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Franz Wagner To Return Sunday For Magic

January 21st, 2024 at 4:52pm CST by Rory Maher

After missing the past eight games — and most of a ninth — with a right ankle sprain, third-year forward Franz Wagner is returning to the Magic‘s starting lineup on Sunday vs. Miami, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). The team confirmed the news (via Twitter).

In addition to having Wagner back, the Magic are also re-inserting Markelle Fultz and Wendell Carter into the starting lineup, according to Beede. Both players started much of last season and to open 2023/24, but they’ve both missed 25-plus games due to injuries this season. That will move rookie guard Anthony Black and big man Goga Bitadze back to the bench — they’ve started most of the season to this point.

As Beede tweets, this is only the fourth time the opening-night starting lineup of Fultz, Jalen Suggs, Wagner, Paolo Banchero and Carter has started together in ’23/24.

Wagner, 22, was injured on January 3, just five minutes into a loss vs. Sacramento. Including that game, Orlando went just 3-6 without Wagner. After starting the season 16-7, the Magic have gone 6-13 since to currently hold a 22-20 record, good for the No. 8 seed in the East.

Prior to the injury, the 6’10” German was averaging career highs in multiple statistics this season, including points (21.3), rebounds (6.0) assists (4.0) and steals (1.2) per night through 33 games (34.2 MPG). Wagner is a former lottery pick (No. 8 overall in 2021) who will be eligible for a rookie scale extension in the offseason.

Wagner has been very durable to this point in his career, appearing in 79 games as a rookie and 80 last season. He had yet to miss a game in ’23/24 before sustaining the right ankle sprain.

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Jett Howard Sees Value In G League Assignments

January 21st, 2024 at 12:04pm CST by Luke Adams
  • Although he has played just 39 minutes as a rookie so far after being drafted 11th overall, Magic guard Jett Howard is staying positive and views his stints in the G League as productive, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. “I’ve pretty much benefited a lot from Osceola and the playing time I got down there,” said Howard, who has averaged 22.4 points per game on .473/.402/.818 shooting in 12 appearances for Orlando’s NBAGL affiliate, the Osceola Magic. “It’s been great for my development so far. I’ve been loving the process and just falling in love with it at this point.”
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Trade Rumors: Murray, Sixers, Mavs, Brown, Pelicans

January 21st, 2024 at 10:06am CST by Luke Adams

Shams Charania of The Athletic said a few days ago during an appearance on FanDuel’s Run it Back show (Twitter video link) that he has “not gotten the sense” that the Sixers will aggressively pursue Dejounte Murray, despite being identified earlier this month as a potential suitor for the Hawks guard.

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype also cast some doubt this week on the idea that Murray will be a top target for Philadelphia, suggesting that he’s a “questionable fit” next to rising 76ers star Tyrese Maxey.

However, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer isn’t ruling out the possibility, exploring the idea of the Sixers going after Murray and positing that he would be a better fit alongside Maxey than he has been with Trae Young in Atlanta, since Maxey wouldn’t be uncomfortable operating off the ball and focusing on scoring.

Still, Pompey acknowledges that the Hawks’ reported asking price for Murray – two first-round picks and a quality player – would be steep for a Philadelphia team that isn’t necessarily loaded with valuable assets. It’s also unclear whether the Sixers view Murray as the sort of player for whom they’d be willing to sacrifice future cap flexibility, including 2024 cap room.

Here are a few more trade-related notes and rumors from around the NBA:

