Magic Rumors

Florida Notes: Highsmith, Rozier, Magic, Carter

November 17th, 2024 at 4:04pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Heat forward Haywood Highsmith is embracing his role as a utility player for Miami, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.

Highsmith has been elevated in the club’s hierarchy thanks in part to the free agent exit of now-Sixers wing Caleb Martin this summer. After Martin’s departure, the Heat pivoted to re-signing their other top free agent, Highsmith, on a two-year, $10.8MM deal.

“I can’t say enough about H,” head coach Erik Spoelstra said. “But the tough thing about this league is you have somebody like H, who has really played at an exceptionally high level in that role as a defender, as an impact role player that fills in all the intangibles for your team. But if he’s not scoring big numbers, nobody is really going to pay attention, nobody is going to notice, nobody is going to write articles about him.”

Playing mostly off the Heat’s bench, the 6’7″ swingman is averaging a career-high 8.6 points on .625/.417/.636 shooting splits, along with 3.0 rebounds and 1.7 steals per night.

There’s more out of the Sunshine State:

Heat starting point guard Terry Rozier has struggled mightily thus far this season. Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun-Sentinel wonders if a transition to Miami’s bench would put him in a better position to be effective. The 30-year-old is averaging 13.3 points per game on .385/.358/.880 shooting splits, his lowest output since 2018/19.
Even without All-Star power forward Paolo Banchero, the Magic posted a 5-0 record during a recent homestand. Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel unpacks what went right during that undefeated run, singling out frontcourt standouts Franz Wagner and Moritz Wagner, the club’s defense, and its ability to clean the glass.
Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley stated on Sunday that starting center Wendell Carter, who’s been out for the past seven games with left foot plantar fasciitis, continues to improve. “He’s doing better,” Mosley said after today’s practice, Beede reports (Twitter link). In his six healthy games this season, the 25-year-old is averaging 8.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.3 steals per bout.

Injury Notes: Knicks, Hawks, Pelicans, DeRozan, Carter

November 15th, 2024 at 10:36pm CST by Rory Maher

Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns was ruled out of Friday’s win vs. Brooklyn after initially being listed as questionable, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Towns sustained a left knee contusion after bumping into Zach LaVine on Wednesday.

Backup guard Miles McBride was also downgraded from questionable to out on Friday due to an illness. McBride has been battling knee soreness as well, Bondy adds.

Head coach Tom Thibodeau provided another injury update on Precious Achiuwa prior to Friday’s contest. As Bondy notes, Achiuwa is nearing the four-week mark on his hamstring strain, which has prevented him from suiting up in 2024/25. Thibodeau said on Wednesday that Achiuwa still hasn’t been cleared for practice.

“He’s reevaluated every day,” Thibodeau said. “So yes, he has been reevaluated. The depth of it, I’m not sure. I know they’ve increased his activity. I think that part is good. With the hamstring, we just want to make sure it’s not a problem that will linger.”

Here are some more injury notes from around the NBA:

A trio of injured guards — Bogdan Bogdanovic (hamstring), Kobe Bufkin (shoulder) and Vit Krejci (adductor) — were assigned to the Hawks‘ G League affiliate on Friday to get some practice reps in, tweets Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. All three players are expected to travel with Atlanta for the team’s upcoming four-game road trip, which begins on Sunday in Portland and ends on Friday in Chicago, so there’s a chance they could return next week.
The Pelicans finally received some good injury news on Friday, according to Christian Clark of NOLA.com, who tweets that CJ McCollum has progressed to playing 5-on-5 and is getting close to returning from a right adductor strain. However, the news wasn’t all positive, as second-year guard Jordan Hawkins (low back strain) and defensive stalwart Herbert Jones (right shoulder) have not yet been cleared for contact work.
Kings forward DeMar DeRozan missed his first game of the season on Friday vs. Minnesota due to lower back tightness, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. DeRozan exited Wednesday’s game with the injury, was unable to practice on Thursday (Twitter link via James Ham of The Kings Beat), and also did not participate in Friday’s shootaround, per Sean Cunningham of Fox 40 KTXL (Twitter link).
Magic big man Wendell Carter Jr. missed his seventh straight game on Friday due to plantar fasciitis in his left foot. Head coach Jamahl Mosley said Orlando’s starting center has been receiving treatment and is “progressing,” albeit “slowly,” according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). “(Carter’s) been on the bike. He’s doing some spot shooting,” Mosley said.

Magic Notes: Wagner, Depth, Black, Isaac

November 14th, 2024 at 5:29pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Magic have been playing without Paolo Banchero as he deals with a torn right oblique, but Franz Wagner has been playing like an All-Star in his absence, Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel opines.

