Trevelin Queen

Magic Re-Sign Trevelin Queen On Two-Way Deal

JULY 5: Queen’s deal is done, according to the NBA’s official transaction log.


JULY 4: The Magic will bring back free agent guard Trevelin Queen on a two-way contract, league sources tell Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report (Twitter link).

Queen, 27, has spent much of his time in the G League since going undrafted out of New Mexico State in 2020, though he has also had stints with Houston, Indiana, and Orlando at the NBA level. He appeared in 14 NBA games while on a two-way deal with the Magic in 2023/24, averaging 2.9 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 11.8 minutes per night.

Although he’s been buried on NBA depth charts, Queen has been a star in the G League in recent years. He won both the regular season and Finals MVP awards in 2022 and made the All-NBAGL Second Team in 2024 in addition to earning MVP honors in this year’s G League Next Up Game at All-Star weekend. In 35 total games for the Osceola Magic this past season, he put up 23.2 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 5.0 APG, and 2.4 SPG with a .493/.313/.816 shooting line.

Queen received a two-way qualifying offer from the Magic last week to make him a restricted free agent, so in all likelihood, he’ll simply accept that offer.

Orlando will still have a pair of two-way open slots after officially signing Queen. Admiral Schofield and Kevon Harris were their other two-way players last season, but Schofield signed a deal with a French team and Harris is an unrestricted free agent.

QO Updates: Heat, Magic, Quinones, Lundy, Williams, Nuggets

The Heat have issued qualifying offers to two of their three two-way players, announcing in a press release that they’ve made forward Cole Swider and guard Alondes Williams restricted free agents. Miami’s other two-way player, forward Jamal Cain, isn’t mentioned in the announcement, with Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald tweeting that Cain isn’t expected to receive a qualifying offer.

Because Cain has finished each of the past two seasons on a two-way contract with the Heat, his qualifying offer would have been a one-year, minimum-salary contract with a small partial guarantee, whereas the QOs for Swider and Williams will be for one-year, two-way deals.

According to Chiang, the expectation is that Cain won’t be back with the Heat next season. Not getting a QO means he’ll be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

We have more qualifying offer news from around the NBA:

  • It appears that guard Trevelin Queen will be the only Magic two-way player to receive a qualifying offer this offseason. Orlando put out a press release (via Twitter) confirming that Queen has been given a QO, making him a restricted free agent. However, swingman Kevon Harris won’t get a QO and Admiral Schofield – who also wasn’t mentioned in the Magic’s announcement – has signed to play in France next season. Harris and Schofield both would’ve been eligible for minimum-salary qualifying offers, while Queen’s QO is for another two-way contract.
  • The Warriors aren’t tendering a qualifying offer to guard Lester Quinones, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Quinones will become an unrestricted free agent after averaging 4.4 points per game on .397/.364/.690 shooting in 37 appearances off the bench for Golden State.
  • The Hawks have made a qualifying offer to guard Seth Lundy, tweets Scotto. Lundy, who was on a two-way contract this past season, had a strong year in the G League, averaging 20.4 points per game and making 40.0% of his three-point attempts in 25 regular season and Showcase Cup contests for the College Park Skyhawks. His qualifying offer is the equivalent of another two-way deal.
  • The Rockets are issuing a two-way qualifying offer to shooting guard Jeenathan Williams, according to Scotto (Twitter link). Williams appeared in 22 games for Houston and 10 for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the G League in 2023/24.
  • Nuggets two-way players Collin Gillespie and Braxton Key aren’t expected to get qualifying offers from the team, so they’ll become unrestricted free agents when the new league year begins, sources tell Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette (Twitter link).

NBAGL All-League, Defensive, Rookie Teams Announced

The NBA announced all of the major All-NBA G League teams on Thursday (All Twitter links found here), including the First Team, Second Team, Third Team, All-Defensive Team, and All-Rookie team.

Several current and former NBA players are among the honorees. Here is the full list of winners for the 2023/24 season.

