at the G League Winter Showcase from December 19-22.

The G League’s regular season will consist of 34 games and will run from Wednesday, Dec. 27 to Saturday, March 30. The top six teams from each conference will make the postseason and compete in the G League playoffs in the spring.

The NBAGL will consist of a record 31 teams for the upcoming season. In addition to the G League Ignite and the Mexico City Capitanes, neither of which is directly affiliated with an NBA club, there are 29 teams with NBA affiliates.

The Rip City Remix – the Trail Blazers‘ G League team – is a new addition. On top of that, two existing clubs have relocated and rebranded. The Fort Wayne Mad Ants – the Pacers‘ affiliate – are now the Indiana Mad Ants and will play in Indianapolis. The Lakeland Magic – Orlando’s affiliate – has become the Osceola Magic.

The Suns are the only NBA franchise without a G League affiliate. However, new owner Mat Ishbia has made it a priority to change that, so it’s possible that the 2024/25 season will be the first that features NBAGL affiliates for all 30 clubs. In the meantime, if Phoenix wants to send a player to the G League this season, that player would have to join another team’s affiliate via the flexible assignment rule.