- Magic head coach Steve Clifford remains in the NBA’s health and safety protocols and isn’t traveling with the club to Cleveland for Wednesday’s game, tweets Roy Parry of The Orlando Sentinel. Clifford is still asymptomatic and feeling good after registering a positive test for COVID-19.
9:40am: The Magic have officially signed Wagner, the team announced in a press release. Franks has been released early from his 10-day contract in order to open up the necessary roster spot.
9:00am: The Magic have agreed to sign free agent big man Moritz Wagner, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). It’ll be a standard contract for Wagner rather than a 10-day deal, Wojnarowski adds.
Wagner, who turned 24 on Monday, has already played for three teams since being selected with the 25th overall pick in the 2018 draft. He spent his rookie year with the Lakers, was traded to the Wizards in the three-team Anthony Davis blockbuster in 2019, then was flipped to the Celtics at this year’s deadline in a three-team deal that also involved the Bulls. Boston subsequently waived Wagner.
A 6’11” forward/center, Wagner has averaged 6.5 PPG and 3.2 RPG in 122 career games (14.1 MPG) as a pro. While the German has some potential as a floor-stretching big man, his three-point shot has been unreliable since he entered the NBA — he has made just 30.2% of his outside attempts.
Having shifted into rebuilding mode, the Magic will see what they can get out of Wagner down the stretch as he presumably auditions for a spot on next year’s roster. It’s not clear yet whether or not Wagner’s deal with the Magic will cover multiple seasons, but even if it’s just a rest-of-season pact, he’d be eligible for restricted free agency this offseason.
Orlando doesn’t currently have an open 15-man roster spot, but has two players on 10-day deals. As we noted earlier today, Robert Franks‘ and Donta Hall‘s 10-day contracts run through Saturday and Sunday, respectively. If the Magic want to officially sign Wagner before this weekend, they could terminate one of those two contracts early (the player would still be paid for 10 days of service).
Since the NBA’s 10-day signing window for the 2020/21 season officially opened in February, a total of 54 separate 10-day deals have been finalized. Many of those signings have be completed since the trade deadline passed a month ago — 36 10-day contracts have been signed in April alone.
With so much action on the 10-day market, we’re taking a little time today to check in on the 10-day deals that are still active, exploring which of those players are eligible for additional 10-day contracts and which teams are still shuttling players in and out of their back-end roster spots.
Here, with the help of our 10-day tracker and our roster counts page, are the players on active 10-day deals:
Players on their first 10-day contracts:
- Los Angeles Clippers: Yogi Ferrell (runs through 4/28)
- Denver Nuggets: Austin Rivers (runs through 4/29)
- Brooklyn Nets: Mike James (runs through 5/2)
- New York Knicks: Jared Harper (runs through 5/2)
- Oklahoma City Thunder: Charlie Brown (runs through 5/4)
These players will all be eligible for a second 10-day contract once their current deals expire. In the case of Brown, it’s possible the Thunder would just sign him to a rest-of-season deal if they’re comfortable keeping him around, since a second 10-day deal would run through at least May 14. The regular season ends on May 16.
Players on their second 10-day contracts:
- Toronto Raptors: Freddie Gillespie (runs through 4/27)
- Portland Trail Blazers: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (runs through 4/27)
- Golden State Warriors: Gary Payton II (runs through 4/28)
- Cleveland Cavaliers: Mfiondu Kabengele (runs through 4/30)
- Orlando Magic: Robert Franks (runs through 5/1)
- Update: Franks’ 10-day deal has been terminated early by the Magic.
- Philadelphia 76ers: Anthony Tolliver (runs through 5/1)
- Orlando Magic: Donta Hall (runs through 5/2)
These players won’t be eligible for a new 10-day contract when their current deals expire, since a player can’t sign three 10-day deals with the same team in a single season. It’s a safe bet that some of these players will receive rest-of-season contracts though — I’d be shocked if the Raptors let Gillespie get away, for instance.
Any team here that opts not to re-sign a player to a rest-of-season contract would open up a roster spot, which could be used on another 10-day trial before the regular season ends. Golden State and Portland are carrying just 14 players at the moment, so they’d have each two open roster spots if they don’t re-sign Payton and Hollis-Jefferson, respectively.
There are a handful of other teams that could still take advantage of the 10-day contract before the end of the season. The Heat, Timberwolves, Pelicans, Kings, Spurs, and Wizards all have at least one open roster spot.
The Heat and Pelicans are right up against the luxury tax line and may be done with 10-days for the season, preferring rest-of-season commitments if and when they fill their roster openings. The Wolves, Spurs, and Wizards may end up going that route too, but for now they’re still decent candidates for 10-day signings.