As Bianchi points out, Wagner is one of just seven players averaging at least 20.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game, with the former Michigan forward joining stars Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jayson Tatum, Nikola Jokic, James Harden and De’Aaron Fox in that company.

The former No. 8 overall pick has yet to earn an All-Star nod, but he has increased his scoring average every season and is putting up 19.3 points since the start of the 2022/23 campaign. In his last five games, Wagner is averaging 27.8 PPG and 6.0 APG.

We have more on the Magic:

Life without Banchero proved to be difficult initially, as the Magic lost their first four games without their All-Star forward after his injury, including three by double figures. Since then, they’ve won four straight. Josh Robbins of The Athletic writes that Wagner’s All-Star level play is helping, but they’re also getting terrific defensive contributions from the likes of Jalen Suggs, Jonathan Isaac and Anthony Black. “I’m so proud of them, so proud of this group,” head coach Jamahl Mosley said. “It wasn’t a pretty one, but it’s the way you have to try to get it done in this league, and these guys embraced it. [They] easily could’ve given in. But we talk about how much grit this team has, and you see how connected they are. They fought through the shooting lulls at times, the turnovers early, and they found a way.“
Although rookie Tristan Da Silva has taken over Banchero’s spot in the starting lineup, the team has been closing games with Black next to the starters, as the Orlando Sentinel’s Jason Beede details. “Super comfortable,” Black said. “When I play with [the starters], my role is super simple and easy — just affect the game on the defensive end.“
Isaac played in both games of the Magic’s home back-to-back against Charlotte on Tuesday and Indiana on Wednesday. He began playing in back-to-backs last season for the first time since 2019. This season, it’s not a question whether he’s going to play in both games, Beede writes in the same piece. “It does feel like a big deal,” Isaac said. “Especially when it’s not so much of a thought anymore. That’s huge. … It’s been a slow start to the season but I’m starting to feel like myself again with just my energy level, getting back to running up and down and playing heavier minutes. I feel great.“

Southeast Notes: Bitadze, Carter, Jovic, Love, Sarr

November 12th, 2024 at 1:34pm CST by Luke Adams

Magic center Goga Bitadze, who stepped up when Wendell Carter was injured and started 33 games last season, finds himself in a similar position this fall. With Carter on the shelf due to left foot plantar fasciitis, Bitadze has started the past four games for Orlando and has averaged a double-double (10.5 points, 10.5 rebounds) to go along with 3.0 assists and 1.8 blocks per night in those starts.

“He’s just steady,” head coach Jamahl Mosley said on Sunday, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required). “He just stays ready the entire time. Doesn’t say a word when he’s asked to do something; he goes out and does it. He’s a great rim protector, does a great job in the pick and roll … He’s a facilitator on offense, getting guys in position in places on the floor. He just stays ready and that’s part of this team. We always talk about the next man up and guys are starting to step up into that role with other guys being out.”

As Beede writes, Bitadze was a free agent over the summer and potentially could’ve found a larger role and/or more money outside of Orlando, but he chose to stick with the Magic on a three-year, $25MM deal. The big man feels comfortable with the team that took a shot on him in February 2023, days after he was cut by Indiana.

“The guys (and) the coaching staff make it easy,” Bitadze said. “When you’re having joy every single practice, every single day with these guys, playing time is not that important, if you understand what I mean. It’s not that hard.”

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

Carter is “doing well” and “slowly progressing” in his recovery from his foot ailment, according to Mosley, but the Magic center will miss his fifth consecutive game on Tuesday as Orlando faces Charlotte, tweets Beede.
Heat forward Nikola Jovic came off the bench for the first time this fall on Sunday in Minnesota, but ended up having his best game of the young season, helping Miami claim a one-point win with 15 points and seven rebounds. After the game, head coach Erik Spoelstra challenged Jovic to maintain that level going forward. “This is the standard now,” Spoelstra said, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. “I don’t want to retreat, I don’t want to have to do things to get something out of players. He was very good tonight from the detail standpoint, the effort standpoint, rebounding, size, defending multiple efforts.”
Heat forward/center Kevin Love, who made his season debut on Sunday following an early-season absence due to a personal family matter, lauded the organization for giving him the time off he needed, Chiang writes for The Herald. “They were so amazing in supporting me, letting me have my time and allowing me to come back refreshed in my mind,” Love said. “… The support was unbelievable from my teammates, coaching staff, organization. … Now that I’m back, I’m just trying to add that freshness, that lightness to the locker room and hopefully help out there, as well.”
After making just 2-of-9 shots from the field on Monday, rookie big man Alex Sarr has a .330 FG% and a .186 3PT% for the season. That’s okay with the Wizards, who knew Sarr’s offense was well behind his defense and are prepared to be patient with the No. 2 overall pick, writes Varun Shankar of The Washington Post. “This is part of the maturation of going through this league,” head coach Brian Keefe said. “You have to see all these different types of matchups. I’ve coached a lot of great players in this league … and you have to go through the fire. And you learn by doing and being out there and seeing what it feels like.”

