- Khobi Price of the Orlando Sentinel consulted multiple medical experts in examining the outlook for Gary Harris and the Magic. Harris underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn meniscus this week, but no timetable was announced. He averaged 11.1 points per game last season, starting in 30 of his 61 contests.
- The Magic have unveiled a new state-of-the-art practice and training facility, the team announced in a press release. The $70MM facility spans 130,000 square feet. As relayed in the release, it’ll serve as the training site for the Magic and a sports medicine hub to Central Florida.
Magic wing Gary Harris has undergone arthroscopic surgery on his injured left knee, the team announced in a press release. Harris, who recently tore his meniscus, underwent a meniscectomy, according to the Magic.
The recovery period for a torn meniscus can vary significantly depending on the severity of the injury and the form of treatment. When a player undergoes surgery to repair the tear, he typically misses several months — that’s how meniscus tears for Jaren Jackson Jr. and Collin Sexton have been treated within the last couple years, limiting Jackson to just 11 games in 2020/21 and Sexton to 11 appearances in ’21/22.
However, a meniscectomy involves removing either the full meniscus or a part of it, rather than repairing it. The procedure typically requires a shorter recovery period.
The Magic said in their announcement today that Harris’ return to the court will depend on how he responds to rehabilitation and treatment. It’s possible his absence will be measured in weeks rather than months, though Orlando has shown a tendency to take a conservative approach to its players’ recovery timetables.
Harris, who will turn 28 this month, appeared in 61 games (28.4 MPG) for the Magic in 2021/22 after being sent to the team in the Aaron Gordon trade at the 2021 deadline. The veteran shooting guard averaged 11.1 PPG on .434/.384/.864 shooting last season, earning a two-year, $26MM contract extension just before free agency officially began.
Only the first year of Harris’ new contract is guaranteed, so he’ll be motivated to get healthy and have a good season. A strong showing in 2022/23 would either convince the Magic to retain him for ’23/24 or would set him up for another solid payday as a free agent next summer.
After three years of working for an NBA opportunity, Simisola Shittu may be getting his best chance with the Magic, writes Tony East of Forbes. A report earlier this month indicates that Shittu will be in training camp with Orlando, likely on an Exhibit 10 contract.
The 22-year-old was considered a top prospect when he enrolled at Vanderbilt, but he suffered a torn ACL that healed just in time for his lone collegiate season. He went undrafted in 2019 and spent two years in the G League before heading to Israel. He played for the Pacers in this year’s Las Vegas Summer League, earning himself a chance with the Magic.
“I’m resilient,” he said. “Certain cards don’t fall the right way or anything like that. But at the end of the day, I feel like I’ve just continued to grow from it and gotten better each year.”
There’s more from Orlando:
- Gary Harris is expected to make a decision during the upcoming week on surgery for a torn meniscus in his left knee, according to Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel. A timetable for his return will be determined once the medical details are finalized. Harris signed a two-year, $26MM extension shortly before the start of free agency.
- Mohamed Bamba and his foundation opened a new basketball facility this week in the Ivory Coast, the Magic announced in a press release. “This is an extremely personal project and I’m proud of how it’s all reflected in the courts,” Bamba said. “Everything down to the smallest of details represents an important part of my life, from my African roots, to my Harlem upbringing, to honoring my family who made this all possible.”
- Chet Holmgren‘s season-ending injury has made No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero a stronger favorite to be named Rookie of the Year. Caeser’s Sportsbook has Banchero’s odds listed at +190 for the award, followed by the Kings‘ Keegan Murray at +500 with the Rockets‘ Jabari Smith and the Pistons‘ Jaden Ivey tied at +550 (hat tip to Jeremy Brener of Fan Nation).
Magic guard Gary Harris has suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). While it’s unclear how and when he sustained the injury, Harris will undergo further evaluation to determine how much time he’ll miss.
The 27-year-old Harris was a key part of Orlando’s rotation last season. He averaged 11.1 points per game in 61 contests, starting in 30 of them. He also shot 43% from the floor and 38% from downtown.
Aside from his offensive production, the Magic likely value Harris for his locker room leadership. He’s currently the second-oldest player on a young roster, trailing only Terrence Ross (31).
Harris has dealt with multiple injuries throughout his career. Last season was the first time he played more than 60 games since the 2017/18 campaign, which helped him land a two-year, $26MM extension from Orlando. Still, the Magic finished just 22-60 on the year and are expected to continue their rebuilding phase.
Over the next week or two, Hoops Rumors will be 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 at this time, 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 beginning our pre-camp Roster Snapshot series today with the Southeast Division. Let’s dive in…
Atlanta Hawks
- Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 13
- Players on non-guaranteed standard contracts: 1
- Tyrese Martin (partial guarantee)
- Players on Exhibit 10 contracts: 1
- Players on two-way contracts: 2
Martin, whose minimum salary is partially guaranteed for $450K, is a strong bet to be the Hawks’ 14th man. Because Atlanta’s team salary is a little over the luxury tax line, the team may keep its 15th regular season roster spot open to start the season, and could even try making a cost-cutting trade at some point before the 2023 deadline to sneak below the tax line. Otherwise though, their standard roster appears pretty set.
