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Okeke Impressing Teammates; Exploring Vučević's Second All-Star Season

February 23rd, 2021 at 11:10pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Magic rookie Chuma Okeke has been earning rave reviews from his veteran teammates, as Josh Robbins of The Athletic details. Okeke, the No. 16 pick out of Auburn in 2019, missed all of the 2019/20 season as he rehabilitated from a torn left ACL. Fifteen games into his pro career this year, the 22-year-old has already endeared himself to the rest of the club.

“I love Chuma,” Magic shooting guard Evan Fournier said. “I like the player, but I just like the person even more, because he does the right things and he has the right mindset.”

  • Magic center Nikola Vučević has been named to his second All-Star team. Josh Robbins of The Athletic explores the steps Vučević took to improve his play this season and become the absolute fulcrum of an injury-depleted 13-19 Orlando club. “He’s an elite decision-maker,” head coach Steve Clifford raved. “He shoots when he should shoot. He passes when he should pass. And he makes his teammates better just by the very nature of how he plays.”
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2021 NBA All-Star Reserves Revealed

February 23rd, 2021 at 6:16pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The 2021 NBA All-Star reserves have been revealed. Below is the full rundown of the 14 players scheduled to join the previously announced 10 starters for the March 7 contest in Atlanta. All-Star reserves are selected by the league’s head coaches.

Eastern Conference Reserves:

Notable omissions this season include recent Heat All-Stars Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, two-time Bucks All-Star Khris Middleton, recent Hawks All-Star point guard Trae Young, Raptors guard Fred VanVleet, recent Pacers All-Star big man Domantas Sabonis, and Sixers forward Tobias Harris.

Brown, LaVine, and Randle are making their All-Star debuts. Harden is the most decorated among the All-Star vets among the East reserves, as he will be appearing in his ninth All-Star contest.

Western Conference Reserves:

Lillard, who just barely missed out on a starting nod to Mavericks guard Luka Dončić, earns his sixth All-Star mention as he mounts a sleeper MVP campaign with the Trail Blazers. Paul will be playing in his 11th All-Star game, for a fourth different team (he did not earn an All-Star nod in either of his two Rockets seasons, but made it with the Clippers, New Orleans Hornets, and Thunder).

Snubs in the West include recent Suns All-Star shooting guard Devin Booker, Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan, and 33-year-old Jazz point guard Mike Conley, the latter of whom may go down in history as the best NBA player never to make an All-Star team. Williamson, the No. 1 pick in the 2019 draft, is a first-time All-Star. Last year, his teammate Brandon Ingram made his own All-Star debut.

Conley may still have his day in the sun, however. Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register notes that Lakers All-Star big man Davis, recovering from a right calf strain, will likely not be healthy in time to partake in the currently-planned All-Star game, and thus another Western Conference All-Star should eventually be named by NBA commissioner Adam Silver to replace the eight-time All-Star.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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O’Connor’s Latest: Tucker, Lowry, Beal, Vucevic

February 22nd, 2021 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

The Bucks were pursuing Rockets forward P.J. Tucker in November and their interest hasn’t faded, league sources tell Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. Tucker could help solidify a defense that has taken a step backward with the offseason losses of Wesley Matthews, Eric Bledsoe and George Hill, as well as the absence of Jrue Holiday, who has been in the NBA’s health and safety protocols since February 8. O’Connor notes that Donte DiVincenzo, Bryn Forbes and D.J. Augustin haven’t supplied the same presence on defense.

Tucker is considered to be available because of his age — he turns 36 in May — and his contract status. He will be a free agent this summer, and the Rockets’ attempts to sign him to an extension have been unsuccessful. Houston’s seven-game losing streak has the organization focused on building for the future.

However, the Rockets reportedly want a player in return, rather than more draft picks, which may be problem for Milwaukee. The Bucks gave most of their valuable assets to New Orleans in the deal for Holiday and may not have expendable young players who would be of interest to Houston. DiVincenzo is viewed around the league as their most valuable remaining trade chip, O’Connor notes.