Southeast Notes: F. Wagner, Black, Hornets, Hunter, Butler

November 9th, 2024 at 9:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Magic are learning how to be successful while Paolo Banchero recovers from a torn right oblique that will keep him out indefinitely, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required). Other players are stepping up to help replace the 29 points per game that Banchero was averaging before the injury. Much of the burden falls on Franz Wagner, who set the tone with 17 first quarter points Friday in a win over New Orleans.

“It’s no secret that he’s our guy right now,” Anthony Black said. “Getting him going is important for us, not just for [Friday], but going forward. We’re telling him, ‘Keep being aggressive, keep shooting the ball, keep getting to the rim, and just be you out there and let us play off of you.’ It’s definitely good that he’s going and we need him to keep that going, so we’re trusting him.”

Black has also looked to increase his scoring output, registering 10 of his 11 points in the second half Friday. Black has become a full-time rotation member in his second NBA season, and his numbers have increased across the board.

“He’s so tall, quick and twitchy that you can’t really guard him going into the paint,” Moritz Wagner said of Black. “Honestly, that’s what we’ve been doing these last year fours — trying to score in the paint. It’s our DNA. That’s not going to change win or lose.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

The Hornets are another short-handed team that is finding ways to win, per Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Miles Bridges and Nick Richards both joined Mark Williams on the injured list this week, but Charlotte defeated Indiana on Friday night with a depleted frontcourt rotation. “We talked today about we don’t make excuses, we just keep making progress,” coach Charles Lee said. “And it’s not about some of the injuries. “You are like, ‘Oh, why is this happening to us?’ No, ‘What is this trying to teach us, what is this trying to help us learn to do better, to grow from?’ And I think the guys have just kind of embraced the adversity and kind of use this as time to keep getting better and trusting each other.”
Hawks forward De’Andre Hunter missed his eighth straight game tonight, but it was due to “personal family reasons” rather than the right knee issue he has been dealing with, according to Lauren Williams of The Journal-Constitution. Hunter and his partner welcomed their first child Saturday morning, and he’s making sure the mother and baby are both OK. Williams adds that Hunter was hoping to return to action this week if the baby hadn’t arrived and he now expects to play next week.
Heat forward Jimmy Butler has been ruled out of Sunday’s game at Minnesota after leaving Friday’s contest in the first quarter with a sprained right ankle, relays Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. It will be the first missed game of the season for Butler, who has accepted the challenge of trying to be available more often during the regular season. It’s also another obstacle for a 3-5 Miami team that’s already dealing with adversity. “This group has got to figure it out,” Duncan Robinson said. “We got some good stretches defensively. You’ve got to learn how to win. You’ve got guys that have done it before. It’s just not going to come automatically.”

Magic Notes: Carter, Bitadze, Anthony Black

November 6th, 2024 at 5:48pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Magic starting center Wendell Carter Jr. has suffered a left foot plantar fascia strain and is out for the immediate future, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). Carter missed Monday’s game in Oklahoma City and has also been ruled out for Wednesday’s matchup with the Pacers.

Beede adds that, after missing four games with a left foot tendon strain of his own, reserve center Goga Bitadze made his return to the hardwood on Monday, starting in Carter’s place. Bitadze notched 11 points, nine boards, four dimes, a block, and a steal in his first game back.

“He was fantastic,” head coach Jamahl Mosley said. “His ability to come off of not playing so many games, to give us a presence at the rim, defensively in the pick-and-roll he was great. He did a good job play-making.”

Bitadze started 33 games in the Carter’s stead last year when the Magic’s top center went down with an injury.

There’s more out of Orlando:

In a conversation with Spencer Davies of Responsible Gambler, second-year guard Anthony Black reflected on his expanding role with the Magic. “It definitely feels like a little bit of progress but just trying to get in a rhythm, get a feel for it and just do what the team needs me to do for real as the season goes,” Black said. “It’s slowing down game-by-game. I think there’s still another level to which it can kinda slow down for me, so I guess right now we’re just gonna keep trying to take it day by day and see. Let it slow down as it slows down, really. Just keep playing.”
During last year’s hard-fought, seven-game first round playoff series loss to the Cavaliers, Black played some mop-up duty in Games 3 and 4. He otherwise was not a part of Mosley’s rotations, including in Game 7. “It was tough, but I wanted my team to win,” Black said. “I was watching the game as a fan, hoping we won the game. Just tried to do that and say things as I saw from the bench… I learned a lot just about the game, the flow, the importance of each possession. Just how important it is to win.” So far this fall, the second-year guard is averaging 24.6 minutes per game.
In case you missed it, former Magic point guard D.J. Augustin recently announced his retirement following a 15-year career.

