Orlando Magic Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knockout Round Matchups Set For NBA Cup; Games Scheduled For Non-Quarterfinalists

December 4th, 2024 at 6:27am CST by Luke Adams

Following the conclusion of the group play games in the NBA Cup on Tuesday, the eight teams advancing to the knockout round have been set, and the quarterfinal games have been scheduled.

After the Warriors, Rockets, and Hawks previously clinched spots in the knockout round, the Thunder, Mavericks, Bucks, Knicks, and Magic joined them as a result of Tuesday’s outcomes. The quarterfinal matchups are as follows, per the NBA (Twitter links):

Eastern Conference:

Orlando Magic (No. 4) at Milwaukee Bucks (No. 1): Tuesday, December 10 (7 pm ET)
Atlanta Hawks (No. 3) at New York Knicks (No. 2): Wednesday, December 11 (7 pm ET)

Western Conference:

Dallas Mavericks (No. 4) at Oklahoma City Thunder (No. 1): Tuesday, December 10 (9:30 pm ET)
Golden State Warriors (No. 3) at Houston Rockets (No. 2): Wednesday, December 11 (9:30 pm ET)

While those four games will be played in the home team’s arena, the winners will advance to a neutral site for the final four. The semifinals (Dec. 14) and final (Dec. 17) will be held at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The quarterfinal and semifinal results will count toward each team’s regular season record, whereas the final won’t. A team that loses in the quarterfinals will play the other quarterfinal loser in its conference in newly scheduled regular season games to make sure those clubs get the full 82.

Meanwhile, the 22 teams who did not advance to the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup have each had two regular season games added to their initial 80 to fill that mid-December gap on their schedules.

Here are the newly added games for those clubs, according to the league (Twitter link):

Thursday, December 12:

Detroit Pistons at Boston Celtics (7:30 pm ET)
Toronto Raptors at Miami Heat (7:30 pm ET)
Sacramento Kings at New Orleans Pelicans (8 pm ET)

Friday, December 13:

Washington Wizards at Cleveland Cavaliers (7 pm ET)
Indiana Pacers at Philadelphia 76ers (7 pm ET)
Los Angeles Lakers at Minnesota Timberwolves (8 pm ET)
Brooklyn Nets at Memphis Grizzlies (8 pm ET)
Charlotte Hornets at Chicago Bulls (8 pm ET)
Los Angeles Clippers at Denver Nuggets (9 pm ET)
Phoenix Suns at Utah Jazz (9:30 pm ET)
San Antonio Spurs at Portland Trail Blazers (10 pm ET)

Sunday, December 15:

New Orleans Pelicans at Indiana Pacers (5 pm ET)
Boston Celtics at Washington Wizards (6 pm ET)
Minnesota Timberwolves at San Antonio Spurs (7 pm ET)
Portland Trail Blazers at Phoenix Suns (8 pm ET)
Memphis Grizzlies at Los Angeles Lakers (9:30 pm ET)

Monday, December 16:

Philadelphia 76ers at Charlotte Hornets (7 pm ET)
Miami Heat at Detroit Pistons (7 pm ET)
Chicago Bulls at Toronto Raptors (7:30 pm ET)
Cleveland Cavaliers at Brooklyn Nets (7:30 pm ET)
Denver Nuggets at Sacramento Kings (10 pm ET)
Utah Jazz at Los Angeles Clippers (10:30 pm ET)

Southeast Rumors: Richards, Martin, Micic, Capela, Nance, Hunter, Anthony

December 2nd, 2024 at 2:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Nick Richards has drawn trade interest from a number of teams across the NBA, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, who says the Hornets center is viewed as an intriguing target due to his solid play as a starter and his team-friendly contract, which includes a $5MM salary this season and a $5MM non-guaranteed cap hit for 2025/26.