One of the Hawks’ two-way players (Forrest) is newly signed, while the other (Brown) is a holdover from last season. It’s possible Brown’s two-way spot could be in jeopardy if another camp invitee makes a strong impression this preseason — I’d expect more camp invitees to join Etienne on Exhibit 10 contracts in the coming weeks.
Charlotte Hornets
- Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 13
- Players on two-way contracts: 1
- Restricted free agents: 1
- Players who have reportedly reached contract agreements: 1
- Isaiah Whaley (Exhibit 10)
Bridges’ NBA future is uncertain following his arrest on domestic violence charges, but the Hornets are keeping a roster spot open for him as his case plays out in the legal system. The team also has one more opening on its 15-man roster and seems likely to use it on a point guard. Charlotte has been linked to veterans like Isaiah Thomas and Kemba Walker.
The Hornets also still have one two-way contract slot open. They could hold a preseason competition for that opening, with Whaley among the camp invitees vying to have his Exhibit 10 contract turned into a two-way deal.
Miami Heat
- Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 13
- Players on non-guaranteed standard contracts: 1
- Haywood Highsmith (partial guarantee)
- Players on Exhibit 10 contracts: 3
- Players on two-way contracts: 2
Haslem’s decision to re-sign with the Heat means the team’s roster is pretty much set. With Haslem and Highsmith joining the other 12 players on guaranteed contracts, Miami will just barely be under the luxury tax line and almost certainly won’t add a 15th man until very late in the season.
The Heat’s two-way contract slots may not be set in stone, however. Days and Garrett hold those spots for now, but if a camp invitee like Bouyea, Cain, or Robinson makes a major impact during the preseason, the team could make a change.
Orlando Magic
- Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 15
- Players on non-guaranteed standard contracts: 1
- Players on two-way contracts: 2
- Players who have reportedly reached contract agreements: 4
- Drake Jeffries (Exhibit 10), Alex Morales (Exhibit 10), Simisola Shittu (TBD), Zavier Simpson (Exhibit 10)
Barring a preseason trade involving a veteran like Ross, the Magic’s 15-man roster looks ready for opening night. And Harris and Schofield were both signed to new two-way deals this offseason, so Orlando seems unlikely to replace either player before the start of the season — Harris’ spot looks especially safe, since his two-way contract is for two years.
Although the Magic have reportedly agreed to sign more players than it has room for on its 20-man offseason, that doesn’t necessarily mean that Cannady and another player will have to be waived before camp to complete those signings. I’d expect Orlando to churn its back-end roster spots, signing-and-waiving one or more of those Exhibit 10 players quickly in order to secure their G League rights and/or to ensure they receive bonuses for becoming affiliate players with the Lakeland Magic.
Washington Wizards
- Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 15
- Players on Exhibit 10 contracts: 1
- Players on two-way contracts: 1
- Players who have reportedly reached contract agreements: 2
- Quenton Jackson (Exhibit 10), Davion Mintz (Exhibit 10)
Like the Magic, the Wizards have 15 players on guaranteed contracts who seem likely to make the regular season roster, barring a last-minute surprise. With one two-way contract still up for grabs though, Jackson, Mintz, and other camp invitees will be looking to stand out this fall.
The first EuroBasket tournament in five years will tip off in two weeks and there are currently 34 NBA players on track to participate in the event, representing 17 different countries, according to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.net.
EuroBasket is a 24-team international basketball competition also known as the European Basketball Championship. It historically took place every two years, but that gap was recently adjusted to four years, emulating the FIBA World Cup schedule.
The last EuroBasket tournament was played in 2017 — the next one had been scheduled for 2021, but was pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics. As a result, after being played every two years since 1947, it has now been five years since the last EuroBasket tournament, easily the longest layoff since World War II.
It’s possible that some NBA players will be cut from their teams’ rosters or will have to drop out due to injuries or personal reasons before the event begins on September 1, but in general enthusiasm to participate in the long-awaited event appears high.
Here’s the list of NBAers currently set to play in EuroBasket, per Eurohoops:
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Jusuf Nurkic (Trail Blazers)
- Croatia
- Bojan Bogdanovic (Jazz)
- Dario Saric (Suns)
- Ivica Zubac (Clippers)
- Czech Republic
- Vit Krejci (Thunder)
- Finland
- Lauri Markkanen (Cavaliers)
- France
- Evan Fournier (Knicks)
- Rudy Gobert (Timberwolves)
- Theo Maledon (Thunder)
- Georgia
- Goga Bitadze (Pacers)
- Sandro Mamukelashvili (Bucks)
- Germany
- Daniel Theis (Pacers)
- Franz Wagner (Magic)
- Greece
- Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks)
- Thanasis Antetokounmpo (Bucks)
- Tyler Dorsey (Mavericks)
- Israel
- Deni Avdija (Wizards)
- Italy
- Simone Fontecchio (Jazz)
- Danilo Gallinari (Celtics)
- Lithuania
- Domantas Sabonis (Kings)
- Jonas Valanciunas (Pelicans)
- Montenegro
- Marko Simonovic (Bulls)
- Serbia
- Nikola Jokic (Nuggets)
- Slovenia
- Vlatko Cancar (Nuggets)
- Luka Doncic (Mavericks)
- Goran Dragic (Bulls)
- Spain
- Usman Garuba (Rockets)
- Juancho Hernangomez (Raptors)
- Willy Hernangomez (Pelicans)
- Turkey
- Furkan Korkmaz (Sixers)
- Cedi Osman (Cavaliers)
- Alperen Sengun (Rockets)
- Ukraine
- Alex Len (Kings)
- Svi Mykhailiuk (Raptors)
There are also multiple NBA free agents on EuroBasket rosters, including French swingman Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and German guard Dennis Schröder.