Veteran Guard D.J. Augustin Retires

November 4th, 2024 at 3:58pm CST by Rory Maher

Longtime NBA guard D.J. Augustin has decided to retire as a player, he announced Sunday on Instagram.

“Today, I’m officially announcing my retirement from the game I’ve loved for so long,” Augustin wrote in part. “Basketball has been more than a sport, it has been a journey filled with unforgettable memories, friendships, lessons and experiences beyond the court. … I’m grateful for every high and every low, every team, every city, and every fan who’s supported me and my family along the way.”

Augustin, 36, played two seasons of college ball at Texas prior to being selected No. 9 overall in the 2008 draft. He started his professional career with Charlotte (then called the Bobcats), the team that drafted him, earning a spot on the All-Rookie Second Team in 2008/09.

After spending his first four seasons in Charlotte, the 5’11” point guard became a journeyman, suiting up for the Pacers, Raptors, Bulls, Pistons, Thunder and Nuggets from 2012-16. He then had a productive four-season run with the Magic before bouncing around the league again, making stops with the Bucks, Rockets and Lakers.

Augustin’s career wrapped up in ’22/23, when he signed a rest-of-season deal with Houston, though he didn’t appear in any games during his second stint as a Rocket.

Overall, Augustin appeared in 976 regular season games (334 starts) over the course of his 15 NBA seasons, averaging 9.5 points, 1.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 23.4 minutes per contest. He posted a shooting slash line of .412/.381/.867.

Southeast Notes: Da Silva, Daniels, Mann, Sarr

November 4th, 2024 at 11:48am CST by Luke Adams

Although the Magic are devastated by the oblique injury that will sideline rising star Paolo Banchero for the foreseeable future, the team has managed to find one silver lining, according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel, who writes that first-round pick Tristan Da Silva is has gotten the opportunity to play a role with Banchero on the shelf. After four straight DNP-CDs, the rookie had 17 points and five rebounds in 20 minutes of action during Friday’s loss to Cleveland.

“I just think that was a bright spot there, for him to be able to come in and step in and do the things he was able to do,” head coach Jamahl Mosley said after that game.

Mosley was impressed enough with Da Silva’s performance to insert him into Orlando’s starting lineup on Sunday in Dallas. The former Colorado standout wasn’t quite as effective, with just seven points and five rebounds in 31 minutes, though he was only a minus-four in a game the Magic lost by 23 points.

Da Silva earned praise from teammate Franz Wagner, who said it’s been “a lot of fun” playing alongside his rookie teammate and that he’s doing a “great job” so far (Twitter link via Beede).

“I thought he played awesome in Cleveland,” Wagner said. “He’s just keeping the game really simple, making easy plays, and he just understands the game really well. And knows how to play. (He) takes the shot when he’s open, makes a quick decision when he gets it.”

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

Facing their former team in New Orleans on Sunday, Hawks guard Dyson Daniels and big man Larry Nance Jr. both stared down the Pelicans‘ bench after making big shots, notes Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. While one of Daniels’ gestures toward the bench after a corner three resembled a finger gun (Twitter video link), he told reporters after the game that wasn’t his intent, writes Brett Martel of The Associated Press. “It might have looked like it, but I was just telling them it was worth three points,” Daniels said. “You know, pointing at them all, that’s all it was. I was making sure they all knew how many points it was worth.” As Martel observes, the NBA has fined players in the past for mimicking guns on the court.
While he saw his playing time dwindle during his two-and-a-half seasons in Oklahoma City, point guard Tre Mann said his time playing alongside Thunder ball-handlers like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey helped him learn how to play off the ball more effectively, which has benefited him since his trade to the Hornets. “That helped me develop my all-around game, like making plays other than scoring, being ready to shoot on catch-and-shoots, and hunting those opportunities,” Mann told Grant Afseth of Sportskeeda.com. “Now, playing with guys like LaMelo (Ball) and Brandon (Miller), I can still have an impact even without the ball.” Mann is off to a strong start this fall, having averaged 19.2 points per game on .467/.444/1.000 shooting in six appearances off the bench.
No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr got off to a bumpy start this season, averaging 8.0 PPG on 29.7% shooting through his first four games, but Saturday’s showing vs. Miami (17 points on 7-of-11 shooting, six rebounds, four blocks, three assists) provided a glimpse of what the Wizards hope he can become, writes Varun Shankar of The Washington Post. “I think it’s just me getting more comfortable as the games go on, realizing where I can attack, how I can be impactful and just transform my game,” Sarr said.

