Goga Bitadze Rumors | Hoops Rumors

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: 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.”

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.

Magic Notes: Banchero, Wagner, Bitadze, Basketball Ops

October 4th, 2024 at 8:48am CST by Rory Maher

All-Star forward Paolo Banchero says he was “all the way spent” following Game 7 of the Magic‘s first-round playoff loss to Cleveland last spring, so he spent the majority of the summer working to get in “tip-top, elite shape” for a possible deeper postseason run in 2024/25, he tells David Aldridge of The Athletic.

“I worked on my body three or four days a week — sometimes lifting, sometimes agility, some days conditioning,” Banchero said. “Just trying to get in the best shape heading into this season. And obviously, as the season goes on and on, just trying to stay consistent with my habits, and once you get to the playoffs, just having that second wind.”

Franz Wagner, who signed a maximum-salary rookie scale extension this offseason, says that both he and Banchero need to evolve into more vocal leaders as the team’s best players, Aldridge writes. Wagner admits it doesn’t come naturally to either player.

“Honestly, that’s something we have to grow into,” Wagner said. “We’re not the super-outgoing personalities, not the yellers on the team. At some point, that’s going to be required from us, though, especially with each other. We’ve got a great deal of respect for each other. We both really enjoy playing together. I think we have a great relationship. I think that’s the start, just having that trust that when you are holding each other accountable, the other person knows it’s coming from a good place.”

“This year, (I want to be) just a super consistent voice for our team and for the group,” Banchero said, per Aldridge. “When I see something, when you just say it, it gives everyone, whether it’s the guys you’re playing with, your coaches, whoever you say it to, it gives them a chance to take what you said and adjust. … I think me just being a consistent leader and consistent voice is going to take us to another level.”

Here’s more on the Magic:

While Wagner posted career highs in several major statistics in ’23/24, he struggled with his three-point shot, converting a career-low 28.1% from beyond the arc after shooting a combined 35.8% from deep over his first two seasons. The 23-year-old says he spent a lot of time working to fine-tune his outside shot this offseason and is confident in it entering ’24/25, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. “Getting the mechanics right and my mindset too,” Wagner said. “That’s where it starts coming in with the right mentality and just having a clear mind knowing what I want to accomplish and what the team’s intentions are. That’s when I can be at my best.”
Former first-round pick Goga Bitadze was unable to finish out his rookie scale contract with Indiana, having been waived by the Pacers during the ’22/23 season. The Magic gave him a second chance, inking the Georgian big man to a two-year, minimum-salary contract that expired over the summer. Bitadze suggested he could have gotten more money from another team in free agency, but he re-signed with the Magic on a three-year, $25MM deal because “he’s really happy” in Orlando, according to Beede. “You [can] get paid a little bit more somewhere else, but this is like home,” Bitadze said. “How much this team has done for me, I feel like I still got to give it back so I’m just super excited to be back.”
The Magic recently announced several promotions and additions to their basketball operations department. Ameer Bahhur (assistant coach/staff coordinator), Becky Bonner (director of pro personnel), Randy Gregory (assistant coach), Stephen Mervis (assistant general manager) and Rodney “Sid” Powell (vice president of team operations) are a handful of the 23 employees listed in the press release.

Thunder Sign Isaiah Hartenstein To Three-Year Deal

July 6th, 2024 at 11:20am CST by Luke Adams

JULY 6: With the July moratorium over, the Thunder have officially signed Hartenstein, the team confirmed in a press release.

JULY 1: Free agent center Isaiah Hartenstein is headed back west, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that Hartenstein and the Thunder are in agreement on a three-year contract worth $87MM.

Hartenstein, who began his NBA career in Houston in 2018 and had a breakout year with the Clippers in 2021/22, has spent the past two seasons in New York, primarily serving as Mitchell Robinson‘s backup at the five. However, when Robinson went down with an ankle injury midway through the ’23/24 season, Hartenstein entered the starting lineup and acquitted himself extremely well.

In 75 regular season games (49 starts), Hartenstein averaged 7.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.1 blocks in 25.3 minutes per contest, making 64.4% of his shots from the floor and playing solid defense. He continued to start for the Knicks in the playoffs, where he registered 8.5 PPG, 7.8 RPG, and 3.5 APG in 29.8 MPG.

Although the Knicks wanted to retain Hartenstein, they were limited to a maximum offer of approximately $72.5MM over four years, since they only held his Early Bird rights, which allowed for a raise of up to 75% on his $9.25MM cap hit from 2023/24.

New York put that offer on the table for the 26-year-old, Ian Begley of SNY.tv confirms (via Twitter). The Thunder blew it out of the water by comfortably exceeding the total value of the Knicks’ best offer across just three years instead of four, though Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter link) hears that the frontloaded contract won’t be guaranteed in the final season.

