Orlando Magic third-year ahead Chuma Okeke might be obtainable to make his return in Monday’s street sport towards the Chicago Bulls at United Center.
Okeke had been sidelined since Nov. 21, lacking a month with left knee soreness earlier than having arthroscopic surgical procedure in mid-December for a chondroplasty, a process that entails shaving/smoothing broken cartilage.
He performed back-to-back video games with the group’s G League affiliate, the Lakeland Magic, to arrange for his return to Orlando.
Okeke performed 19 minutes and recorded 10 factors, 2 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 block in Lakeland’s Friday loss to the Salt Lake City Stars.
He received in for twenty-four minutes and completed with 18 factors, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and three steals in Lakeland’s Saturday win over the Stars.
Okeke represented a major function defensively in just a few of the Magic’s mid-November wins, commonly guarding the opposing staff’s high offensive participant.
He averaged 5.4 factors, 4.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists within the Magic’s first 18 video games (21.8 minutes).
Okeke, 24, is within the third yr of a 4-year, $15.1 million rookie scale contract he signed with the Magic in November 2020.
He was the staff’s first-round decide from the 2019 draft (No. 16) regardless of tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in the course of the NCAA Tournament in the identical knee. Okeke missed the 2019-20 season and used it to work his manner again.
The Magic exercised their fourth-year choice on Okeke’s contract for subsequent season when he’ll earn $5.27 million.
It stays to be seen the place Okeke will match into the Magic’s crowded frontcourt rotation, with Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, Wendell Carter Jr., Bol Bol, Jonathan Isaac and Moe Wagner already taking part in constant minutes.
With Okeke obtainable, the Magic gained’t have any gamers sidelined due to harm.
R.J. Hampton isn’t touring with the staff. He’s listed as out towards the Bulls with the reasoning being “not with [the] team.”
Hampton could possibly be waived or have his contract with the Magic purchased out, league sources instructed the Orlando Sentinel Sunday. It’d give Hampton the chance to get extra constant taking part in time elsewhere.
His spot within the rotation was unpredictable early within the season regardless of the Magic being down a number of guards due to accidents. He hasn’t been a constant a part of the rotation since Cole Anthony and Markelle Fultz made their returns on Nov. 30, and Hampton’s function has been diminished much more because the returns of Gary Harris and Jalen Suggs.
Hampton has performed in simply seven of the Magic’s 35 video games since Dec. 1 and performed greater than 20 minutes as soon as in that span — the Jan. 4 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder when a lot of the common guard rotation was sidelined.
He’s requested and acquired a number of assignments with Lakeland over the previous couple of months to get the taking part in time he must develop and keep in sport form.
Hampton has averaged 22.6 factors (46.3% capturing) and 4.3 rebounds in eight video games (27.2 minutes) within the G League.
It hasn’t been decided whether or not Jonathan Isaac will play each video games within the Magic’s back-to-back earlier than the All-Star break. Orlando performs the Raptors in Toronto Tuesday earlier than the week-long break. Isaac hasn’t performed video games back-to-back days since returning Jan. 23 after being sidelined for 2½ years.
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