  • Brad Townsend of The Dallas News previews the trade deadline from the Mavericks‘ perspective, noting that minority owner and head of basketball operations Mark Cuban confirmed during a recent radio appearance that the team would like to further fortify its frontcourt. “If we can get a big who can also create off the dribble, that’d be a plus,” Cuban said. “Six-eight or bigger.”
  • After being sent from Indiana to Toronto this week, veteran guard Bruce Brown knows that he’s considered a candidate to be moved again before the trade deadline, but he tells Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link) that he’d be fine staying with the Raptors and hasn’t asked them to seek a deal. “I don’t know anything. I’m not requesting anything,” Brown said “… That’s up to (team president) Masai (Ujiri), whatever he wants to do. If he moves me he moves me. If he doesn’t, I’ll stay. It is what it is.”
  • After ducking below the luxury tax line by sending Kira Lewis to Toronto (via Indiana), what’s next for the Pelicans on the trade market? Christian Clark of NOLA.com explores that topic, suggesting that the team will almost certainly continue to keep an eye out for a center. Cavaliers starter Jarrett Allen has long been a top target for New Orleans, but he’s unlikely to be available, so a player like Wendell Carter of the Magic or Onyeka Okongwu of the Hawks could be a more viable option, suggests Clark. The poison pill provision applies to Okongwu, which could complicate any deal that involves him.
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Wagner Should Return Soon; Okeke Adapting Well To Increased Role

January 19th, 2024 at 7:56am CST by Luke Adams
  • Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley said he expects forward Franz Wagner (right ankle sprain) to be back “sooner than later,” adding that Wagner should resume full-contact work “pretty soon” (Twitter links via Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel). Wagner will miss his eighth consecutive game on Friday vs. Philadelphia.
  • Fourth-year Magic forward Chuma Okeke has been out of the rotation for much of the season, but he has started the past seven games with Wagner and wing Gary Harris sidelined. As Beede writes for The Orlando Sentinel, Okeke has earned praise from his teammates for how he’s adjusted to the increase in his playing time and especially for his performance on defense. “It’s not easy going from not playing to playing and then guarding most of the better players on the court, especially one-on-one,” Caleb Houstan said.
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Anthony Black Making Immediate Impact On Magic's Defense

January 15th, 2024 at 9:02am CST by Arthur Hill
  • Rookie guard Anthony Black has become the Magic‘s best defender and has gotten used to matching up with elite scorers every night, notes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Black’s 108.1 defensive rating is tops among all rookies who average more than 15 minutes per game and ranks 25th overall in the NBA, according to Beede. “Really just getting more settled in,” Black said. “Game by game, I feel like I’m getting more comfortable and finding my spots — just being aggressive when I’m out there and disrupting the game on defense.”
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Seventeen More Players Become Trade-Eligible

January 15th, 2024 at 7:02am CST by Luke Adams

Today is Monday, January 15, which means that a total of 17 players who signed free agent contracts meeting specific criteria this past offseason are now eligible to be traded.

Most offseason signees became trade-eligible on December 15, but players who met the following criteria were ineligible to be moved for an extra month:

  1. The player re-signed with his previous team.
  2. He got a raise of at least 20%.
  3. His salary is worth more than the minimum.
  4. His team was over the cap and used Bird or Early Bird rights to sign him.

The following players met that criteria and are eligible to be traded as of Monday:

(* Players marked with an asterisk have the ability to veto trades.)

Most of the players on NBA rosters are now eligible to be moved, though a small handful still can’t be dealt. That group includes Heat guard Dru Smith, who becomes trade-eligible on Monday, Hornets guard Ish Smith (trade-eligible on January 24), Lakers star Anthony Davis (trade-eligible on February 6), and Pistons forward Kevin Knox (trade-eligible on Feb. 8).

There are also several players who won’t become trade-eligible prior to this season’s February 8 deadline, including stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard, and Jaylen Brown. Players on 10-day contracts are also ineligible to be dealt.

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Stein’s Latest: Hield, Wiggins, Finney-Smith, O’Neale, Fultz, McDermott, Osman

January 14th, 2024 at 5:26pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pistons and Wizards pulled off a trade involving four players and two draft picks on Sunday. Expect a lot more activity in the coming weeks, according to Marc Stein in his latest Substack post.

