Magic reserve guard R.J. Hampton may be waived or bought out by Orlando, sources inform Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). Price reveals that Hampton is not traveling with the team for its game tomorrow against the Bulls.
As Price notes, Hampton – facing a logjam in the Magic’s backcourt rotation – could get more frequent run with another club committed to his development.
Hampton is currently fourth in Orlando’s point guard rotation, behind starter Markelle Fultz, 2021 lottery pick Jalen Suggs, and even primary backup shooting guard Cole Anthony. Gary Harris and Anthony serve as the team’s two primary shooting guards.
Hampton, a five-star high school prospect out of Little Elm, Texas, opted to skip college so he could kick off a pro career. He had joined NBL club the New Zealand Breakers for the 2019/20 season, and his erratic on-court play sank his draft value.
The 6’4″ combo guard, who has just turned 22, was first selected with the No. 24 pick in 2020. He spent half the season with the Nuggets before being traded to Orlando. This year, he had been averaging 5.7 PPG on .439/.340/.838 shooting splits with the Magic in just 26 games. He is also chipping in 1.5 RPG and 1.3 APG, across 13.9 MPG.
Hampton is one of just three players on rookie scale contracts who had his 2023/24 option declined last fall, so he’s on an expiring $2.4MM deal.
Off hand, I can’t remember a RSC being waived in year 3, where the 4th year option was exercised.
Hampton’s fourth-year option wasn’t exercised (updated the story to mention that).
OK, then it makes sense. They basically moved on from him when they didn’t exercise the option.
Josh Primo but that was off court issues
sign with Pittsburgh
Would be weird to let him go now. He has salary-matching value in the off-season.
I guess Orlando would only let him go in case of a buy-out?
Why didn’t they trade him?
Maybe they tried but nobody wanted him.
Hard to believe that, with the flurry of second rounders flying all over the market last few days, no team gave at least one for a 22 guy still developing
I think a second rounder has more value than RJ Hampton on an expiring that may be getting waived by Orlando. Other teams would realise he wasn’t being renewed so could just sign him without giving up picks.
Plus, a lot of developmental teams don’t even have roster spots.
Good points.
I guess only a salary dump to the Spurs, who were below the salary floor, could have made sense.
Everybody has seen him for 3 years now…. there’s only so much developing you can do. Just because someone is 22 years old doesn’t mean they have a chance to be great at basketball.
He’s just one of those guys that was mis-judged into being a 1st round pick, and then that team even gave up on him quickly.
He’s a kid that would probably be adequate, at best, in the G-League even.
His best hope is to be able to secure a big money deal overseas. And hopefully he can be productive and not get cut.
Hampton will get picked up. He has some game from time to time.
Plus this time of year there starting to be little point in some teams playing there best players.
I feel like he has enough upside that Detroit, Houston ought to snap him up
Magic are cutting a lot of dead weight. Next up, Mickey Mouse gets the boot.