Several rival executives who spoke to HoopsHype believe it would take at least two second-round picks to acquire Richards, Scotto writes, and there’s also uncertainty about how willing Charlotte would even be to trade him, since ostensible starting center Mark Williams has been sidelined for nearly a full year due to back and foot issues. If the Hornets can’t trust Williams to be available, they may be reluctant to part with an important frontcourt depth piece like Richards.

Exploring other potential trade candidates in Charlotte, Scotto identifies wing Cody Martin and guard Vasilije Micic as two more players to watch.

After a couple injury-plagued seasons, Martin has been healthy and effective so far in 2024/25. According to Scotto, the Hornets spoke to the Cavaliers during the offseason about a possible Isaac Okoro sign-and-trade that would have sent Martin and multiple second-round picks to Cleveland, but Okoro ended up re-signing with the Cavs.

As for Micic, while he’s playing a more significant role right now due to injuries to LaMelo Ball and Tre Mann, he’s Charlotte’s third-string point guard when both of those players are healthy, having fallen firmly behind Mann on the depth chart. That makes him potentially expendable for the Hornets, and his pseudo-expiring contract (his 2025/26 salary is non-guaranteed) could make him an appealing target for a team in need of point guard depth.

We have more from around the Southeast:

According to Scotto, executives scouring the center market believe Hawks center Clint Capela may be a trade candidate this season, with potential unrestricted free agency looming in 2025. Sources tell HoopsHype that the Knicks, Grizzlies, and Pelicans are among the clubs that did due diligence on Capela during the 2024 offseason before going in different directions at center.
Hawks reserves Larry Nance Jr. and De’Andre Hunter are also viewed as potential trade candidates, Scotto reports. That’s especially true of Nance, who is on an expiring deal, has played inconsistent minutes in Atlanta, and is considered a good locker room presence. As for Hunter, his three-and-D skill set is valued, but Scotto suggests teams have some questions about his durability and may be reluctant to take on his contract, which has two years and $48MM+ still left on it after this season.
The Magic‘s offseason addition of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, along with an increased role for second-year guard Anthony Black, has resulted in several NBA executives viewing Cole Anthony as a viable trade candidate, Scotto writes. After averaging 26.5 minutes per game in his first four years in Orlando, Anthony is logging just 9.8 MPG so far this season.

Magic Notes: Banchero, Wagner, NBA Cup, Carter, Bitadze

December 2nd, 2024 at 7:57am CST by Arthur Hill

Paolo Banchero isn’t close to returning from a torn right oblique he suffered in late October, but he was able to make some progress over the weekend, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Banchero told reporters that he did some ball-handling and spot shooting at Saturday’s practice for the first time since the injury.

“I’m feeling good,” he said. “I finally got to do some court stuff on this trip at practice. It felt really good just to do that stuff again because I literally hadn’t done anything in a month, so it was my first time like really getting to dribble a ball, shoot a ball, so it felt really good doing that. Obviously, wasn’t any sprinting or cutting or anything, but hopefully in the next few weeks I can start getting into more of that and just work my way back into playing shape.”

The Magic have made the recovery process easier for Banchero by playing so well in his absence. Sunday’s win over Brooklyn was their sixth in a row, improving their record to 12-4 since the injury. Banchero has remained close to the team and is trying to learn as much as he can while he’s sidelined.

“Sitting on the bench you’ve got a lot different of a perspective than being on the court,” he said. “You see a lot more, you notice a lot more on both sides. It’s helped me just advance my knowledge. [I’ve] been watching more film, just trying to do what I can to be mentally sharp. Coaches tell you all the time it’s a lot different watching the game on the bench than it is when you’re in-and-out of the game, so I definitely understand what they mean now and it’s been fun just talking to them as well as the players, telling them what I see, how we can be better and what we’re doing well also.”