Rookie of the Year runner-up Chet Holmgren was the Thunder’s starting center last season and excelled in that role. However, Holmgren lacks the bulk to match up physically with some of the NBA’s bigger centers, and Oklahoma City was among the worst-performing teams on the boards, ranking 28th in rebounding percentage (48.4%).

Hartenstein will help out in both areas while also giving the Thunder another rim protector and a talented frontcourt passer. On top of that, he’ll be a crucial insurance policy at the five in the event of an injury. While Holmgren didn’t miss a game in 2023/24, he sat out his entire rookie season in ’22/23 due to foot surgery.

Their deal with Hartenstein is the latest move in an impressive offseason for the Thunder, who kicked off their summer by trading ill-fitting guard Josh Giddey to Chicago in exchange for three-and-D ace Alex Caruso. OKC will use the rest of its cap room to sign Hartenstein, then will go over the cap to complete reported long-term agreements with Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins.

The Knicks, meanwhile, will be in the market for a center. Robinson and Jericho Sims remain under contract in New York, but with Hartenstein gone and Precious Achiuwa in unrestricted free agency, the team will need to add at least one big man.

Magic big man Goga Bitadze has been mentioned as a possible target for the Knicks, but Begley (Twitter video link) hears that Bitadze has an offer on the table from Orlando that New York likely won’t be able to top. The Magic had been mentioned as a possible Hartenstein suitor, so presumably they’re more likely to bring back Bitadze with Hartenstein off the board.

Magic Re-Sign Goga Bitadze On Three-Year Deal

July 1st, 2024 at 5:10pm CST by Dana Gauruder

JULY 6: The Magic have officially re-signed Bitadze, the team announced today in a press release.

JULY 1: The Magic have reached a three-year agreement with one of their own free agents, center Goga Bitadze, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. The contract will be worth $25MM.

Orlando signed Bitadze midway through the 2022/23 season after the Pacers waived the former first-round selection. The Magic then exercised their $2.07MM team option on him last summer.

Bitadze started 33 games last season, appearing in 62, and averaged 5.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.2 blocks per contest.

Bitadze has a minimum cap hold that will put the Magic in position to go over the cap to re-sign him with his Early Bird rights, cap expert Yossi Gozlan tweets. That would allow the Magic to preserve their remaining $27MM in cap space and still have the $8MM room exception at their disposal.

The Knicks were viewed as a possible suitor for Bitadze, but reporting earlier today indicated that the Magic were prepared to offer more for him that New York could realistically put on the table.

Bitadze figures to once again back up Wendell Carter Jr. Orlando declined its team option on Moritz Wagner but could still work out another contract with the 27-year-old big man.

Scotto’s Latest: Hartenstein, Knicks, Kuminga, Holmes, Missi, Lakers, More

June 24th, 2024 at 6:18pm CST by Luke Adams

Because they only hold his Early Bird rights, the Knicks are limited to a four-year offer worth approximately $72.5MM for Isaiah Hartenstein, and Michael Scotto of HoopsHype hears from league sources that New York is expected to put that full offer on the table for the free agent center.

Ian Begley of SNY.tv previously reported that the Knicks are considering other options at center, including Goga Bitadze, in the event that they’re unable to retain Hartenstein. Scotto confirms as much, writing that free agent big man Jonas Valanciunas and potential trade target Nick Richards of the Hornets are among the other fives on New York’s radar. There’s also an “outside chance,” sources tell Scotto, that the Knicks would consider pursuing Andre Drummond if they can’t bring back Hartenstein.

Here are several more highlights from Scotto’s aggregate mock draft at HoopsHype, which features many other items of interest that we passed along earlier in the day:

Jonathan Kuminga, who will be eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason, is expected to remain with the Warriors for the foreseeable future unless the team has an opportunity to acquire an All-NBA caliber player, writes Scotto.
While there have been rumors that Dayton forward DaRon Holmes II received a draft promise from the Nuggets, Scotto hears that there’s no truth to that chatter, adding that multiple executives believe Holmes will be drafted before Denver picks at No. 28.
Baylor center Yves Missi is among the prospects who have worked out for the Lakers and is someone to keep an eye on at No. 17, Scotto writes.
Scotto’s aggregate mock draft has KJ Simpson coming off the board at No. 49, but he says the Colorado guard is a potential target to watch for the Timberwolves earlier in the draft. Minnesota currently holds the 27th and 37th overall picks.
Kyshawn George has some fans within the Cavaliers‘ organization, according to Scotto, who suggests that the Miami guard could be “an upside pick for the future” at No. 20.
Brendan Sabean, who most recently served as the assistant general manager of the Austin Spurs, is expected to be hired as the GM of Phoenix’s new G League affiliate, the Valley Suns, league sources tell Scotto.

