Magic Rumors

Pre-Camp Roster Snapshot: Southeast Division

September 23rd, 2023 at 2:31pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is in the process of taking a closer look at each NBA team’s current roster situation, evaluating which clubs still have some moves to make and which ones seem most prepared for training camp to begin.

This series is meant to provide a snapshot of each team’s roster right now, so these articles won’t be updated in the coming weeks as more signings, trades, and cuts are made. You can follow our roster counts page to keep tabs on teams’ open spots as opening night nears.

We’re continuing our pre-camp Roster Snapshot series today with the Southeast Division. Let’s dive in…

Atlanta Hawks

Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 15
- Saddiq Bey, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Kobe Bufkin, Clint Capela, Bruno Fernando, AJ Griffin, Mouhamed Gueye, De’Andre Hunter, Jalen Johnson, Garrison Mathews, Wesley Matthews, Patty Mills, Dejounte Murray, Onyeka Okongwu, Trae Young
Players on two-way contracts: 3
- Trent Forrest, Seth Lundy, Miles Norris
Players who have reportedly reached contract agreements: 2
- Jarkel Joiner (training camp), David Singleton (training camp)

Capela and Hunter were among the Hawks veterans whose names frequently surfaced in trade rumors earlier in the summer, and when Atlanta acquired Mills, it wasn’t clear whether the move was just about saving some money or if the team intended to keep him.

But all three players remain on the roster with training camp around the corner and seem likely to start the season as Hawks. Barring a late change of direction, Atlanta’s roster looks good to go for opening night.

Charlotte Hornets

Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 13
- LaMelo Ball, James Bouknight, Miles Bridges, Gordon Hayward, Kai Jones, Cody Martin, Bryce McGowens, Brandon Miller, Nick Richards, Terry Rozier, Nick Smith Jr., P.J. Washington, Mark Williams
Players on non-guaranteed standard contracts: 2
- Frank Ntilikina ($200K partial guarantee), JT Thor
Players on Exhibit 10 contracts: 4
- Angelo Allegri, Nathan Mensah, Tre Scott, Jaylen Sims
Players on two-way contracts: 2
- Amari Bailey, Leaky Black
Players who have reportedly reached contract agreements: 1
- R.J. Hunter (training camp)

It appears No. 31 overall pick James Nnaji will be sticking with Barcelona for the 2023/24 season rather than joining the Hornets. And while Theo Maledon is one of the final restricted free agents left on the market, his qualifying offer is for a two-way contract and Charlotte appears to holding a two-way slot open for him.

That puts Ntilikina and Thor in position to join the 13 Hornets with guaranteed salaries on the 15-man roster to open the season.

Miami Heat

Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 12
- Bam Adebayo, Thomas Bryant, Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, Haywood Highsmith, Jaime Jaquez, Nikola Jovic, Kevin Love, Kyle Lowry, Caleb Martin, Josh Richardson, Duncan Robinson
Players on non-guaranteed standard contracts: 1
- Orlando Robinson ($75K partial guarantee)
Players on Exhibit 10 contracts: 5
- Justin Champagnie, Caleb Daniels, Drew Peterson, Cole Swider, Alondes Williams
Players on two-way contracts: 3
- Jamaree Bouyea, Jamal Cain, Dru Smith

Despite an apparent lack of involvement in the recent Damian Lillard trade talks, the Heat remain the odds-on favorites to land the star point guard. If that happens, some additional moves will probably be necessary to fill out the roster, since Miami would almost certainly send out more players than it receives in any deal for Lillard.

If no Lillard trade materializes, the Heat could end up having a pretty quiet preseason. They’d need to retain Orlando Robinson and add a 14th man to their standard roster in order to meet the regular season minimum. In that scenario, Cain would be a solid candidate for a promotion, which would open up a two-way slot for one of the Exhibit 10 camp invitees. The club could also consider adding a veteran free agent such as Goran Dragic.