There’s more from Orlando:

Franz Wagner continued his remarkable play without Banchero on the court, Beede states in the same piece. He had a near triple-double Sunday night with 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists and is averaging 25.1 points, 6.6 assists and 6.1 rebounds over the last 17 games. “He’s just really stepped up to the plate and you can see him getting more and more comfortable,” Banchero said. “He really understood what had to be done with his role being increased. Every game he’s just being really consistent with his leadership, with his output of … the team knows what he’s going to do night in and night out, they know how he’s going to play, what shots he’s going to take, [and] they know he’s going to make the right play every time. So it’s been awesome to watch him and the rest of the team. We’re on a helluva run right now and it’s fun.”
The top spot in East Group A and a guaranteed berth in the knockout round will be on the line Tuesday when the Magic travel to New York, Beede adds. The NBA removed the game from its TNT schedule after Banchero’s injury and a slow start by both teams, but eventually reversed that decision. “I don’t know why they took it off [TNT],” Jalen Suggs said. “I don’t know who didn’t want to watch us play, but just to have it on [national] TV again, being in that environment, in MSG is … Those are things that I think we’ve all grown up watching prime-time games in MSG. We know the stakes that are on the game, outside of all that, but to put it on [national] TV definitely adds a bit of joy to it.”
Since Wendell Carter Jr. returned after missing 12 games with plantar fasciitis, coach Jamahl Mosley has been using him alongside Goga Bitadze in a big starting lineup, Beede observes in a separate story. The combination has been successful, especially on defense as the Magic have two rim protectors on the court together.

Southeast Notes: Carter, Suggs, Bridges, Risacher, Sarr

November 27th, 2024 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. will return to action on Wednesday against Chicago after missing the past 12 games due to left foot plantar fasciitis, tweets Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Head coach Jamahl Mosley told reporters that Carter, who last played on November 3, will be on a minutes limit.

“He’s definitely going to be on a minutes (restriction) after sitting out that long. You’re going to have a time frame of 14-16 minutes just to see where he is,” Mosley said. “Sometimes those guys, coming from (injury), the conditioning side is a big piece. But we want to make sure we slowly walk it back in vs. just ramping up right away.”

The Magic played some of their best basketball early in the season during the six games in which Carter was available. His +10.4 on-court net rating is the second-best mark among the team’s regulars.

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

Carter’s foot injury plays a central role in a story from Jason Quick of The Athletic, who takes a closer look at the bond between the Magic big man and teammate Jalen Suggs. Frustrated in that Nov. 3 contest by suffering another injury after setting a goal of playing all 82 games this season, Carter broke down in tears on Orlando’s bench and was consoled by Suggs, his closest friend on the team. “I’m glad he cried, glad he let out tears,” Suggs said. “I think it’s important to have those moments. In those moments you know you are still human. And it shows he is one with himself. In that space, in front of 17,000 fans, he was still authentically him.”
Hornets forward Miles Bridges, sidelined since last Tuesday due to a right knee bone bruise, has resumed individual on-court work, the team announced today (via Twitter). Bridges returned just 10 days after sustaining a similar injury earlier this month, but the team may be more cautious this time around, given that he aggravated the issue in his third game back.
Zaccharie Risacher wasn’t a typical no-brainer No. 1 pick, but it looks like he should be a good fit for the Hawks, according to Jared Weiss of The Athletic, who examines Risacher’s first few weeks in the NBA and shares early impressions from his head coach and teammates. As Weiss relays, Quin Snyder has lauded Risacher’s work ethic and mentality, while teammate Larry Nance Jr. praised the rookie’s willingness to embrace a team-first role. “I think he’s got a high ceiling, but I think it’s going to take time,” general manager Landry Fields said of the 19-year-old forward. “He’s got a longer runway.”
This year’s No. 2 overall pick, Wizards center Alex Sarr, had his best offensive game of the season on Tuesday vs. Chicago, with 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including 4-of-5 from three-point range. Varun Shankar of The Washington Post has the story on the silver lining of the Wizards’ 12th straight loss, noting that veteran guard Malcolm Brogdon has offered the rookie some tips on his outside shot.