Magic Notes: Banchero, Mosley, Anthony, KCP

November 1st, 2024 at 4:01pm CST by Rory Maher

Magic star forward Paolo Banchero will be sidelined indefinitely after being diagnosed with a torn right oblique. Head coach Jamahl Mosley was understandably disappointed by the news, but he also said it’s an opportunity for other players, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.

“It sucks. There’s no other way to put it,” Mosley said. “It sucks for him, the way in which he started this year, the way in which he was playing, the way he’s carrying us in so many ways. And in the same breath, you have to say it’s an opportunity — it’s an opportunity for guys to step up, step into their role, opportunity for guys to continue to play to our standard of basketball.”

Orlando announced that Banchero will be reevaluated in four-to-six weeks. The former No. 1 overall pick is hoping he’ll be back sooner rather than later, Reynolds adds.

“Hopefully, it’s not a multi, three-, four-month injury,” Banchero said. “Hopefully, it’s just six, something weeks. Just trying to stay engaged as much as I can and stay positive, take it one day at a time and be ready to come back.”

Here’s more on the Magic:

Since Banchero is such a huge part of Orlando’s offense, particularly in half-court settings, Josh Robbins of The Athletic suggests the team might look to push the pace a bit more while he’s sidelined. Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs are obvious candidates for more play-making duties, but multiple players will have to step up offensively, Robbins notes.
Reserve guard Cole Anthony, who played 81 games last season, received a rare DNP-CD in Wednesday’s loss to Chicago. He said the reason he didn’t play was simple, according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. “I mean, I’ve been playing like [expletive],” Anthony said. “It’s not really that much to it.” In four games this season, Anthony is averaging just 2.0 PPG while shooting 3-of-16 from the floor (18.8%) in 14.0 MPG. The 24-year-old said Mosley informed him of the decision before the game, and while it wasn’t an easy conversation, he said he has a great relationship with his coach. “I’m going to continue working … and at some point, I’m hopeful I get an opportunity out there,” Anthony said, per Beede. “I’ll be ready to hoop.”
Veteran wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope told Marc J. Spears of Andscape it was a difficult decision to leave the Nuggets in free agency, but he has no regrets about signing a three-year, $66MM contract with the Magic. “It was hard. We gave them the opportunity, but things happen,” Caldwell-Pope said. “I let my agent, Rich Paul, handle all that. But my agent always told me, ‘This is a business at the end of the day.’ I got to figure out what’s going to make me happy, what fits best for me and my family … I was part of the first [Nuggets title] in almost like 40-something years. Of, course everybody that was on that team that year is going to be a part of that championship going down in history. It’s just always a blessing and I’m thankful just to be a part of stuff like that and to also play a major role in it.”

Paolo Banchero Out Indefinitely With Torn Oblique

October 31st, 2024 at 8:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Magic forward Paolo Banchero will be sidelined indefinitely after being diagnosed with a torn right oblique, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

According to Charania, Banchero – who was initially listed as questionable for Friday’s game due to a right abdominal strain – will be reevaluated in four-to-six weeks. His return to play will depend on how he responds to treatment, Charania adds.

The Magic have put out a press release (via Twitter) that formally confirms Charania’s report.

It’s an unfortunate turn of events for Banchero, who appeared to be taking another leap forward after earning Rookie of the Year honors in 2022/23 and making his first All-Star team in ’23/24.

After averaging 22.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists in 35.0 minutes per game across 80 starts last season, the former No. 1 overall pick had increased those averages to 29.0 PPG, 8.8 RPG, and 5.6 APG in his first five outings this season. He set a new career high on Monday when he went off for 50 points in a win over Indiana.

Even if he makes a speedy recovery, Banchero is unlikely to return until at least December, which will almost certainly make him ineligible for major end-of-season awards, including an All-NBA spot, as a result of the league’s 65-game rule. He only missed 12 total games in his first two NBA seasons.

The Magic, meanwhile, will have to get by without their top scorer and one of their best play-makers for the foreseeable future. Franz Wagner, who is considered questionable to suit up on Friday to due to an illness, will be in line for more minutes and more offensive responsibilities.

Moritz Wagner, Jonathan Isaac, Caleb Houstan, and Jett Howard are among the other candidates for increased roles with Banchero unavailable.

Load More Posts