Wizards Interested In Mitchell Robinson?

June 23rd, 2024 at 11:59am CST by Rory Maher

Knicks center Mitchell Robinson has recently popped up in trade rumors. According to Ian Begley of SNY.tv, the Wizards are among the teams who have talked to New York about Robinson.

Known as a strong defensive player, Robinson was limited to 31 games in 2023/24 due to injuries, including two different surgeries on his left ankle. The second surgery, which took place in May, ended the 26-year-old’s season.

Despite his lengthy injury history, Robinson could appeal to rival teams as a starting-caliber big man with a declining contract. He’ll earn $14.3MM in ’24/25 and just under $13MM in ’25/26.

Begley previously cited the Lakers, Grizzlies and Pelicans as teams “closely monitoring” the market for centers this offseason.

According to Begley, the Knicks have been evaluating their options at the five in case they lose Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency or trade Robinson. Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported that New York appears to be in the driver’s seat to re-sign Hartenstein.

Begley hears Magic center Goga Bitadze is a player the Knicks would have interest in if they end up needing depth in the middle. Bitadze is an unrestricted free agent.

Franz Wagner To Return Sunday For Magic

January 21st, 2024 at 4:52pm CST by Rory Maher

After missing the past eight games — and most of a ninth — with a right ankle sprain, third-year forward Franz Wagner is returning to the Magic‘s starting lineup on Sunday vs. Miami, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). The team confirmed the news (via Twitter).

In addition to having Wagner back, the Magic are also re-inserting Markelle Fultz and Wendell Carter into the starting lineup, according to Beede. Both players started much of last season and to open 2023/24, but they’ve both missed 25-plus games due to injuries this season. That will move rookie guard Anthony Black and big man Goga Bitadze back to the bench — they’ve started most of the season to this point.

As Beede tweets, this is only the fourth time the opening-night starting lineup of Fultz, Jalen Suggs, Wagner, Paolo Banchero and Carter has started together in ’23/24.

Wagner, 22, was injured on January 3, just five minutes into a loss vs. Sacramento. Including that game, Orlando went just 3-6 without Wagner. After starting the season 16-7, the Magic have gone 6-13 since to currently hold a 22-20 record, good for the No. 8 seed in the East.

Prior to the injury, the 6’10” German was averaging career highs in multiple statistics this season, including points (21.3), rebounds (6.0) assists (4.0) and steals (1.2) per night through 33 games (34.2 MPG). Wagner is a former lottery pick (No. 8 overall in 2021) who will be eligible for a rookie scale extension in the offseason.

Wagner has been very durable to this point in his career, appearing in 79 games as a rookie and 80 last season. He had yet to miss a game in ’23/24 before sustaining the right ankle sprain.

Florida Notes: Butler, Highsmith, Carter, Fultz

December 30th, 2023 at 10:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat have a new injury concern with Jimmy Butler, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Returning to the lineup after missing the previous four games with a left calf strain, Butler had to leave Saturday’s contest at Utah after hurting his right foot in a collision with Collin Sexton. According to Chiang, Butler walked slowly to Miami’s bench after the play and then headed to the locker room.

Head coach Eric Spoelstra wasn’t able to offer an update on Butler’s condition after the game, but X-rays taken on his foot were negative. Chiang states that the team will see how Butler is feeling over the next few days before deciding whether to perform an MRI.

Chiang notes that Butler has already missed eight games this season and may have to add to that total. With Tyler Herro sidelined for a long stretch due to a sprained ankle and Bam Adebayo dealing with nagging injuries, the team’s three best players have only been together for eight games.

There’s more on the two Florida teams:

Haywood Highsmith was helped to the locker room in the final seconds of Saturday’s game after he also collided with Sexton and was hit in the head and neck area, Chiang adds. Injuries have already caused Highsmith to miss 11 games. The Heat were using their 18th different starting lineup of the season Saturday, as ongoing injuries gave rare starts to Nikola Jovic and two-way player R.J. Hampton.
Goga Bitadze was back in the Magic‘s starting lineup on Friday, but he didn’t find out about the assignment until an hour before game time, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Wendell Carter Jr.‘s right knee flared up during warm-ups and he was ruled out because of tendinitis. “Honestly, even before the game I thought he was going to play,” Bitadze said. “We talked with him an hour before the game. I don’t want to say it was hard, but it was different. You’ve got to lock in differently when you start the games than when you come off the bench. I had to lock in and find a place [mentally] where I was ready to start. I think I did a good job and it was a great win.” Coach Jamahl Mosley said the medical staff will monitor Carter closely as he continues to work his way back after missing 20 games with an injured left hand.
Markelle Fultz is listed as questionable for the Magic‘s contest Sunday at Phoenix, meaning there’s a chance he could return after missing 23 games with tendinitis in his left knee, Beede adds.