Orlando Magic Rumors | Hoops Rumors

NBA Teams With Most, Least Roster Continuity

October 18th, 2022 at 2:19pm CST by Luke Adams

Over the last several months, dozens of NBA players have changed teams via free agency, dozens more have entered or exited the league, and a total of 31 trades have been made. After all that offseason activity, some teams will enter the 2022/23 season looking totally different than they did in the spring, while others will look pretty similar to last season’s squads.

Roster continuity is generally perceived as a sign of stability, but carrying over a significant number of players from last year’s team doesn’t necessarily give a club a leg up entering a new season.

Heading into the 2021/22 season, for instance, the Nuggets, Kings, Hawks, and Magic were the teams with the most roster continuity, and none of those clubs had a hugely successful season (Denver and Atlanta exited the playoffs quickly, while Sacramento and Orlando didn’t make it). On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Celtics were one of the teams with the most roster turnover during the 2021 offseason and made it within two wins of a championship this past spring.

Entering the 2022/23 campaign, the Bucks, Pelicans, and Magic are the three teams bringing back the most players from last year’s end-of-season rosters (including two-way players). All three clubs retained 14 players over the summer.

It’s the third straight year in which Orlando has ranked among the teams with the least roster turnover, which suggests the team remains high on its young core and doesn’t want to break it up. Milwaukee and New Orleans, meanwhile, are joined by the Clippers (13 returning players) as teams perhaps hoping that the return of an injured star (Khris Middleton, Zion Williamson, and Kawhi Leonard, respectively) will help propel them to a deeper postseason run in 2023.

The Jazz are, unsurprisingly, the team that experienced the most roster turnover, having launched a rebuilding process that saw them trade away All-Stars Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, among other veterans. They’re bringing back just five players.

The Lakers, who had a disaster of a year 2021/22 after bringing back just three players from the previous season’s roster, once again rank among the teams with the most roster turnover, having retained just six players from their end-of-season roster. We’ll see if this version of the new-look squad has more success than last year’s did.

Here’s the total number of returning players for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, from most to fewest:

Milwaukee Bucks: 14
New Orleans Pelicans: 14
Orlando Magic: 14
Chicago Bulls: 13
Los Angeles Clippers: 13
Miami Heat: 13
New York Knicks: 13
Charlotte Hornets: 12
Phoenix Suns: 12 (*)
Toronto Raptors: 12
Brooklyn Nets: 11
Dallas Mavericks: 11
Houston Rockets: 11
Memphis Grizzlies: 11
Oklahoma City Thunder: 11
Washington Wizards: 11
Boston Celtics: 10
Cleveland Cavaliers: 10
Detroit Pistons: 10
Golden State Warriors: 10
Indiana Pacers: 10
Philadelphia 76ers: 10
Portland Trail Blazers: 10
Sacramento Kings: 10
San Antonio Spurs: 10
Denver Nuggets: 9
Minnesota Timberwolves: 9
Atlanta Hawks: 7
Los Angeles Lakers: 6
Utah Jazz: 5

(* The Suns’ count includes Jae Crowder, since he technically remains on the roster, even though he’s away from the team.)

Injury Updates: Suggs, Nets, Westbrook, Bogdanovic

October 16th, 2022 at 12:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Magic guard Jalen Suggs, who was diagnosed with a left knee capsule sprain and bone bruise after leaving the team’s October 7 preseason game, will be available when Orlando opens its regular season on Wednesday in Detroit, head coach Jamahl Mosley said on Sunday (link via Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel).

It’s a somewhat surprising update, since bone bruises can be troublesome ailments and the Magic have generally taken a conservative approach when bringing back young players from injuries during the last couple years.

One orthopedic surgeon who spoke to Price last week speculated that the capsule sprain would take about two-to-four weeks to heal, while the bone bruise might extend Suggs’ recovery timeline beyond that. However, that surgeon didn’t assess Suggs first-hand, and it appears the former No. 5 overall pick will comfortably beat that estimated timeline.

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

The Nets confirmed today that Joe Harris (foot) and Seth Curry (ankle) will not be available for the team’s regular season opener on Wednesday, tweets Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News. Harris and Curry, both of whom are coming back from ankle surgery, will continue to go through contact practices this week, with Brooklyn expecting to offer another update on Thursday.
Russell Westbrook‘s left hamstring injury isn’t considered serious, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, who tweets that the Lakers guard will be listed as day-to-day after undergoing some tests. There’s no structural damage to the hamstring, Haynes adds.
Hawks swingman Bogdan Bogdanovic is making progress as he continues to recover from knee surgery, but he’s unlikely to be available for the team’s regular season opener on Wednesday, head coach Nate McMillan told reporters on Sunday (Twitter link via Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution).
While Kings rookie forward Keegan Murray isn’t dealing with an injury, he has been placed in the NBA’s health and safety protocols, reports Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 Sacramento (Twitter link). It’s unclear if Murray will be cleared to play in the team’s regular season opener on Wednesday.