Orlando Magic

Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 14
- Cole Anthony, Paolo Banchero, Goga Bitadze, Anthony Black, Wendell Carter Jr., Markelle Fultz, Gary Harris, Caleb Houstan, Jett Howard, Joe Ingles, Chuma Okeke, Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner, Moritz Wagner
Players on non-guaranteed standard contracts: 1
- Jonathan Isaac ($7.6MM partial guarantee)
Players on Exhibit 10 contracts: 3
- Mac McClung, Trevelin Queen, Brandon Williams
Players on two-way contracts: 2
- Kevon Harris, Admiral Schofield
Players who have reportedly reached contract agreements: 1
- Miye Oni (training camp)

There’s no indication that the Magic will part ways with Isaac, so it seems safe to pencil him in for the final spot on the 15-man roster. Orlando’s two-way slots could be more up in the air, since Harris is a carryover from last season and may not hang onto his spot if some of the team’s camp invitees make strong impressions. It wouldn’t be a surprise if McClung and/or Queen end up being converted to a two-way deal.

Washington Wizards

Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 17
- Deni Avdija, Patrick Baldwin, Xavier Cooks, Bilal Coulibaly, Johnny Davis, Daniel Gafford, Danilo Gallinari, Taj Gibson, Anthony Gill, Tyus Jones, Corey Kispert, Kyle Kuzma, Mike Muscala, Jordan Poole, Ryan Rollins, Landry Shamet, Delon Wright
Players on Exhibit 10 contracts: 2
- Chase Audige, Dejan Vasiljevic
Players on two-way contracts: 2
- Jared Butler, Eugene Omoruyi

I examined the Wizards’ roster crunch at length in this week’s exclusive article for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers, concluding that Cooks, Gallinari, and Rollins are some of the players most at risk of being cut if no trades materialize. Washington would likely prefer to get down to 15 players on standard contracts by dealing a couple players, if possible — I expect the club would welcome offers for Shamet and Wright.

If the Wizards don’t have a specific player in mind for the third two-way slot, camp invitees like Audige and Vasiljevic could make their cases for it in the preseason.

Previously:

And-Ones: Extension Predictions, Overtime Elite, Hines, Streaming

September 22nd, 2023 at 7:05pm CST by Rory Maher

Of the players eligible for rookie scale extensions in 2023, five have signed new contracts. What will happen with the remaining group?

Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report explored that topic today, making predictions on which players will sign extensions and which won’t. The players who don’t sign extensions before the start of the 2023/24 regular season will be eligible for restricted free agency in the summer of 2024.

Let’s start with former No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman, who is now on the Pistons after being traded in February.

“No deal to be done,” sources told Pincus. “He has too much to prove unless he wants an extremely team-friendly extension. This one will wait.”

How about Magic guard Cole Anthony, who is a member of a crowded backcourt in Orlando?

“I think they move Anthony, maybe even before the season. But I don’t think they extend him,” one player agent said.

Ultimately, Pincus believes most of the rookie scale candidates will hit restricted free agency next summer, but a handful could get extensions and a few more have situations worth monitoring.

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

The Overtime Elite league has finalized its rosters for the ’23/24 season, tweets Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com. A total of 31 players on three teams will compete in OTE during the upcoming campaign. A number of prospects have been drafted from the upstart league over the past couple seasons, including Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson, twin brothers who were back-to-back lottery picks in June (Nos. 4 and 5, respectively).
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin takes an in-depth look at the competitive summer pickup games at UCLA’s student center, which are run by former Bruins guard and current Sixers assistant Rico Hines. Multiple NBA players and teams are in attendance every year, McMenamin writes, including Warriors star Stephen Curry last offseason. “For me, it’s how can somebody get from being a two-way player or just a subpar player to then getting, ‘Man, he’s made it. He’s a real NBA player,'” Hines said. “That’s what it’s about for me.”
Some NBA games will be streamed on Max this season, according to Richard Deitsch and Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. The games will be part of an add-on package in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery Sports, and will cost $9.99 per month.

