Orlando Magic Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Mario Chalmers, Others Receive Salary Guarantees

October 19th, 2017 at 10:53am CST by Luke Adams

Grizzlies point guard Mario Chalmers is among the players who received an increased salary guarantee this week when he remained under contract, according to data from Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders and ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Chalmers, who received a modest $25K guarantee when he signed with the Grizzlies in the offseason, now has a fully guaranteed minimum salary for 2017/18.

[RELATED: 2017/18 NBA Salary Guarantee Dates]

Chalmers, who tore his Achilles in March 2016, wasn’t able to make a full recovery during the 2016/17 season, but looked good in camp and the preseason with Memphis this fall. His strong showing earned him a roster spot over fellow point guard – and 2016 first-rounder – Wade Baldwin, who was waived by the Grizzlies. Chalmers will earn a minimum salary worth about $2.106MM this season, though it’ll only count for approximately $1.471MM on Memphis’ cap.

Other players receiving increased guarantees this week include Khem Birch of the Magic and Pistons big man Eric Moreland. According to Pincus’ and Marks’ data, Birch will see his salary guarantee jump from $25K to $408K, while Moreland’s will increase from $750K to $1MM. Both players will receive fully guaranteed 2017/18 salaries on January 10, if they remain under contract.

Birch, who has spent the first few years of his professional career with teams in the G League or overseas, was excited to make an NBA roster for the first time this season, as Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel detailed over the weekend. The Canadian big man didn’t see any action during the Magic’s first game of the season on Wednesday night.

As for Moreland, the 25-year-old was a surprise inclusion in the Pistons’ rotation on Wednesday night, playing 12 minutes as a backup center. While he didn’t score at all, Moreland picked up three steals during his time on the court.

Jamel Artis Signs Two-Way Deal With Magic

October 16th, 2017 at 7:34pm CST by Arthur Hill

OCTOBER 16th, 7:34pm: The signing is official, per team press release.

OCTOBER 15th, 8:37am: Jamel Artis, who was waived by the Knicks in early October, has agreed to a two-way contract with the Magic, tweets Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders.

The 6’7″ swingman signed a partially guaranteed deal with New York in June after going undrafted out of Pitt. He played for the Knicks’ entry in the Orlando Summer League, averaging 8.8 points per game.

The move fills Orlando’s allotment of two-way contracts, with Adreian Payne holding the other one. The Magic trimmed their roster to the league limit on Friday by waiving Damjan Rudez and Kalin Lucas.

Magic Waive Damjan Rudez, Kalin Lucas

October 13th, 2017 at 8:53pm CST by Austin Kent

The Magic have released Damjan Rudez and Kalin Lucas, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel tweets. The decision brings Orlando’s roster down to 15 players.

Rudez, a 31-year-old veteran of three NBA seasons, played 45 games for the Magic last year but had a negligible impact on the court. Had Rudez managed to secure a spot with the team, it would have likely been because of his positive influence in the locker room.

Lucas, a 28-year-old point guard out of Michigan State last saw NBA action back in 2014/15 when he played a single game for the Grizzlies.

With Rudez and Lucas out of the picture, it appears as though Khem Birch will stick with the team through the start of the regular season.

Magic Waive Troy Caupain, Rodney Purvis

October 13th, 2017 at 3:17pm CST by Luke Adams

The Magic have begun to make cuts to their roster in advance of the regular season, announcing today that they’ve waived Troy Caupain and Rodney Purvis. The team is now carrying 18 players.

Caupain is coming off a senior year at Cincinnati in which he averaged 10.5 PPG with 4.6 RPG and 4.4 APG, with a modest shooting line of .453/.325/.687. As for Purvis, he went undrafted after recording 13.8 PPG, 4.2 RPG, and 2.5 APG in his senior year at UConn. Both players are 6’4″ guards.

Caupain and Purvis are good bets to land with the Lakeland Magic, Orlando’s G League affiliate. Assuming both players signed contracts with Exhibit 10 clauses, they’ll receive bonuses worth up to $50K if they spend at least 60 days with Lakeland.

With one player on a two-way contract and 17 on NBA deals, Orlando will need to make at least two more roster moves before opening night.

Extensions Appear Unlikely For Nurkic, Gordon, Payton

October 13th, 2017 at 1:06pm CST by Luke Adams

With the October 16 deadline for rookie scale extensions just three days away, it appears unlikely that Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic, Magic forward Aaron Gordon, or Magic guard Elfrid Payton will agree to new deals with their respective clubs.

Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link) has the latest on Nurkic, reporting that the fourth-year center is preparing to reach restricted free agency in 2018. The Trail Blazers have yet to make an extension offer to Nurkic, according to Charania, so it would take a major last-minute push from both sides to get something done.

As for the Magic duo, Gordon’s agent tells Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel that he doesn’t anticipate his client reaching an extension agreement. Payton’s rep doesn’t weigh in with his thoughts, but Robbins is bearish on the point guard’s chances of securing a long-term deal within the next few days.

In the Blazers’ case, it makes some sense that the team would be willing to wait to finalize a new deal for Nurkic. Although the former Nugget looked great in 20 games for Portland last season, he has battled multiple injuries this year, including a broken leg, and the team likely wants to take a longer look at him before making a major long-term commitment. The Blazers’ cap situation also complicates matters, since the club may need to dump another contract if Nurkic signs an extension.