Southeast Notes: Suggs, Brogdon, Coulibaly, Williams, Salaun, Diabate

November 25th, 2024 at 5:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Magic guard Jalen Suggs won’t play in Monday’s game against Charlotte due to a left hamstring strain, Marc Spears of ESPN tweets. Suggs has started all of Orlando’s previous 18 games, averaging 14.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists. Suggs signed a five-year, $105.5MM extension last month.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Malcolm Brogdon has provided a calming influence on the Wizards since returning from a thumb injury, Varun Shankar of the Washington Post writes. Brogdon has scored 33 points with six assists over the last two games. “When things go awry or things are feeling sticky … Malcolm is a surefire way for us to get back in the groove of what we’re trying to do,” teammate Corey Kispert said. Brogdon will be an unrestricted free agent after the season.
Wizards forward Bilal Coulibaly says he’s improved defensively in his second season by “not respecting” his opponents as much and “getting more physical with them,” he told Wizards reporter Bijan Todd (Twitter link). Coulibaly has racked up eight steals and three blocks over the past four games.
With Grant Williams suffering a season-ending knee injury, Hornets coach Charles Lee will have to try to replace Williams’ production in the short term with Tidjane Salaün and two-way player Moussa Diabate, Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer points out. That’s because Mark Williams and Nick Richards are still on the mend from injuries. Williams hasn’t played for nearly a year and Richards is recovering from a rib injury.

And-Ones: Harrell, Covington, Neto, Awards, More

November 25th, 2024 at 9:02am CST by Rory Maher

Former NBA big man Montrezl Harrell, who won the Sixth Man of the Year award in 2020, is currently playing in Australia’s National Basketball League as a member of the Adelaide 36ers. The 30-year-old received a three-game suspension on Monday for his part in on- and off-court incidents during a Nov. 17 game vs. Melbourne United.

As Olgun Uluc of ESPN details, United big man Rob Loe drew a charge on Harrell early in the fourth quarter of the contest, and while both players were on the ground, Harrell shoved Loe. That led to a “melee involving most players” for both teams. Harrell appeared to throw a punch at one opponent and “multiple open-handed strikes” at other United players, per Uluc.

Directly after the on-court scuffle, 36ers staffers and players — including Harrell and teammate Kendric Davis — were involved another altercation, this time with spectators behind the team’s bench. Davis received a two-game suspension for initiating contact in that incident, which saw four spectators ejected. Davis claimed a fan directed racist language at him; the United put out a statement saying they were unable to corroborate that allegation.

The 36ers have 24 hours to appeal the suspensions, according to Uluc, who says Harrell has suggested multiple times on social media he may not return to Australia, pending the outcome of his punishment; he’s currently back home in the United States with the NBL season on pause due to the FIBA window (qualifiers for international tournaments).

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

In an interview with Sam Yip of HoopsHype, free agent forward Robert Covington says he’s confident he can still contribute to NBA teams. “Ain’t nothing changed,” Covington said. “Someone that can give energy on the other side, the defensive side, can come in space the floor, move the ball, do the little things that won’t show up on the stat sheet, what made me very effective.” The 33-year-old, who holds 11 seasons of NBA experience, dealt with a knee injury for most of last season, last suiting up on December 30, 2023, but he says he’s fully healthy now. Covington is currently playing for Team USA in a qualifying round for the AmeriCup. One recent report said he might be open to playing in the G League as he attempts to make it back to the NBA.
Former NBA guard Raul Neto has signed a rest-of-season contract with Spanish club Barcelona, as Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops relays. Neto, who played eight seasons in the NBA from 2015-23, missed all of last season with a knee injury, but he’s “fully recovered” now. Barcelona was looking for backcourt help after losing Nicolas Laprovittola to a season-ending ACL and meniscus injury, Askounis notes.
Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports lists his award winners for the first month of the 2024/25 season. As of now, O’Connor has Nuggets center Nikola Jokic as the frontrunner to win his fourth MVP in five years, Spurs center Victor Wembanyama leading the race for Defensive Player of the Year, and Sixers guard Jared McCain as the league’s top rookie.
On a somewhat related note, with the first month of the season finished, several writers for The Athletic to compiled a list of each team’s biggest concern, with one exception — the 17-1 Cavaliers don’t have a have a real weakness right now, says Joe Vardon.
Magic guard Anthony Black and Rockets guard/forward Amen Thompson are two of the six young players John Hollinger of The Athletic highlights as showing marked improvement in their season seasons.