Magic Waive Devin Cannady, Jay Scrubb, Simi Shittu

October 15th, 2022 at 9:33am CST by Luke Adams

The Magic have waived guards Devin Cannady and Jay Scrubb, along with big man Simisola Shittu, the team announced today in a press release.

Cannady finished the 2021/22 season in Orlando, signing a multiyear deal that kept him under contract with the team offseason. However, his ’22/23 salary was non-guaranteed, so he had an uphill battle to crack the regular season roster on a team that already had 15 players on guaranteed contracts.

Cannady averaged 10.0 PPG and 2.0 APG in five games (29.0 MPG) with the Magic last season, knocking down 15-of-37 three-pointers (40.5%) in those five appearances.

Scrubb and Shittu both signed their Exhibit 10 contracts within the last week, so it comes as no surprise that they’ve been released. There’s a good chance we’ll see both players suit up for the Lakeland Magic, Orlando’s G League affiliate, and it’s possible Cannady will join them — Lakeland still holds his returning rights.

The Magic now have a legal regular season roster, with 15 players on standard contracts and a pair on two-way deals. It’s unclear if the club intends to make any more moves between now and Monday’s roster deadline.

Warriors Rumors: Poole, Green, Klay, Wiggins, Moody, More

October 14th, 2022 at 7:42am CST by Luke Adams

If the Warriors want to sign Jordan Poole to a rookie scale extension before the October 17 deadline, it will likely require a baseline offer of $120MM over four years, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, who said during an appearance on the HoopsHype podcast that Tyler Herro‘s deal with Miami raised the bar for Golden State and Poole.

Slater, who believes the two sides will get something done in the coming days, suggests that the incident with Draymond Green last week might’ve create some additional urgency on the Warriors’ side, since they won’t want Poole’s contract situation hanging over his head all year after what happened with Green.

Slater also observes that there are some teams who project to have cap room next year that could realistically offer Poole a maximum-salary offer sheet. In Slater’s view, the Magic and Spurs are among the rebuilding teams who could use a backcourt scorer like Poole and would have the financial flexibility to make life difficult for the Warriors if the 23-year-old makes it to restricted free agency.

Here’s more out of Golden State:

The Warriors appear to be in “wait-and-see” mode on potential extensions for Green and Klay Thompson, says Slater. There’s no real urgency on the Thompson front because he’s under contract for two more guaranteed seasons. Green can become a free agent next summer, but the Warriors will likely want to see how this season plays out to get a sense of how he regains the team’s trust, what his market will be like, and whether he’ll be able to top his $27.6MM player option.
Andrew Wiggins is also extension-eligible, and Slater believes the Warriors would be interested in exploring a new deal if the former No. 1 pick is willing to take a slight pay cut (perhaps from his current $33.6MM into the 20s). But it’s unclear whether Wiggins would consider that as he comes off his best NBA season.
Slater believes Moses Moody is a better bet than Jonathan Kuminga or Patrick Baldwin Jr. to step into a rotation role immediately this season, since he’s a good fit for a three-and-D spot. While the Warriors like Baldwin’s long-term potential, Slater expects him to spend a lot of time in the G League as a rookie.
The Warriors allowed their veterans to take on a major role in the handling of the Green/Poole altercation last week, according to Slater, who points to Stephen Curry, Kevon Looney, and Andre Iguodala as players who were very involved. “The players are of the belief that it’s better for the team to bring Draymond back in now,” Slater said.

Magic Sign Simisola Shittu

October 12th, 2022 at 5:54pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

OCTOBER 12: The signing is official, the Magic announced (via Twitter). The team waived Drake Jeffries to create room on the roster for Shittu, per NBA.com’s transaction log.

AUGUST 9: The Magic are set to sign free agent power forward Simisola Shittu, his agent Daniel Hazan informs Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).

Given that Orlando has 15 players on guaranteed deals for its full roster and both its two-way slots are occupied, the agreement seems likely to be an Exhibit 10 training camp contract.

Shittu, still just 22, went undrafted out of Vanderbilt in 2019, then joined the Bulls’ NBAGL affiliate, the Windy City Bulls, for the 2019/20 season. He linked up with the Knicks’ G League affiliate, the Westchester Knicks, during the team’s abbreviated ’20/21 season.

Shittu then set his sights internationally for the 2021/22 season, joining Israeli club Ironi Ness Ziona. During 15 contests for Ironi Ness Ziona, he sported averages of 7.1 PPG on 50.6% shooting, 4.9 RPG, 0.9 APG and 0.8 SPG across 17.5 MPG.

The 6’10” big man played with the Pacers during the 2022 Summer League in Las Vegas.

Magic Taking Playmaking-By-Committee Approach With Fultz, Suggs Out

October 12th, 2022 at 2:12pm CST by Luke Adams

Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel takes a look at how the Magic intend to compensate for the play-making they’ll be missing with guards Markelle Fultz (toe) and Jalen Suggs (knee) sidelined to start the season. “We talk about this often — sometimes injuries provide opportunities for others,” head coach Jamahl Mosley said. “With that being said, Franz (Wagner) will have an opportunity to handle the ball more, Paolo (Banchero) will handle the ball more. We play maybe a little bit more — as you saw last year — through Wendell (Carter). Those are going to be the opportunities to happen as we move forward.”