All-NBA G League First Team:

All-NBA G League Second Team:

All-NBA G League Third Team:

G League All-Defensive Team:

G League All-Rookie Team:

* Denotes two-way contract

^ Denotes standard contract

And-Ones: Olympic Qualifiers, Rubio, R. Miller, All-Star Weekend

FIBA has officially announced the schedule for this summer’s Olympic qualifying tournaments, which will determine the final four men’s basketball teams who will compete for gold in Paris. Each of the four tournaments will tip off on July 2, with the finals taking place on July 7.

The four qualifying tournaments are being played in Spain, Puerto Rico, Latvia, and Greece, with 24 teams vying to advance to the 2024 Olympics. The results of those tournaments will determine whether we get the opportunity to see a handful of notable NBA stars – such as Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece) and Luka Doncic (Slovenia) – playing in Paris.

A total of 12 men’s basketball teams will compete at the Olympics and eight of those spots have already been claimed. Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Serbia, South Sudan, and the U.S. have punched their tickets to Paris. Details on the other 24 teams competing in the qualifying tournaments – and how they’ve been split up – can be found right here.

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

  • Ricky Rubio may make his season debut with Barcelona on March 1 when the team faces AS Monaco in EuroLeague play, as Kevin Martorano of Sportando relays. Rubio announced his retirement from the NBA in January, but remains on track to make a comeback in his home country, having signed with Barcelona earlier this month. Teammate Alex Abrines mentioned March 1 as a possible target date for the veteran point guard.
  • TNT Sports and analyst Reggie Miller have reached an agreement on a multiyear contract extension, according to a press release from the company. Miller is in his 19th season with TNT Sports and will continue to be part of NBA broadcasts for the network for the foreseeable future.
  • A current Pacer and a former Pacer earned honors at the secondary events at All-Star weekend in Indianapolis. Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin was named the Rising Stars MVP on Friday while Magic two-way guard Trevelin Queen earned MVP honors in Sunday’s G League Up Next game (Twitter links via the NBA). Queen spent most of the 2022/23 season on a two-way contract with Indiana.

NBA G League Announces Up Next Participants

A pool of 28 players has been selected for the NBA G League’s Up Next Game at All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, the NBAGL announced in a press release.

According to the release, the event features “four teams of seven players competing in two semifinal games. The winner of each semifinal will face off in a Championship game.

“The teams will be made up of 28 NBA G League players, including 10 selected by a fan vote. The remaining 18 players will be selected by the NBA G League and will include eight members of NBA G League Ignite and at least one member of the Indiana Mad Ants, the G League affiliate of the All-Star hosting Indiana Pacers. Each team will be coached by a head coach from the NBA G League.”

Players marked with an asterisk (*) are on two-way contracts.

Fan vote:

Former Kentucky guard Hagans received the most votes.

NBAGL selections:

G League Ignite:

They aren’t currently on NBA teams, but it’s worth noting that Labissiere and Bazley are ineligible for two-way deals because they each hold four years of NBA experience. Weatherspoon (three years), Hagans (one) and Williams (one) also hold at least some NBA experience.

Southeast Notes: Ball, Hornets, F. Wagner, Queen, Jones

The Hornets have dealt with several injuries this season, most notably to point guard LaMelo Ball, who has been out since November 26 with a right ankle sprain. However, the former All-Star was a full practice participant on Sunday and also scrimmaged 5-on-5, which means he’s nearing a return, reports Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer.

Ball, 22, has averaged 24.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 8.2 assists and 1.4 steals on .443/.388/.857 shooting in 15 games this season (33.4 minutes). He’s under contract through 2028/29 after signing a five-year, rookie scale max extension last summer.

According to Boone, reserve guard Frank Ntilikina has also been practicing and scrimmaging with the Hornets and could make his 2023/24 season debut in the near future. Ntilikina fractured his left tibia in the team’s preseason finale, but Charlotte decided to keep him past Sunday’s salary guarantee deadline.

As for P.J. Washington, he sustained a right foot sprain on Friday and it’s unclear how much time he might miss, Boone adds. All three players will be out for Monday’s contest vs. Chicago, per the league’s official injury report.