Magic’s Mosley Talks Banchero, F. Wagner, Fultz, More

September 21st, 2023 at 12:31pm CST by Rory Maher

Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley recently spoke to Michael Scotto on the latest edition of the HoopsHype podcast. The conversation covered a number of topics, including how Mosley got his start in coaching, working with former Hall of Fame players and current stars, his time coaching the U.S. Select Team this summer, and, of course, the Magic.

Mosley is bullish on Orlando’s young talent. Reigning Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero played for Team USA at the World Cup, and while the Americans had a disappointing fourth-place finish, Mosley liked what he saw from the 2022 No. 1 overall pick.

“I think the sky is the limit (for 2023/24),” Mosley said. “(Banchero) being with Team USA and seeing the different aspects of how people adjusted their games to fit in with what was trying to be accomplished. He did that. He’s capable of doing so many things. At the beginning of the year, he played basically point for us at times with Franz Wagner when we had our guards down. More importantly, I watched his jump defensively and ability to switch pick-and-rolls and stay in coverage. They had him playing the five mixed with the four. I thought it was great that he expanded his game in real time. I think it’ll do wonders for him on the court.

“Even more importantly, his voice and leadership. I watched him during a practice in Las Vegas and the way he carried himself and projected his voice in certain drills. I think that’s going to go so far when he’s back with the Magic because it’s a level of leadership you’re asking him to step into. I think he recognizes and feels that. It was a great experience for him to be around that group of players and those coaches.”

As for Wagner, who helped Germany to a gold medal, Mosley said he wasn’t surprised by the third-year forward’s success, and once again focused on the less glamorous end of the court.

“For Franz, I think people got to see a glimpse of what we’ve known for quite some time,” Mosley told Scotto. “Since we’ve drafted him, we’ve talked about his high basketball IQ, his work ethic, care for the game and attention to detail. He has all of those pieces. I joke with him that he’s a 40-year-old man in a 22-year-old body. He just sees the game so differently, and he cares about the little things. He cares about people.

“What I saw was his defensive ability to show. Franz did a great job of switching when it came to guard certain guards. I think that’s going to be the biggest key as he comes back here. Our ability to guard, which I was so happy to watch them (Banchero and Wagner) do at times, is going to skyrocket us to what we’re capable of doing.”

When Scotto asked about the Magic’s offseason, Mosley said he was happy to have “consistency and stability” with most of the roster returning. Regarding expectations for 2023/24, the coach said he’s more focused on the Magic improving via “continuity, joy, togetherness, and grit” rather than wins and losses, because if they handle those aspects the “wins will take care of themselves.”

Another former No. 1 overall pick, guard Markelle Fultz, is entering the final year of his contract, which will pay him $17MM in 2023/24. Mosley thinks Fultz is ready to take “big strides” ahead of free agency next summer.

“I think Markelle’s ability to continue to lead because he’s such a selfless point guard,” Mosley said, per Scotto. “He wants to share and enjoys seeing the success of his teammates. That’s what we’re going to ask more of him. Defensively, being able to guard the ball because his level of physicality is up there. I think he’s going to set the tone in a lot of ways for us. He has such a high ceiling of where he can go because of how he’s been working this summer.”

Eastern Notes: Turner, Richardson, Bulls, Nets

September 17th, 2023 at 5:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Myles Turner was selected by the Pacers with the No. 11 overall pick in 2015. Turner revealed that he expected to go much higher in the lottery, Tidal League tweets.

“I thought I was going number 5 to Orlando. … I’m at the table in the green room. ‘With the number 5 pick the Orlando Magic select Mario Hezonja.’ I’m like, ‘Who the (expletive) is this?'” Turner said, adding that it was a “blessing in disguise” when he ended up going to Indiana at No. 11.