The Kings, meanwhile, had Damian Jones on a pair of 10-day contracts before his second deal expired on Monday night. Head coach Luke Walton spoke positively about Jones’ contributions to the team, as Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee relays (via Twitter), so the veteran center could end up getting a rest-of-season contract. If so, Sacramento would have a full roster and would likely be done with 10-days for the season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
APRIL 26: The Magic issued an update on Cannady today, announcing in a press release that he underwent a surgical procedure on Monday morning to clean out his ankle.
Although Cannady sustained an open ankle dislocation and a severe lateral sprain, the team said that further X-rays, a CT scan, and an MRI showed that his bones and cartilage remain intact. That’s good news for the rookie guard, who is in a plaster splint and is done for the season but is expected to make a full recovery, according to the club.
APRIL 25: Magic guard Devin Cannady has suffered an open fracture of his right ankle, an injury that will require surgery, the team announced on social media. Cannady sustained the injury during the first quarter of Orlando’s game against Indiana on Sunday night.
Cannady contested a drive and landed awkwardly on his ankle, shouting in agony as he fell near the baseline. No timetable has been issued for the Princeton product, who was stretchered off the floor shortly after sustaining the injury. It’s safe to say his season is over.
Cannady, 24, received G League Finals MVP honors this season with Lakeland. He appeared in seven games with the Magic, playing a total of 73 minutes across those contests. After first signing a 10-day deal with Orlando, he later inked a two-way pact with the club. He and Chasson Randle are the team’s two-way players.
The Magic are 18-41 and eight games behind the No. 10 seed Wizards with just under a month left in the season.
- Magic head coach Steve Clifford, who registered a positive COVID-19 test, will remain out for Monday’s game vs. the Lakers, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic, who tweets that Tyrone Corbin will once again act as the club’s interim head coach. Clifford continues to be asymptomatic, Robbins notes.
Magic coach Steve Clifford will miss tonight’s game against the Pacers after mixed results in his recent COVID-19 tests, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Clifford may be away from the team for multiple games while he remains under the league’s health and safety protocols, Woj adds.
Assistant coach Tyrone Corbin will take over the team until Clifford returns (Twitter link). Corbin has head coaching experience with the Jazz and Kings and owns a 119-167 career record.
Clifford told reporters Saturday night that his coronavirus test on Thursday came back positive. He submitted two negative tests on Friday, but had another positive result on Saturday morning. He was tested again last night and is scheduled to undergo another today.
Clifford added that he feels fine and isn’t exhibiting any symptoms of the virus. He said the team has been in an enhanced protocol since an official tested positive after Tuesday’s game against the Hawks.
The 59-year-old coach got his second dose of the Moderna vaccine on Thursday, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. However, he won’t be considered “fully vaccinated” until two weeks after his final shot, according to guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“I feel comfortable that I’m not really in danger,” Clifford said. “That with the fact that my temperature, my oxidation numbers, how I feel, I have no side effects right now, I’m very comfortable with that.”
7:11pm: Clifford held a Zoom call with reporters tonight, saying he has no COVID-19 symptoms and feels fine, tweets Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Clifford said he had a positive test Thursday night, followed by two negative tests Friday and another positive this morning. He underwent another test today and will be tested again Sunday morning.
Clifford added that one of the officials from Tuesday’s game in Atlanta tested positive for the virus, which put the Magic in an enhanced protocol (Twitter link). Assistant coach Tyrone Corbin would take over if Clifford isn’t cleared to coach Sunday (Twitter link).
“I don’t see a way that I coach tomorrow night. Monday, maybe,” Clifford said. “Then I guess if all these tests are negative it could be a chance by the time we go on the road.” (Twitter link)
5:40pm: Magic head coach Steve Clifford has returned a positive COVID-19 test, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. Sources tell Charania that Clifford has received his first vaccine and is considered asymptomatic, and there’s hope that the test result is a false positive.
The Magic canceled today’s practice, according to Roy Parry of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link), but a team official said they are hopeful they can play Sunday’s game against the Pacers.
Results of the test are considered inconclusive, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Clifford could be cleared to coach tomorrow night if he tests negative two times before the game begins.
Clifford, 59, is in his third season as head coach in Orlando.
The Magic have signed forward Donta Hall to a second 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release. Hall’s first 10-day deal with Orlando expired on Thursday night.
Orlando is Hall’s fourth NBA team February 2020, when he signed a 10-day contract with Detroit. He later joined the Nets for the summer restart in Walt Disney World, played for the G League Ignite in this season’s NBAGL bubble at Disney, then inked a 10-day deal with the Raptors.
