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Weltman Focused On Versatility

July 31st, 2017 at 8:16pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Magic President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman focused on versatile players who can play multiple positions in free agency, John Denton of the Magic’s website writes. Despite limited flexibility, the Magic struck quickly when the Spurs renounced their rights to Jonathon Simmons. Orlando also added center Marreese Speights, point guard Shelvin Mack and shooting guard Arron Afflalo to team-friendly deals, Denton continues. That improves the team’s depth and gives coach Frank Vogel a better chance to make in-game adjusments, Denton adds.

  • Dwight Howard‘s familiarity with Hornets coach Steve Clifford will help Howard focus on defense next season, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer opines. Clifford coached Howard with the Magic and Lakers and knows how to dole out constructive criticism to the enigmatic center, Bonnell explains.
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Magic Waive Marcus Georges-Hunt

July 31st, 2017 at 12:13pm CST by Luke Adams

The Magic have trimmed their roster count by one, waiving shooting guard Marcus Georges-Hunt today. The club issued a press release formally announcing the move and making it official.

Georges-Hunt, 23, joined the Celtics for training camp a year ago after going undrafted out of Georgia Tech, but didn’t earn a regular season roster spot with Boston. The 6’5″ guard spent most of the 2016/17 season with the Maine Red Claws, averaging 15.8 PPG, 6.2 RPG, and 4.4 APG, and being named to the All NBA D-League Third Team.

Georges-Hunt’s performance earned him another NBA shot — he signed a deal with the Magic in April and appeared in five games for the team down the stretch. That contract included a second year, but Georges-Hunt’s minimum salary for 2017/18 was non-guaranteed until the fall, so Orlando won’t be on the hook for any of that money.

Georges-Hunt will become an unrestricted free agent if he clears waivers on Wednesday.

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Southeast Notes: Wizards, Hawks, Robbins, Bembry

July 29th, 2017 at 10:36am CST by marksuleymanov

While the Wizards had an expensive offseason which mostly centered around maintaining the current core intact, it was also a successful offseason, Candace Buckner of the Washington Post writes.  John Wall signed a designated veteran player extension, the Wizards matched Otto Porter‘s offer sheet to retain him, and Bradley Beal is already signed to a long term contract.

Washington is coming off a season in which the team made waves in the playoffs, defeating the Hawks in the first round before falling to the Celtics in a thrilling seven game series. As team majority owner Ted Leonsis explained to Bucker last week, this is the opportune time to lock up the team’s foundational pieces.

“They’re entering their prime while some other players are getting older,” Leonsis said. “I think we feel really good about keeping this core together.”

As Bucker adds, the Wizards have committed over $404MM in salary to Wall, Porter, and Beal. However, those deals are calculated ones as ownership has made it clear it intends to compete and keeping talented fixtures who have shown improvement each season are the type of players worth the investment. After finishing as the fourth seed in the East last season, the Wizards are in a position to make more strides in a weakened conference.

Below are additional notes around the Southeast Division:

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Marreese Speights Signs With Magic

July 27th, 2017 at 8:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

July 27, 8:01 PM: The signing is official, according to a team press release. “Marreese (Speights) has developed into [an] effective shooting big man during his pro career,” said President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman. “He is a veteran player that brings playoff and championship experience to our team. We are very happy to have Marreese and his family in Orlando.”

July 23, 3:31 PM: Speights’ deal with Orlando will be a minimum salary arrangement, Pick tells Hoops Rumors.

12:22 PM: Marreese Speights is “on course” to sign with the Magic, tweets international basketball writer David Pick.

Speights recently held a face-to-face meeting with Orlando officials, who have been searching for shooting help. The 6’10” Speights is a reliable shooter from distance for a big man, connecting on 37% from 3-point range for the Clippers last season while averaging 8.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.

The Magic have their $4.328MM room exception available, so all or part of that could be used to add Speights. Even if he signs for the veteran’s minimum of $2.1MM, it will match the value of the contract he opted out of with the Clippers.

Speights spent one season in L.A. after signing there last summer. Before that, he was part of the rotation for Warriors teams that captured the 2015 NBA title and won 73 games in 2015/16. A first-round pick of the Sixers in 2008, he also spent time with the Grizzlies and Cavaliers.

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Arron Afflalo Signs One-Year Deal With Magic

July 27th, 2017 at 11:03am CST by Luke Adams

JULY 27, 11:03pm: The signing is official, according to a tweet from the team.

JULY 25, 4:10pm: The Magic have agreed to a one-year contract with free agent swingman Arron Afflalo, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The deal will be worth the veteran’s minimum, per Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today (Twitter link). Once the signing is official, Orlando looks to be capped out.