Magic Waive Alex Morales, Sign Drake Jeffries

October 10th, 2022 at 4:00pm CST by Rory Maher

The Magic have waived guard Alex Morales in order to sign guard Drake Jeffries, the team announced. Both players received Exhibit 10 contracts from Orlando.

Jeffries, whose deal with the Magic was first reported in July, averaged 10.3 PPG and 5.4 RPG while converting 40.9% of his three-point looks for Wyoming in 2021/22, his senior season. After going undrafted, Jeffries appeared in one game for the Nuggets’ Summer League team.

Morales officially signed on Saturday after going undrafted out of Wagner. The 24-year-old was voted NEC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year last season and spent Summer League with the Warriors.

Like Morales, Jeffries is likely to be waived before the regular season starts and headed to Orlando’s G League affiliate in Lakeland. The Exhibit 10 language in their deals means each player could earn a bonus of up to $50K if they spend at least 60 days with Lakeland.

Eastern Notes: Suggs, P. Williams, Sixers, Bridges

October 9th, 2022 at 10:00pm CST by Luke Adams

After battling health issues as a rookie, Magic guard Jalen Suggs was frustrated to sustain another injury during the preseason, so it came as a relief when his diagnosis wasn’t as serious as it could have been. Suggs has a left knee capsule sprain and bone bruise.

“Those things really can either go one of two ways — they can be the worst or be things that are really manageable,” Suggs said on Sunday, per Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel. “Thankfully, it was one of those really manageable things.”

Speaking to Price in a separate Sentinel story, orthopedic surgeon Dr. Tony Wanich said Suggs was fortunate to avoid an ACL injury and suggested that the second-year guard could be back on the court in November.

“A capsule injury usually heals in about two-to-four weeks,” Wanich said. “But the bone bruise usually takes a bit longer and closer to the six-week timeline depending on how extensive that bone bruise is.”

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

Bulls head coach Billy Donovan downplayed his decision to remove Patrick Williams from the starting lineup for the team’s two most recent preseason games, but the significance of that move is “clear for all to see,” argues Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. Javonte Green, who earned the start in Williams’ place on Friday, has scored 50 points in 60 minutes this preseason and is playing like the Bulls want Williams to, Mayberry writes. “When you put Javonte out there, you know what you’re going to get,” Donovan said after Friday’s game.
Following the Sixers‘ release of Trevelin Queen, Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice believes Isaiah Joe looks like the “clear frontrunner” for the team’s final regular season roster spot, ahead of Charles Bassey.
The preliminary hearing for Hornets restricted free agent Miles Bridges was pushed back for a fifth time, to October 12, according to Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer (subscriber-only link). That hearing for Bridges, who has pleaded not guilty to three felony domestic violence charges, was initially scheduled for August 19.

Magic Sign Morales, Scrubb; Waive Ford, Simpson

October 8th, 2022 at 6:21pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Magic have added guards Alex Morales and Jay Scrubb, the team announced (via Twitter). Training camp invitees Aleem Ford and Zavier Simpson were waived to create room on the roster.

The Morales deal becomes official after first being reported in mid-August. The 24-year-old was voted NEC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year last season with Wagner and took part in Summer League with the Warriors. Morales has an Exhibit 10 clause in his contract and could wind up with Orlando’s G League affiliate in Lakeland.

Scrubb spent the past two years with the Clippers after being selected with the 55th pick in the 2020 draft. He got into 18 games last season and averaged 2.7 PPG in limited minutes.

Ford and Simpson both had Exhibit 10 deals, so they may also be headed to Lakeland. They signed with Orlando in late September, shortly before the start of training camp. Both players saw action in the preseason, with Ford appearing in three games and Simpson getting into two.

Jalen Suggs Has Left Knee Sprain, Bone Bruise

October 8th, 2022 at 7:55am CST by Dana Gauruder

Magic second-year guard Jalen Suggs has sustained a left knee capsule sprain and bone bruise, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. The team confirmed that diagnosis in an injury update (Twitter link).

Suggs will obviously miss some time as he undergoes treatment for those injuries but there’s relief within the organization that it wasn’t more serious, Wojnarowski adds.

Suggs was helped off the court following a collision with Mavericks forward Dorian Finney-Smith after being pushed by Spencer Dinwiddie on Friday night. X-rays were negative and an MRI provided the extent of the injuries.

The former Gonzaga star has dealt with numerous injuries since he was selected with the fifth pick of the 2021 draft. He fractured his right thumb last November, which caused him to miss 20 games. He also dealt with a right ankle sprain and bone bruise in the second half of the season, then underwent right ankle surgery to repair a “slight” stress fracture in April.

Overall, Suggs appeared in 48 games, averaging 11.8 PPG, 3.6 RPG and 4.4 APG with a subpar .361/.214/.773 shooting line.

Orlando was already a little banged up in the backcourt. Gary Harris underwent a knee procedure late this summer to repair torn meniscus. Starting point man Markelle Fultz is recovering from a fractured toe that will likely cause him to miss some regular season contests.