We have more notes from the Eastern Conference:

Josh Richardson joined the Heat in 2015 after playing four seasons at Tennessee, making him a polished, ready-for-prime-time player. Entering his second stint with the franchise, Richardson continues to play with an intelligent, measured style that has aged well, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel opines. Richardson rejoined Miami as a free agent on a two-year contract.
The Bulls remain outside the top six in the Eastern Conference’s pecking order, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times. They are not a serious threat as currently constructed, though all the teams above them are flawed, Cowley writes. The Bucks and Celtics take the top two spots in Cowley’s rankings.
The Nets earned a B-minus for their offseason moves, according to NetsDaily.com. The team’s two biggest question marks remain unanswered — namely, do they have enough scoring and can they improve their rebounding?

Magic Sign, Waive Alex Morales

September 15th, 2023 at 2:20pm CST by Rory Maher

SEPTEMBER 15: The Magic have waived Morales, tweets Beede. The plan is for the guard to return to the Osceola Magic in the G League this season, and his brief stint on Orlando’s roster ensures he’ll receive an Exhibit 10 bonus for spending at least 60 days with the NBAGL club.

SEPTEMBER 14: The Magic have signed free agent guard Alex Morales, the team announced in a press release. According to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel, who was first to report the news, Morales will receive an Exhibit 10 contract (Twitter link).

Morales signed an Exhibit 10 deal with Orlando last fall and was waived before the 2022/23 season began. He spent his rookie season with Lakeland, Orlando’s then-G league affiliate. The team has rebranded and moved, and is now known as the Osceola Magic.

The former Wagner star, who spent 2022 Summer League with the Warriors, averaged 6.2 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 2.0 APG and 1.1 SPG on .471/.276/.733 shooting over 30 regular season games with Lakeland (21.9 MPG). Morales, 25, also appeared in 17 games with the NBAGL squad during the Showcase Cup last fall.

The Exhibit 10 clause in Morales’ contract means he could receive a bonus worth up to $75K if he’s waived before the season starts and spends at least 60 days with Osceola in 2023/24. Exhibit 10 contracts can also be converted into two-way deals, and Orlando has one two-way slot open.

The Magic’s roster is now full, with 21 players under contract, the offseason maximum. That number will drop to 18 — 15 on standard deals and three two-way slots — once the regular season begins.

Southeast Notes: Lillard, Coulibaly, Washington, Williams, McClung

September 14th, 2023 at 5:03pm CST by Tristan Tucker

While the Heat continue to explore options to acquire star guard Damian Lillard from the Trail Blazers, the NBA eliminated one potential option that could have led to Portland delaying a trade, notes Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

As part of the league’s ruling that healthy star players can’t sit out from games, the NBA also prohibited teams from making any long-term shutdown “when a star player stops participating in games or plays in a materially reduced role in circumstances affecting the integrity of the game.”

As Jackson notes, ESPN’s Bobby Marks said the rule specifically precludes Lillard and Portland from mutually agreeing for the seven-time All-Star to stay away from the team while it works on a trade. A punishment for disregarding the rule would involve significant fines, per Marks.

While it’s unclear whether either party was exploring that as an option, it won’t be possible anymore. This is advantageous for the Heat, writes Jackson, who says that Portland must decide whether to play Lillard and risk possible injury, which would diminish his value.

There are still a handful of notable free agent point guards available if the Heat don’t get Lillard, such as the recently released Cameron Payne, but the Heat haven’t been actively pursuing one, Jackson writes. According to Jackson’s source, the Heat could look at options that involve Tyler Herro or Josh Richardson as the starting primary ball-handler if the team is unable to land the star guard.