A number of young NBA players, such as 2022 draftees Jeremy Sochan and Nikola Jovic, have dropped out to focus on getting ready for the 2022/23 season, while others, including Bogdan Bogdanovic (Serbia) and Frank Ntilikina (France), were ruled out due to injuries.
Round robin play will begin on September 1, with each team facing the other five clubs in its group once. The top four teams in each group will advance to a 16-team bracket that begins on September 10. The final will take place on September 18, just over a week before NBA training camps get underway.
Undrafted rookie guard Alex Morales has agreed to Exhibit 10 contract with the Magic, Adam Zagoria tweets.
He averaged 5.0 PPG in 13.5 MPG while appearing in five Summer League games with the Warriors.
Morales was the Northeast Conference Player of the Year. He averaged 16.8 PPG , 7.2 RPG and 4.3 APG in his second season with Wagner and had a year of eligibility left when he entered the draft.
The Exhibit 10 contract puts him in line for a bonus worth up to $50K if he’s waived during the preseason and then spends at least 60 days as an affiliate player for the Lakeland Magic.
Orlando currently has 18 players under contract and has reached Exhibit 10 agreements with four others, meaning the team could end up signing and immediately waiving certain players to secure their G League rights.
The Magic will be ready with an offer sheet if Warriors guard Jordan Poole reaches free agency next summer, an unidentified Eastern Conference executive tells Sean Deveney of Heavy. Although Poole is an important contributor for Golden State, luxury tax considerations put his future with the organization in doubt. If he doesn’t reach an agreement on a rookie scale extension before the start of the upcoming season, he’ll be a restricted free agent in 2023.
“I’d watch out for the Magic to be ready to make an offer if he’s restricted, knowing there’s a good chance Golden State is not going to match,” the executive said.
The 23-year-old Poole is coming off his best season, averaging career highs with 18.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game and making 51 starts for a team that won the NBA title. He would provide some much-needed perimeter scoring for a young Orlando team that solidified its frontcourt with Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero in the last two drafts. The Magic could have close to $60MM in cap room and may be in range to add two max free agents.
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- Former NBA player Jamal Crawford is downplaying a dispute between new Hawks guard Dejounte Murray and Banchero in a pro-am game last week, tweets Landon Buford. “There’s no issues; they’re brothers, competitive basketball court stuff,” Crawford said. “I’ve had spats like that with my brothers. There’s nothing to read into.”
- Hawks shooting guard Bogdan Bogdanovic has resumed training after knee surgery in May and recently posted Instagram photos of his workout with tennis star Novak Djokovic in Serbia. Bogdanovic was able to participate in Atlanta’s first-round playoff series against Miami, but underwent the operation shortly after the Hawks were eliminated.
- Jaime Echenique received a huge welcome when he returned to Colombia last month after becoming the first player from his homeland to appear in an NBA game, writes Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. Echenique played just one game for the Wizards in December and spent most of the season with the team’s Capital City G League affiliate. He recognizes the importance of his accomplishment, but is focused on expanding his NBA opportunities. “He said you have to take this as big as it is,” Echenique said in relaying a conversation with a friend. “Out of the 75 years of the NBA, out of 50 million Colombians, you are the first one. I was like ‘Yeah, that’s a big deal.’ Whether it was a 10-day [contract] or three minutes or whatever people want to call it, I did it.”
- Magic big man Moritz Wagner won’t play for Germany in the World Cup qualifiers or FIBA EuroBasket 2022 due to an ankle injury, according to Eurohoops.net. The severity of the ankle injury wasn’t revealed but Wagner expressed disappointment that he won’t be able to participate. “The fact that my ankle isn’t healed is difficult to accept at first, but it’s part of the game,” he said in a statement released by the German federation. “This team is special and I’m looking forward to watching the boys play and supporting them.”
- New Hawks guard Dejounte Murray and the draft’s top pick, the Magic’s Paolo Banchero, exchanged words on and off the court after taking the court at Isaiah Thomas‘ annual summer pro-am, Kurt Helin of NBC Sports relays. Murray faked out Banchero before doing a self alley-oop, then took to social media to give the rookie more grief. Banchero responded by saying that Murray had unfollowed him, while adding some choices words of his own.