Here’s more from the Southeast:

  • Franz Wagner underwent an MRI on Thursday which confirmed a right ankle sprain, the Magic announced (via Twitter). Orlando is typically vague when it comes to injuries and recovery timelines and this was no exception; the team simply said “Wagner’s return to play will depend on how he responds to rehabilitation and treatment.”
  • While the Magic‘s update didn’t reveal much about Wagner’s injury, head coach Jamahl Mosley sounded relieved it wasn’t more serious, according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel, who notes that Wagner had to be helped off the court on Wednesday vs. Sacramento. “Seeing how he went down and how he was grimacing through that,” Mosley said, “to be an ankle sprain at that level is very great news to have at this moment.”
  • Injuries — including Wagner’s — recently created an opportunity for major minutes for Magic two-way guard Trevelin Queen, Beede writes for The Orlando Sentinel. The former G League MVP had only played one minute in one game leading up to Wednesday’s contest in Sacramento, but he played 38 minutes that night and 31 minutes two days later in Denver. As Beede notes, Queen was recently named to the NBAGL’s All-Showcase Team and he will likely continue bouncing back and forth between the NBA and G League. “I stay ready because I know it’s bigger than me,” Queen said. “For me, I don’t care what I’ve got going on, I’m just ready to hoop at any time. It’s just being mentally ready. Whether it’s for Osceola or Orlando, it’s just being the best teammate I can be.”
  • The Wizards‘ 6-29 record is underwhelming to say the least, but one bright spot in their season has been the leadership and play of point guard Tyus Jones, per Ava Wallace of The Washington Post. A full-time starter for the first time in 2023/24, Jones is averaging career highs in several categories, Wallace notes, and has helped cultivate a good locker-room environment for the Wizards despite their lack of on-court success.

Magic Waive Mac McClung, Two Others

The Magic have removed three players from their roster ahead of the regular season, according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel, who reports (via Twitter) that the club has waived guards Mac McClung and Brandon Williams, as well as swingman Daeqwon Plowden.

McClung, Williams, and Plowden were all on Exhibit 10 contracts. The hope is that all three players will join the Osceola Magic, Orlando’s G League affiliate, according to Beede. Osceola has made trades this offseason to acquire the returning rights for each of them.

McClung has only appeared in four NBA games, but starred at All-Star Weekend last season, winning the 2023 Slam Dunk Contest, and had a big year in the G League. The 24-year-old appeared in 31 NBAGL regular season games for the Delaware Blue Coats – Philadelphia’s affiliate – and averaged 19.8 points, 4.9 assists, and 2.7 rebounds in just 26.8 minutes per game. He posted an impressive .550/.474/.823 shooting line during the G League regular season and helped lead the Blue Coats to a title.

Williams has 24 games of NBA experience under his belt, but spent last season with the College Park Skyhawks, Atlanta’s NBAGL team. Plowden spent his first professional season in 2022/23 playing for New Orleans’ G League affiliate, the Birmingham Squadron.

The Magic also formally confirmed in a press release that they’ve converted Trevelin Queen to a two-way contract, as previously reported. Their roster is now set for the regular season, with 15 players on standard deals and three on two-way pacts.

Magic Converting Trevelin Queen To Two-Way Deal

Magic wing Trevelin Queen is receiving a promotion, as his Exhibit 10 contract is being converted into a two-way deal, reports Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link).

In Orlando’s preseason finale on Friday against Brazilian club Flamengo, Queen poured in 24 points (on 9-of-12 shooting) in just 24 minutes. He also had four steals in the game.

Queen went undrafted in 2020 out of New Mexico State. He has spent the majority of his three pro seasons playing in the NBA G League, winning the NBAGL’s MVP award in 2021/22.

The 26-year-old signed with the Sixers last summer, but was waived during the preseason and caught on with the Pacers on a two-way deal a few days later. He spent most of ’22/23 with Indiana, but was waived at the end of March.

Queen has appeared in a total of 17 NBA games while on two-way contracts with the Rockets and Pacers over the past two seasons. He holds modest career averages of 3.8 points and 1.9 rebounds in 8.5 minutes per contest.

Queen once again put up big numbers at the G League level in ’22/23, including averages of 23.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 2.3 steals per game in 11 Showcase Cup contests (35.7 MPG) for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. In 24 NBAGL regular season games, he put up 22.6 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 4.5 APG, and 2.1 SPG. He was named to the Next Up Game at All-Star weekend.