Franz Wagner Getting "An Introduction To Superstardom"

November 24th, 2024 at 9:58am CST by Arthur Hill

In an interview with Mark Medina of Sportskeeda, Moritz Wagner talks about watching his brother, Franz Wagner, raise his game to the next level. Franz has been running the Magic‘s offense since Paolo Banchero was sidelined with an injury and is averaging career highs with 23.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. “An introduction to superstardom,” Moritz said. “Not to exaggerate, but I think he’s understanding his power and how good he can be.”

Magic Notes: Da Silva, F. Wagner, Black, Suggs

November 23rd, 2024 at 5:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

Tristan da Silva didn’t appear to have a path to consistent playing time when the Magic took him with their first-round pick in June, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. That changed when Paolo Banchero suffered a torn right oblique in late October. Da Silva took his place in the starting lineup and has averaged 7.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 11 games as a starter.

“He’s a player,” Gary Harris said. “He’s smart. He understands where he’s supposed to be. He works hard. It’s just a testament to who he is. He was drafted for a reason.”

At 23, da Silva was old for a prospect, which is part of the reason he was still on the board when Orlando picked at No. 18. He fits the Magic’s profile for a forward with his size (6’8″ with a 6’10” wingspan) and he was a capable outside shooter in college. He has shown an ability to take care of the ball, compiling a 3.57 assist-to-turnover ratio that leads all rookies who’ve appeared in at least 11 games, and he’s contributing on defense as well.

Beede notes that coach Jamahl Mosley will eventually face a difficult decision. Before Banchero’s injury, da Silva had logged five total minutes, all on opening night. His performance over the last three weeks may be enough to keep him in the rotation once Banchero returns.

There’s more from Orlando:

Franz Wagner is the reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week and is making a bid for his first All-Star appearance, notes Law Murray of The Athletic. Wagner has been the focal point of the Magic’s offense since Banchero got hurt, as his touches per game have risen from 46.4 in October to 72.2 in November. With his unique combination of size and skills, Wagner told Murray he has difficulty selecting a player to compare himself to. “I don’t know if there’s someone who I would say I play really close to,” he said. “I think I’m definitely like a tall guard, I would say that. I’m a perimeter player, but pretty tall. I try to do a lot of different stuff out there. And I hope when you see me play, you see that I’m having fun and play for the right reasons. That’s what I hope people see when they see me play.”
Some rival general managers were upset when the Magic gave Wagner a full max extension this summer even though he was coming off somewhat of a down season, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN. They viewed the deal as inflationary because it would cause more players to demand the same terms. However, sources tell Windhorst that Orlando’s front office was happy to reward Wagner for the work ethic and character he displayed during his first three NBA seasons, and they expect the contract to be less of a strain on the salary cap once the new television money starts rolling in.
Anthony Black has improved in his second season and there’s speculation that he and Jalen Suggs could eventually challenge Boston for the league’s best defensive backcourt, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps adds in the same piece. “I think he can be their long-term point guard,” a scout told Bontemps. “That allows Suggs to play off the ball, where he looks more comfortable.”

Warriors Become First Team To Clinch NBA Cup Quarterfinal Berth

November 23rd, 2024 at 7:07am CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors are now 3-0 in NBA Cup games, making them the first team to clinch a spot in the knockout round of the in-season tournament. As the NBA announced late on Friday night after Golden State beat New Orleans and Dallas beat Denver (Twitter link), the Warriors have won West Group C, officially securing a quarterfinal berth for December.