O’Connor sheds light on a few more potential deals:

  • The Sixers, who hold the best record in the East, are hoping to make “major moves” before the March 25 trade deadline to improve their chances of winning a title. A name to watch, according to O’Connor, is Raptors guard Kyle Lowry, a Philadelphia native with an expiring contract. O’Connor states that the Sixers need a veteran guard who can create shots on the perimeter, and Lowry is likely the best option who could be considered available.
  • O’Connor confirms that the Wizards won’t make Bradley Beal available before the deadline, although the Celtics would be among the most interested teams if he were. Beal and Jayson Tatum have been friends since childhood, and the NBA’s leading scorer would give Boston a scary Big Three by teaming with Tatum and Jaylen Brown. However, O’Connor expects Beal and the Wizards to work out their future during the offseason.
  • Celtics fans may be wishing for Nikola Vucevic to solidify the team at center, but the Magic have shown no interest in trading him, executives around the league tell O’Connor. He remains the focus of the offense in Orlando and a favorite of the coaching staff.
  • O’Connor suggests Harrison Barnes could be a possibility for Boston if the Kings decide to part with him, or possibly Rockets guard Victor Oladipo if Boston is willing to give up assets despite reports that he wants to be in Miami. O’Connor believes Bulls forward Thaddeus Young is a more realistic target. The Celtics could absorb his $13.545MM salary with a portion of their traded player exception, and he would cost less in terms of assets than some of their other targets.
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Magic Not Planning To Hold Fire Sale

February 19th, 2021 at 9:15am CST by Luke Adams

While the Magic‘s roster has been decimated by injuries this season, no pre-deadline fire sale appears imminent. League sources tell ESPN’s Zach Lowe that Orlando has been “projecting patience and optimism” about bringing their core players back next season, with Jonathan Isaac and Markelle Fultz due back from major knee injuries.

That doesn’t necessarily mean the Magic will stand pat entirely at this season’s deadline. Lowe suggests that the team might be open to a deal involving Evan Fournier, whose contract will expire this summer, but he stresses that’s just his speculation.

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Dwayne Bacon Showing Off Versatility

February 18th, 2021 at 9:33pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum
  • In his first season for the injury-ravaged Magic, swingman Dwayne Bacon has proven his worth both as a starter and a sparkplug off the bench, according to Roy Parry of the Orlando Sentinel. “When you’re in a game at such a high level, you’re not going to make every shot, so you’ve just got to stick with it,” Bacon said. “The same intensity, same, just everything, the total ingredients to be a good shooter, you’ve got to do the same thing, each and every time.”
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And-Ones: Vaccine, All-Star Game, Trade Candidates

February 18th, 2021 at 11:00am CST by Luke Adams

A number of the NBA’s top players have expressed reluctance to promote the coronavirus vaccine in league-sponsored public service announcements, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Some players are wary of receiving the vaccine themselves, apprehensions which are consistent with those in Black communities around the country, Wojnarowski notes.

There are other factors contributing to the “tepid” response to the NBA’s vaccine PSA efforts, according to Woj, who points out that many players are unenthusiastic about doing any favors on behalf of the NBA as the league puts its “largely unpopular” plans for an All-Star Game into motion.

While commissioner Adam Silver has repeatedly stated that the NBA won’t “jump the line” for the vaccine, he told general managers on a call on Tuesday that vaccinations for players could be available as soon as late March or early April, per Wojnarowski. Silver also suggested on that call that the NBA may encourage vaccinations – and participation in its PSAs – by loosening the health and safety protocols for those who receive it, sources tell ESPN.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • As has been the case in recent years, the NBA will once again have the top vote-getters for the All-Star Game become team captains and get them to draft their own rosters from the pool of 22 remaining All-Stars, Tim Bontemps of ESPN confirms. Bontemps adds that there’s a chance the “Elam Ending” format could return, given how successful it was last year, but says that hasn’t been officially decided yet.
  • Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report identifies six young players who he believes would benefit from a change of scenery and should be on the trade block. Magic center Mohamed Bamba, Celtics guard Carsen Edwards, and a pair of Knicks (Kevin Knox and Frank Ntilikina) are among those on Wasserman’s list.
  • In an Insider-only article for ESPN.com, Bobby Marks previews the trade deadline for all 30 NBA teams, examining each club’s most valuable assets, cap situation, and how it should be approaching the trade market.
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Hardship Exception An Option For Injury-Plagued Magic

February 17th, 2021 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Magic have a full 17-man roster, with 15 players on standard contracts and a pair on two-way contracts, but should have a path to temporarily add an 18th man if they so choose.