Of the available free agent point guards, Goran Dragic is a veteran option who spent 2015-21 in Miami. Jackson writes that Dragic has interest in joining the Heat.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Wizards rookie wing Bilal Coulibaly was one of the 2023 draft’s biggest risers, culminating in him being selected with the No. 7 overall pick. Josh Robbins of The Athletic spoke to three anonymous NBA scouts about Coulibaly, who spent part of the last year playing alongside No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama. The scouts agreed that athleticism and an impressive defensive toolbox and instincts are among Coulibaly’s strengths, while his shooting and physicality are improvement points. However, all scouts appeared to be high on the 19-year-old’s upside. “The sky’s the limit for him,” one anonymous scout said to Robbins.
Hornets forward P.J. Washington re-signed with Charlotte on a three-year, $46.5MM deal in August, nearly two months after free agency began. While there was some speculation about whether Washington would ultimately return to the Queen City, the 25-year-old forward sounds relieved to be back with the Hornets. “It means the world to me,” Washington said in a video posted by the Hornets social media team (Twitter link). “Obviously, back in 2019, Charlotte took a chance on me and I’m just blessed to be in the position I am today.”
The Magic announced they signed Brandon Williams and Mac McClung to Exhibit 10 deals on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. Orlando’s G League affiliate Osceola Magic acquired the returning player rights to both Williams and McClung. If an Exhibit 10 player is waived by an NBA club before the season begins and spends at least 60 days with that team’s G League affiliate, he can earn a bonus worth up to $75K. This week’s G League trades assure that Williams and McClung can suit up for Osceola this season if and when they are waived by Orlando. Williams was acquired from the College Park Skyhawks in exchange for Joel Ayayi, Robert Baker II and a 2023 G League first-round pick, per the Orlando Sentinel’s Jason Beede (Twitter link), while McClung was acquired from the Delaware Blue Coats in exchange for the rights to Jeff Dowtin and a 2024 G League second-round pick (Twitter link).

Magic Sign Mac McClung To Exhibit 10 Contract

September 13th, 2023 at 8:39pm CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 13: The signing is official, the Magic announced in a press release.

AUGUST 22: Free agent guard Mac McClung has agreed to a deal with the Magic, league sources Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). According to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link), it’ll be an Exhibit 10 contract.

McClung only appeared in four NBA games in 2022/23 after signing a two-way contract with the Sixers. However, it was an eventful season for the 24-year-old, who earned a spot in the Rising Stars event and the G League’s Next Up game at All-Star weekend. Of course, he also competed in the Slam Dunk Contest and won it with a series of memorable dunks.

McClung appeared in 31 G League regular season games for the Delaware Blue Coats – Philadelphia’s affiliate – and averaged 19.8 points, 4.9 assists, and 2.7 rebounds in just 26.8 minutes per game. He posted an impressive .550/.474/.823 shooting line during the NBAGL regular season and helped lead the Blue Coats to a G League title.

An Exhibit 10 contract can be converted to a two-way deal, so it’s possible McClung will earn a spot on the Magic’s extended (18-man) roster with a strong training camp. If he’s waived before the regular season and then spends at least 60 days with the Osceola Magic, Orlando’s affiliate, he’d earn a bonus worth up to $75K.

Orlando previously agreed to Exhibit 10 deals with Trevelin Queen and Miye Oni.

Former Celtics, Magic Forward Brandon Hunter Dies At 42

September 13th, 2023 at 8:00am CST by Luke Adams

Former NBA forward Brandon Hunter has died at age 42, according to announcements from his college coach Jeff Boals (Twitter link) and the Magic (Twitter link).

A standout at Ohio University from 1999 to 2003, Hunter was selected 56th overall in the 2003 draft by the Celtics. He appeared in 36 games for Boston as a rookie, then was picked in the 2004 expansion draft by the then-Bobcats, who traded him to Orlando.

Hunter played in 31 games for the Magic in 2004/05 before making the move to international basketball. He spent time in Greece, Italy, Puerto Rico, Israel, Turkey, Latvia, Germany, France, and Uruguay between 2006-13. As an NBA player, he averaged 3.3 points and 2.8 rebounds in 9.4 minutes per night across his 67 appearances (12 starts).

Boals’ announcement refers to Hunter as “one of the best to ever put on the green and white” for the Ohio Bobcats. The former standout forward is still the program’s all-time leading rebounder, having grabbed 1,103 boards during his four college seasons. He averaged a double-double (21.5 PPG, 12.6 RPG) as a senior, earning his third consecutive All-MAC first team nod.