The Magic had one open two-way spot, so they won’t have to waive anyone to convert Queen’s contract. They still have 21 players on their roster, which is the preseason limit.

Magic Sign Trevelin Queen, Brandon Williams

The Magic have signed free agents Trevelin Queen and Brandon Williams, according to a team press release.

Queen’s agreement with Orlando was previously reported. He received an Exhibit 10 contract and Williams’ contract mirrors Queen’s deal, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel tweets.

If they are waived before the season starts, both players could earn bonuses worth up to $75K if they spend at least 60 days with the Osceola Magic, the team’s G League affiliate.

The camp additions will give the Magic 19 players on their roster, including two-way deals. They can carry 21 players into camp, so more signings are likely to be completed. They have a two-way deal available, so it’s possible Queen or Williams could have their contract converted to that slot.

Queen, a 6’6” swingman, played in seven games last season for the Pacers, averaging 3.0 points and 2.4 rebounds in 10.0 minutes per game. He also appeared in 24 games (15 starts) with Fort Wayne of the NBA G League, averaging 22.6 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 34.3 minutes per game.

Queen has also played in 17 career NBA regular season games with Houston and Indiana. During the 2021/22 season, Queen was named NBA G League Most Valuable Player and led the Rio Grande Valley Vipers to the G League championship.

Williams, a 6’2” guard, played in 27 games (25 starts) last season with College Park of the NBA G League, averaging 19.8 points and 5.9 assists in 31.6 minutes per game.

Williams played in 24 career NBA regular season games with Portland, averaging 12.9 points and 3.9 assists in 26.7 minutes during the 2021/22 season.

Eastern Notes: Hayes, Pistons, Queen, Bulls, Skyhawks

Killian Hayes was Troy Weaver‘s first draft choice when he became general manager of the Pistons, having been selected No. 7 overall in 2020. Three years later, the guard’s future with Detroit is uncertain.

As James L. Edwards III of The Athletic writes in his latest mailbag, the Pistons have drafted guards Cade Cunningham (No. 1 overall in 2021) and Jaden Ivey (No. 5 overall in 2022) since Hayes was picked. This offseason, they traded up in June’s draft to acquire former Houston Cougars guard Marcus Sasser (No. 25 overall), and sent out a future second-round pick to land veteran guard Monte Morris from the Wizards.

Where does that leave Hayes? In Edwards’ view, the Pistons will either trade the 22-year-old before the 2023/24 season starts, or they added backcourt depth in order to “light a fire” under the young guard so he’ll have to earn his minutes.

Edwards also touches on some other topics, including who might take the backup center job between James Wiseman and Marvin Bagley III. For what it’s worth, Edwards thinks Bagley is a better player right now, but acknowledges Wiseman might have more upside.

Here’s more from the East:

  • Trevelin Queen will be signing an Exhibit 10 contract with the Magic, reports Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). Queen’s one-year training camp deal is non-guaranteed and worth the veteran’s minimum. If he’s waived before the season starts, he could earn a bonus of up to $75K if he spends at least 60 days with the Osceola Magic, the team’s G League affiliate. Exhibit 10 deals can also be converted into two-way contracts, and Orlando does have a two-way opening, as our tracker shows.
  • Re-signing forward Terry Taylor to a two-year, minimum-salary contract might be the final offseason move for the Bulls, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Having Taylor and Carlik Jones on non-guaranteed deals creates financial flexibility for the Bulls, who now have 15 players on standard deals and all three two-way slots filled, Johnson notes. It’s worth noting that Chicago is virtually certain to add some players on Exhibit 10 deals ahead of training camp, though those are often geared more toward filling out the G League roster.
  • The College Park Skyhawks — the Hawks‘ NBAGL affiliate — have announced Daniel Starkman as their new general manager and confirmed that Ryan Schmidt will be their new head coach, according to a team press release. Starkman, who has been with the Hawks organization since 2015, was previously Atlanta’s senior manager of basketball operations. Schmidt was head coach of the British Basketball League’s London Lions last season. He will also be an assistant coach with the Hawks under Quin Snyder.