The 3-0 Warriors are one game ahead of the 2-1 Mavericks in the NBA Cup standings, while no other team in their group has more than one victory so far. That means the Mavs are the only West Group C club with a chance to match Golden State’s win total, and the Dubs would hold the tiebreaker in that scenario as a result of beating Dallas last Tuesday in their NBA Cup opener.

The winners of the six groups advance to the eight-team knockout round, along with one “wild card” from each conference. The Mavs have a good chance to be that wild card team in the West if they defeat Memphis on December 3, since their +41 point differential in NBA Cup contests is the second-best mark in the league. Point differential is the second tiebreaker after head-to-head results.

The Rockets (Group A) and Lakers (Group B) are the only two other Western Conference teams who are undefeated in NBA Cup play, putting them in the driver’s seat to join the Warriors in the quarterfinals if they can keep winning.

Over in the East, the Hawks (2-1) could clinch Group C with a win over Cleveland next Friday, assuming the Bulls lose at least one of their two remaining NBA Cup games. If Atlanta loses, a Celtics victory over Chicago on Friday would secure the group for Boston. There are still two undefeated teams apiece in East Group A (Magic, Knicks) and East Group B (Bucks, Pistons).

Magic Notes: Wagner, Banchero, Carter, Caldwell-Pope

November 22nd, 2024 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Injured Magic star Paolo Banchero had a prophetic line about teammate Franz Wagner in the latest edition of the ongoing diary he’s compiling with Marc J. Spears of Andscape.

“Franz is a pretty naturally, calculated, conservative guy,” Banchero stated. “He never wants to do too much, or he never wants to take the shot over the double team. With me being out, he’s had to do that and he’s done amazing. He’s really stepping into that role, and that’s what you want to see. He just got a max contract over the summer. And he’s playing better than what you’d expect.”

A few hours after the diary was released on Thursday, Wagner grabbed the spotlight in a 119-118 win over the Lakers, capping a late rally with an outrageous game-winning three-pointer. Wagner also posted a career-high 11 assists, along with six rebounds and four steals to give L.A. its first home loss of the season, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel.

“Down two, you never just want to settle for a shot but the way they were playing me … I do work on my off-the-dribble three a lot and you work on that for those moments,” Wagner said. “I stepped into it with confidence and it felt really good.”

There were concerns that Orlando’s season might spiral out of control after Banchero suffered a torn right oblique three weeks ago. Instead, the team is 7-1 in its last eight games, and Wagner has averaged 28.1 points, 6.0 rebounds and 6.9 assists during that time, tweets Josh Robbins of The Athletic.

“He’s not afraid of big moments,” coach Jamahl Mosley told reporters after the game (Twitter link from Beede). “And that’s what we’ve asked him to do. I could not be happier for this team but for him, who puts in such an amazing amount of work. To see that fall … This group, they battle.”

There’s more on the Magic:

Elsewhere in his diary, Banchero talks about having to deal with a major injury for the first time since he started playing basketball. “It’s been an interesting experience just trying to keep myself engaged mentally,” he said. “Obviously, [the] team’s still doing great. I’ve been happy with the way they’ve been playing. But for me, [it’s about] trying to stay sharp mentally and even though I can’t do much physically, just try to do every little thing I can — whether it’s what I eat, how much sleep I’m getting — whatever I can do to speed up the process and get back whenever the time is right. But also, sooner than later, hopefully.”
Injured center Wendell Carter Jr. missed his 10th straight game Thursday, but he’s showing signs of progress, Beede adds in his game story. Carter was able to participate in part of Tuesday’s practice and was listed as questionable for both games in L.A. “Dell’s [been] able to do a little bit of court work the past couple days,” Mosley said. “He’s progressing according to exactly how he feels, and then we’re just going to keep going off of that.”
According to Beede, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope missed last night’s game because he returned home for the birth of his fifth child.