Our condolences go out to Hunter’s friends and family.

Magic Sign Trevelin Queen, Brandon Williams

September 12th, 2023 at 6:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Magic have signed free agents Trevelin Queen and Brandon Williams, according to a team press release.

Queen’s agreement with Orlando was previously reported. He received an Exhibit 10 contract and Williams’ contract mirrors Queen’s deal, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel tweets.

If they are waived before the season starts, both players could earn bonuses worth up to $75K if they spend at least 60 days with the Osceola Magic, the team’s G League affiliate.

The camp additions will give the Magic 19 players on their roster, including two-way deals. They can carry 21 players into camp, so more signings are likely to be completed. They have a two-way deal available, so it’s possible Queen or Williams could have their contract converted to that slot.

Queen, a 6’6” swingman, played in seven games last season for the Pacers, averaging 3.0 points and 2.4 rebounds in 10.0 minutes per game. He also appeared in 24 games (15 starts) with Fort Wayne of the NBA G League, averaging 22.6 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 34.3 minutes per game.

Queen has also played in 17 career NBA regular season games with Houston and Indiana. During the 2021/22 season, Queen was named NBA G League Most Valuable Player and led the Rio Grande Valley Vipers to the G League championship.

Williams, a 6’2” guard, played in 27 games (25 starts) last season with College Park of the NBA G League, averaging 19.8 points and 5.9 assists in 31.6 minutes per game.

Williams played in 24 career NBA regular season games with Portland, averaging 12.9 points and 3.9 assists in 26.7 minutes during the 2021/22 season.

World Cup Notes: F. Wagner, Schröder, Top Players, Banchi

September 11th, 2023 at 10:28am CST by Arthur Hill

Germany’s Franz Wagner was thrilled not only to win a gold medal at the World Cup, but to be able to accomplish the feat while playing alongside his brother, writes Cesare Milanti of EuroHoops. Franz and Moritz Wagner are also teammates on the Magic, but their undefeated run through the World Cup field is the highlight of their careers.

“It’s special,” Franz Wagner said after Sunday’s win over Serbia. “Special to have our parents here too. This is so surreal, it doesn’t make sense that we are both on this team and we can enjoy it.”

Wagner appears to be fully recovered from a sprained ankle he suffered in Germany’s opening game. Although he missed the rest of pool play, he was back for the knockout round, scoring 22 points and grabbing five rebounds in a semifinal win over Team USA, then posting 19 points and seven rebounds in the gold medal contest.

“There were so many moments this year in so many games that the other team made a run, this game, the game before against the States,” he added. “We never let it slip, we just kept playing and kept staying together. That made a huge difference in all these games.”

There’s more from the World Cup:

Tournament MVP Dennis Schröder hopes Germany’s success will lead to more exposure for basketball in his home country, per Aris Barkas of Eurohoops. The German team has become more successful in international competitions, but the games aren’t widely available to the public. “We first thought the tournament was going to be on the TV. Only the final was on the TV,” Schröder said. “Basketball is a great sport and I hope we can get our respect for what we are doing the last two years. I wish that every single game is on TV. Ten years ago when I started, we had Dirk Nowitzki but nobody knew who were the other guys on the team. Now we go to Japan and the Philippines and they know us. We hope to get this respect also in our country and get recognized.”
Schröder was a first-team selection by Brian Windhorst of ESPN on his list of the best players at the World Cup. Joining him on the first team are Team USA’s Anthony Edwards, Canada’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Slovenina’s Luka Doncic and Serbia’s Bogdan Bogdanovic. Making up Windhorst’s second team are the USA’s Mikal Bridges, Australia’s Josh Giddey, South Sudan’s Carlik Jones, Serbia’s Nikola Milutinov and the Dominican Republic’s Karl-Anthony Towns.
Luca Banchi was honored as the tournament’s best coach after leading Latvia to a fifth-place finish in its first-ever World Cup.

Load More Posts