The Magic, meanwhile, have had years to evaluate Gordon and Payton, but the current management group wasn’t around for the duo’s first few seasons. As Robbins notes, new president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman and GM John Hammond have said they want to use the 2017/18 season to get more familiar with the franchise’s players, so they may be reluctant to invest major money in either Gordon or Payton quite yet.

Assuming Nurkic, Gordon, and Payton don’t negotiate a last-minute extension by Monday’s deadline, they’ll all be eligible for restricted free agency next July.

Mario Hezonja Looks To Cement Rotation Spot

October 12th, 2017 at 11:31am CST by Luke Adams

Mario Hezonja, 2015’s fifth overall pick, took a step backward during his second NBA season last year. However, he has been solid in the preseason as he looks to cement a role in the Magic‘s rotation, says John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com.

Magic Sign Rodney Purvis

October 9th, 2017 at 9:31am CST by Dana Gauruder

OCTOBER 9: The Magic and Purvis have officially finalized their agreement, with the team confirming it today in a press release. After initially announcing a 19-man preseason roster, the Magic are now at 20 players. Meanwhile, Purvis is expected to eventually play in the G League for the Lakeland Magic, tweets Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel.

AUGUST 28: Former University of Connecticut shooting guard Rodney Purvis has agreed to a partially guaranteed deal with the Magic, league sources told Ian Begley of ESPN.com. The contract includes an Exhibit 10 clause, which would give Purvis a bonus if he’s waived and then signs with the Lakeland Magic, their G League affiliate, Begley adds (Twitter links).

The Exhibit 10 clause also gives Orlando the ability to convert Purvis’ camp deal into a two-way contract prior to the season, Jared Weiss of CelticsBlog.com tweets. Currently, the Magic have just one player on a two-way deal (Adreian Payne), leaving the second spot open.

Purvis, who began his college career at North Carolina State, is a longshot to make the Magic’s opening-day roster. He went undrafted after his senior year with the Huskies. The 6’4” Purvis averaged 13.8 PPG, 4.2 RPG and 2.5 APG last season. He appeared in two games with the Jazz’s summer-league team in Las Vegas but only scored one point.

Once they finalize Purvis’ deal, the Magic will have 18 players under contract.

Magic Fond Of Athletic Lineup; Isaac Can Make Defensive Impact

October 8th, 2017 at 9:47pm CST by Austin Kent

The Magic have been hard at work gaining insights about their roster this preseason and have already come up with a five-man group that they’re fond of. John Denton of the Magic’s official site writes that Frank Vogel particularly enjoyed playing Elfrid Payton alongside Jonathon Simmons at the two with Jonathan Isaac and Aaron Gordon at the three and four, respectively, with Bismack Biyombo at center.

“That’s scary for other teams because there is a lot of athleticism out there and a lot of guys who can guard point guard through power forward,” Payton, entering his fourth year with the Magic, said. “There’s so much speed and athleticism there. Even though we’d be seen as a small unit, Jonathon [Simmons] is athletic, Isaac is athletic, A.G. is athletic and I don’t think we’d lose anything on the rebounding end. I look forward to seeing that [lineup] more.”

The scribe also notes that Isaac, while famously raw as a 20-year-old, 210-pound forward, could still be utilized as a defensive specialist for the Magic in his first year in the pros. “He’s NBA-ready to come in and impact our team on the defensive end right now,” Vogel said.

The Magic have made a concerted effort to play a modernized style of basketball and Frank Vogel, synonymous with gritty, hard-nosed basketball from his days at the helm of the Pacers, is leading the operation. John Denton of Orlando’s official team site discusses how Vogel has handled the transition.

Magic Hire Tracy McGrady As Special Assistant To CEO

October 6th, 2017 at 8:37am CST by Luke Adams

Former Magic star Tracy McGrady is rejoining the franchise in a front office role, reports Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel. According to Robbins, McGrady will serve as a special assistant to Orlando CEO Alex Martins.

A Florida native, McGrady enjoyed some of his best seasons as a player in Orlando between 2000 and 2004, earning spots in four consecutive All-Star games and leading the league in scoring twice as a member of the Magic. Now, the Hall-of-Famer’s duties will include helping to promote and market Orlando’s new G League affiliate, the Lakeland Magic, Robbins writes.

In addition to working with the Magic’s G League team, McGrady is expected to work occasionally with Magic players and coaches on and off the court, and may even get involved in recruiting free agents, according to Robbins.

McGrady’s return to the Magic comes 13 years after he parted with the franchise on “strained terms,” as Robbins puts it. It also coincides with the first year for Orlando’s new management group, which includes president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman and general manager John Hammond. The duo was hired earlier this year after the Magic parted ways with GM Rob Hennigan.

Arron Afflalo Happy To Be Back With Magic

October 5th, 2017 at 2:00pm CST by Luke Adams

After bouncing around from Denver to Portland to New York to Sacramento over the last several seasons, Arron Afflalo is happy to be back in Orlando. And, as Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel writes, his Magic teammates are happy to have him on the roster. “He’s a really great vet to have around,” Aaron Gordon said of Afflalo. “Not only is he extremely talented and a skilled basketball player . . . he’s very good in the locker room. He’s always positive. He’s always encouraging. He’s looking to get everybody involved.”
John Denton of NBA.com takes a closer look at new Magic swingman Jonathon Simmons, the club’s biggest free agent signing of the offseason.