Stein offers a number of interesting tidbits from around the league:

  • Buddy Hield‘s name was prominently mentioned around the trade market after the veteran guard and the Pacers failed to reach an extension agreement during training camp. Sources tell Stein that Indiana continues to look for ways to move Hield. The Pacers are trying to package his expiring $18.6MM contract and a future first-rounder to get an impact player. Raptors forward Pascal Siakam continues to be talked about as a potential Pacers target. However, Indiana would be reluctant to give up second-year guard Bennedict Mathurin or rookie Jarace Walker in any trade.
  • Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins is looked upon as another potential Pacers target but it may be difficult for Golden State to create a market for him, Stein writes. Wiggins not only has three more years left on his contract, his production has nosedived.
  • Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O’Neale could be on the move. The Nets are listening to offers for both of those forwards and Stein suggests the Cavaliers should pursue O’Neale, considering they need a wing and he’s close friends with Donovan Mitchell. O’Neale has an expiring contract, while Finney-Smith is signed through 2025/26.
  • Speaking of expiring contracts, the Magic are “exploring the trade market” the top pick of the 2017 draft. They’ve made guard Markelle Fultz and his $17MM expiring deal available, along with center Wendell Carter Jr, per Stein.
  • Another team dangling expiring contracts is the Spurs. Forwards Doug McDermott and Cedi Osman are available for teams looking to clear cap room this summer or upgrade their second unit, according to Stein.
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Magic Being Cautious With Markelle Fultz

January 13th, 2024 at 8:36pm CST by Arthur Hill
  • The Magic aren’t using Markelle Fultz in back-to-back games while he works his way back from tendinitis in his left knee, tweets Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel.
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Isaac On Track To Play Saturday

January 13th, 2024 at 1:20pm CST by Rory Maher
  • Magic big man Jonathan Isaac is on track to return on Saturday vs. OKC following a 10-game absence, tweets Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. One of the team’s best defenders, Isaac missed nine games due to a right hamstring strain before missing a 10th game with an illness, Beede notes.
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Southeast Notes: Ingles, Magic, Butler, Dragic, Hornets

January 12th, 2024 at 9:27am CST by Luke Adams

The Magic will get some reinforcements on Friday, according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel, who says that forward Joe Ingles is no longer listed on the injury report after missing the team’s past 13 games due to a sprained left ankle.

Ingles had been a key reserve off Orlando’s bench early in the season, averaging 5.1 points, 3.5 assists, and 2.8 rebounds in 18.7 minutes per night across 23 healthy appearances before being injured in his 24th game.

The Magic are still relatively banged up, with Franz Wagner (right ankle sprain) and Gary Harris (right calf strain) set to sit out for a fourth straight game on Friday, while Jonathan Isaac will be unavailable for a 10th consecutive contest.

Isaac is being listed as out due to an illness after being sidelined for nine games due to a hamstring strain, Beede notes — we’ll see once that illness passes whether the forward is ready to return from his hamstring injury. As for Wagner, he went through a light workout on Thursday, but isn’t taking contact yet, per head coach Jamahl Mosley.

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

  • Jimmy Butler (right toe MP joint sprain) has been upgraded on the Heat‘s injury report, but he’s still considered doubtful to play on Friday vs. Orlando, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. There’s a sense that Butler could make his return on Sunday vs. Charlotte or Monday in Brooklyn, Chiang adds.
  • Veteran guard Goran Dragic, who recently announced his retirement as a player, spoke to Chiang about why he had hoped to finish his career with the Heat, as well as his favorite memories of his time in Miami. Dragic also stated that he “definitely” has interest in joining the organization in some capacity during the next phase of his career. “I don’t know if I want to be a coach,” Dragic said. “My main thing right now is I would like to stay in Miami to be with my kids, to be a dad. But definitely, that’s my dream, to work for the Heat some day. You know, the goals change every year. And maybe in one year, it’s going to be, ‘I want to be a coach.’ You never know.”
  • The Hornets officially unveiled plans on Friday for $215MM in renovations to the Spectrum Center. Chase Jordan of The Charlotte Observer takes a closer look at what fans can expect from the renovation project, which is being funded by the city. Work is scheduled to begin in May 2024 and conclude before the start of the 2025/26 season.
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