The NBA’s hardship provision gives a team hit hard by injuries an opportunity to sign an extra player if at least four players have missed three or more games due to injury or illness and are expected to miss at least two more weeks. Once one of those injured players gets healthy, the team has to return to its usual roster limit.

The Magic have two players – Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac – out for the season due to ACL tears, and Cole Anthony will be sidelined through the All-Star break with a rib fracture. Additionally, Aaron Gordon was diagnosed on February 1 with a severe ankle sprain that was expected to keep him on the shelf for about four to six weeks.

Anthony has now missed three games, so unless the Magic anticipate Gordon will beat his projected recovery timeline and return within the next week or two, the team is eligible to apply for an extra roster spot via hardship provision.

An extra player would provide more depth to a roster that is also dealing with injuries to Evan Fournier (low back spasms), James Ennis (right groin strain), and Al-Farouq Aminu (right knee injury maintenance), all of whom are listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game vs. New York.

It’s not clear whether or not the Magic will look to take advantage of the opportunity. The team already made one change to its roster earlier this week, signing Chasson Randle to a two-way contract to replace injured point guard Frank Mason.

If Orlando does add a player, the team may prefer to promote someone from the G League (like Randle), since players at the NBAGL’s Walt Disney World bubble are subject to a less strict quarantine and testing process than a free agent off the street would be.

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Nikola Vucevic Having Underappreciated Season In Orlando

February 17th, 2021 at 8:38am CST by Luke Adams
  • As part of the 10-18 Magic, he’s not receiving much national attention, but veteran center Nikola Vucevic is enjoying perhaps the best season of his career, as Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype writes. The 30-year-old remains under contract with Orlando through 2022/23.
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Cole Anthony Sidelined Until After All-Star Break

February 16th, 2021 at 4:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Magic rookie guard Cole Anthony has a non-displaced fracture of his right first rib and will not return before the All-Star break, according to a team press release.

Anthony suffered the injury a week ago against Portland. Beyond the prognosis that he can’t play until after the March 7 All-Star game, there is no timetable for his return. It will depend upon how he responds to treatment. He was originally diagnosed with a shoulder strain.

Anthony, the 15th overall pick in last year’s draft, is averaging 11.0 PPG and 3.8 APG in 26.7 MPG. He’s started 17 of 25 games, entering the lineup when Markelle Fultz suffered a season-ending knee injury.

Anthony averaged 15 PPG and 5.5 APG in the four games prior to playing 14 minutes against the Trail Blazers. Michael Carter-Williams has taken over most of the point guard duties in his absence, with newly-signed two-way player Chasson Randle expected to assume a backup role following Frank Mason‘s injury and subsequent release.

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Magic Sign Chasson Randle To Two-Way Contract

February 15th, 2021 at 3:40pm CST by Luke Adams

3:40pm: The Magic have officially signed Randle and waived Mason, the team announced in a press release.

12:24pm: The Magic intend to sign free agent guard Chasson Randle to a two-way contract, according to Josh Robbins and Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Randle, who made his NBA debut in 2017, has appeared in 78 total games since then for the Sixers, Knicks, Wizards, and Warriors, averaging 5.3 PPG and 1.7 APG in 13.9 minutes per contest. He was on a 10-day contract with Golden State last March when the season was suspended, but didn’t catch on with a new NBA team for the summer restart or for the start of the 2020/21 campaign.

Randle has been playing in the G League bubble this month for the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s affiliate. In two games (26.3 MPG), he has averaged 20.0 PPG on .556/.375/.667 shooting.

The Magic have been hit hard by injuries at the point guard position this season. After losing Markelle Fultz for the season with a torn ACL, the team recently saw Cole Anthony go down with a shoulder strain and Frank Mason suffer a strained groin. Michael Carter-Williams just returned on Friday after missing over a month due to a foot sprain and is the only healthy point guard on the roster for the time being, so Randle could get an opportunity to earn minutes immediately.

Mason currently occupies one of the Magic’s two-way contract slots and is the likeliest candidate to be cut to make room for Randle, according to Robbins. Karim Mane is Orlando’s other two-way player.

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