Hall got the chance to play regular minutes during his first 10 days in Orlando, averaging 4.3 points and 4.3 rebounds in four contests (14.0 MPG). His best game came last Wednesday in Chicago, when he put up seven points and nine rebounds in 17 minutes, posting a plus-eight rating and helping the Magic beat the Bulls.
Hall’s new 10-day pact will cover Orlando’s next five games before expiring next Sunday night. At that point, the Magic will have to either let him go or sign him to a rest-of-season contract.
Like his last 10-day deal, Hall’s new contract will be worth $99,020, so he’ll earn $198,040 for his 20 days with the Magic. That number would increase if the team re-signs him to a rest-of-season deal in May.
It has been nearly a month since the NBA’s trade deadline passed, but we’ve still seen a flurry of transactional activity during the last four weeks, as teams have signed and waived players ahead of the postseason.
While some clubs have full rosters and seem unlikely to make any changes between now and the end of the regular season, that’s certainly not the case across the board.
With the help of our roster counts tracker, here’s our latest look at open roster spots around the league, as of April 22:
Teams with one or more open 15-man roster spots:
- Golden State Warriors
- Miami Heat
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- New Orleans Pelicans (2)
- New York Knicks
- Portland Trail Blazers
- San Antonio Spurs
The Heat, Timberwolves, Knicks, and Spurs each have 14 players on standard contracts and one opening on their 15-man rosters. They’re all good bets to sign a 15th man before the season ends, either for developmental purposes or for added postseason depth.
The Warriors and Trail Blazers have 13 players apiece on standard deals, one on a 10-day contract – Gary Payton II for Golden State and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson for Portland – and one open spot. Hollis-Jefferson’s 10-day pact runs through next Tuesday, while Payton’s goes through Wednesday. Once those deals expire, the Warriors and Blazers will each have up to two weeks to get back to 14 players.
Since the NBA only allows teams to dip to 13 or fewer players for up to two weeks at a time, the Pelicans are very much on the clock. They’ve been at 13 players for the last nine days, since Isaiah Thomas‘ 10-day contract expired. The expectation is that New Orleans will sign draft-and-stash prospect Didi Louzada as a 14th man by early next week.
Teams whose 15-man rosters are full due to one or more 10-day contracts:
- Cleveland Cavaliers (Mfiondu Kabengele)
- Denver Nuggets (Austin Rivers)
- Los Angeles Clippers (DeMarcus Cousins; Yogi Ferrell)
- Memphis Grizzlies (Tim Frazier)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (Justin Robinson)
- Orlando Magic (Donta Hall; Robert Franks)
- Philadelphia 76ers (Anthony Tolliver)
- Sacramento Kings (Damian Jones)
- Toronto Raptors (Freddie Gillespie)
- Washington Wizards (Jordan Bell)
These 10 teams have full 15-man rosters as of today, but that might not last long. The dozen 10-day contracts listed here will begin expiring as soon as tonight (Hall), so if those players aren’t re-signed, the clubs will have roster openings.
The Nets will also fall into this group once they officially waive LaMarcus Aldridge and sign Mike James to a 10-day deal.
Teams with an open two-way contract slot:
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Phoenix Suns
- Toronto Raptors
The Suns have only carried a single two-way player all season long, so there’s no guarantee they’ll fill their second slot before the end of the regular season.
The other teams listed here are all better candidates to do so — Cleveland (Lamar Stevens) and Toronto (Yuta Watanabe) just recently promoted two-way players to their respective 15-man rosters, while Minnesota was carrying a pair of two-way players until waiving Ashton Hagans in February.
The Cavs reportedly intend to sign Jeremiah Martin to fill their two-way opening.
9:05am: Franks’ new 10-day deal is now official, according to an announcement from the Magic.
7:51am: The Magic will re-sign forward Robert Franks to a second 10-day contract, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter). Franks’ first 10-day deal with the team expired overnight.
Franks, 24, played for the Lakeland Magic, Orlando’s G League affiliate, earlier this year. He averaged 12.1 PPG and 6.6 RPG on .504/.356/.783 shooting in 14 games (24.5 MPG) for a Lakeland squad that eventually won the G League title, earning him a shot with the NBA club.
In his first 10 days with Orlando, Franks appeared in four games, averaging 5.0 PPG and 1.8 RPG on .500/.429/.833 shooting in 11.8 minutes per contest.
Assuming Franks’ second 10-day contract is officially finalized today, it’ll cover the Magic’s next six games, expiring after the team’s May 1 contest vs. Memphis. At that point, Orlando will either have to sign Franks to a rest-of-season contract or let him walk.
Franks will earn $99,020 on his 10-day deal.