Although the Magic front office is under new management now, with Jeff Weltman and John Hammond running the show, the move represents a reunion for the two sides — Afflalo previously played for the franchise from 2012 to 2014.

The 31-year-old journeyman has played for six different franchises in ten seasons. His career slash line is .451/.386/.825, with his best scoring season coming as a member of the Magic in 2013/14. That season, Afflalo scored 18.2 PPG, while shooting 45.9% from the field. The former UCLA Bruin started all 73 games in which he played during that campaign. Over the course of Afflalo’s career, he has averaged 11.3 PPG and has started 534 of his 709 games played.

On Sunday, it was reported that the Magic were  “on course” to sign Marreese Speights to a minimum salary contract. The signing has not yet been made official.

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Khem Birch Signs With Magic

July 27th, 2017 at 10:51am CST by Arthur Hill

The Magic have signed free agent center Khem Birch, the team announced on Twitter.

The 25-year-old spent last season with Olympiacos in Greece, averaging 7.3 points and 5.6 rebounds in 37 games.

Birch played collegiately at Pitt and UNLV and signed with the Heat after going undrafted in 2014. He spent the 2014/15 season with the Sioux Falls Skyforce in the G League and was named to the 2015 Futures All-Star team. He played in Turkey during the 2015/16 season.

The Montreal native is a member of the Canadian National Team.

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Magic Sign Wesley Iwundu To Three-Year Deal

July 24th, 2017 at 10:53pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Magic have signed Wesley Iwundu to a three-year, $4.1MM deal, according to Micheal Scotto of Basketball Insiders. Scotto adds that Iwundu’s deal is fully guaranteed.

Iwundu received more guaranteed money than any other second-rounder in this year’s draft class.

Orlando selected the swingman with the No. 33 overall pick in the 2017 draft out of Kansas State University. As a senior, Iwundu scored 13.0 points while pulling down 6.3 rebounds per game. He made 37.6% of his shots from behind the arc on 2.4 attempts per contest.

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Marreese Speights Meets With Magic

July 22nd, 2017 at 7:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Magic held a face-to-face meeting with free agent center/power forward Marreese Speights, tweets international basketball writer David Pick.

Orlando, which has been looking for shooting help, could benefit from the addition of the 6’10” veteran, who played all 82 games with the Clippers last season. He shot 37% from 3-point range while averaging 8.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per night.

The Magic still have their $4.328MM room exception available and could offer Speights a nice raise from the minimum-salary deal he opted out of in L.A.

Speights spent just one season with the Clippers after joining the team as a free agent last summer. A 2008 first-round pick by the Sixers, he has also played for the Grizzlies, Cavaliers and Warriors in his nine-year career.

The meeting with Orlando comes a week after negotiations broke off with Atlanta. The Clippers are also reportedly interested in having him return.

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Southeast Notes: Waiters, Wade, Meeks, Magic

July 18th, 2017 at 9:02pm CST by marksuleymanov

Dion Waiters is for all intents and purposes the man who replaced Dwyane Wade as the Heat‘s shooting guard in Miami. After inking a four-year, $52MM pact recently, he will be the franchise’s immediate fixture in the lineup and the community. Yet, if Waiters has his way, Wade will eventually join him back home in Miami, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes.

Waiters, 25, came into his own with the Heat in 46 games last season, averaging 15.8 PPG and 4.3 APG while playing over 30 minutes per game. As Waiters tells Jackson, he’s admired Wade from afar and made his desire to learn from the longtime Heat legend this offseason.

“We’ve got the same initials, our games are similar,” Waiters said. “Difference is, he’s got them three rings. He’s a Finals MVP. Top three best shooting guards all time. I’m chasing that. He’s one of my favorite players, one of the players I idolized my game after. When he’s playing against me, I’m checking things he’s doing.”

Wade, 35,  has an option for $24MM for 2017/18 but the Bulls are not interesting in pursuing a buyout at this time. If Wade does end up on the open market, a reunion with the Heat seems like a possibility and one that Waiters — whose social media has hinted at his desire to play with Wade —  would be rooting for.

Here are additional notes surrounding the Southeast Division:

  • When picking a destination this offseason, Jodie Meeks knew playing alongside John Wall and under head coach Scott Brooks was an appealing scenario, CSN Mid-Atlantic’s Chase Hughes writes. The Wizards won 49 games last season and with a productive, young core in the nation’s capital, Meeks will have a chance to be part of a winning team next season.
  • Magic president Jeff Weltman told media in a recent Q and A that his team is still looking for shooting upgrades, per Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel (via Twitter).
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