Before the 2021-22 season began, it was clear the Orlando Magic have been prioritizing the event of their youthful gamers.
It was the anticipated course after kicking off a rebuild throughout the center of the previous season centered round younger expertise. Most of the Magic’s roster coming into this previous season have been former first-round draft picks — together with six former lottery picks since 2017 — 24 years outdated or youthful.
A results of that strategy was not solely these youthful gamers getting extra alternatives on the ground but in addition unheralded gamers getting extra possibilities to show themselves.
Such gamers included Ignas Brazdeikis, who performed a career-high 536 minutes in 42 video games on a two-way contract. Brazdeikis, who had season-long averages of 5.1 factors and 1.7 rebounds in 12.8 minutes, averaged 10.3 factors (46.7% capturing) and a couple of.9 rebounds in 23 minutes in his last 12 video games.
Admiral Schofield was amongst a quartet of gamers whom the Magic signed to 10-day contracts by way of hardship exceptions in mid-December from the group’s G League affiliate, the Lakeland Magic, as a result of a number of gamers have been put within the league’s COVID-19 well being and security protocols. Schofield signed a number of 10-day offers earlier than signing a two-way contract in early January, averaging 3.8 factors in 12.3 minutes.
Devin Cannady was the most recent to benefit from a chance he earned. Cannady joined the Magic on a 10-day deal on March 31 from the Lakeland Magic earlier than signing a normal contract on the ultimate day of the season, averaging 10 factors (40.5% on 3-pointers) in 5 video games.
What made the trio’s alternatives with the Magic this season so beneficial is that they perceive they aren’t assured.
Brazdeikis was chosen out of Michigan by the Sacramento Kings within the 2019 draft’s second spherical (forty seventh total) earlier than enjoying a mixed 14 NBA video games with the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers previous to becoming a member of the Magic towards the top of the 2020-21 season.
Schofield had the same path as Brazdeikis, being chosen out of Tennessee within the 2019 draft’s second spherical (forty second total) by the 76ers earlier than instantly being traded to the Washington Wizards. He performed in 33 video games (two begins) for the Wizards throughout the 2019-20 season, however most of Schofield’s enjoying time earlier than this season got here within the G League (Capital City Go-Go and Greensboro Swarm).
Cannady went undrafted out of Princeton in 2019, spending the 2019-20 season with the Brooklyn Nets’ G League group, the Long Island Nets. He began the 2020-21 season with Lakeland earlier than signing a 10-day cope with Orlando on April 6, 2021. Cannady signed a two-way deal later that month, however that chance was lower brief after he suffered an open fracture of his proper ankle and was later waived.
“You talk about the opportunity for these young men and how grateful they are to play the game in which we love,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley mentioned. “Sometimes it gets taken for granted. For [Cannady], this is that opportunity to show this is the work you’ve put in and being rewarded for it and being grateful for every moment he’s on the court.”
The two-way offers for Brazdeikis and Schofield have expired. The Magic have till June 29 to tender qualifying affords to Brazdeikis and Schofield to make them restricted free brokers.
Cannady’s deal, which the Orlando Sentinel first reported as {a partially} assured multiyear contract, is for 3 years however is non-guaranteed for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. His assure date for the 2022-23 season is Jan. 10, 2023, in response to Spotrac.
Cannady is one in every of two gamers with a non-guaranteed deal for subsequent season.
Moe Wagner, who averaged 9 factors and three.7 rebounds in a career-high 63 video games, may have his $1.9 million wage for the 2022-23 season assured if he’s on the roster previous June 30. Wagner has performed for the Los Angeles Lakers, Wizards, Boston Celtics and Magic since being a first-round decide in 2018.
As a lot as they’ve stepped up, little or no is assured for these Magic gamers subsequent season. Which is a state of affairs they’re used to and have thrived beneath.
This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Khobi Price at [email protected] or observe him on Twitter at @khobi_price.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com