Orlando Magic Rumors: Andrew Nicholson to become unrestricted free agent

Andrew Nicholson is going to become an unrestricted free agent and leave the Orlando Magic. The team reportedly will not extend a qualifying offer to him.

The Orlando Magic will not offer a qualifying offer to Andrew Nicholson, Zach Lowe of ESPN.com. The move would make Nicholson an unrestricted free agent. The Magic would not have the right to match the contract.

Nicholson had an extremely up-and-down career with the Magic. The 19th overall pick in 2012 was Rob Hennigan’s first draft pick. He was viewed as a veteran who could work in the low post and bring that skill to the NBA.

Unfortunately for Nicholson, that skill became less and less important in the modern NBA. The Magic saw a lot of promise in him and had him develop a 3-point shot in his sophomore year. This did not quite click though. His offense suffered and his inability to defend became more pronounced as he was drawn away from the basket.

Nicholson averaged 6.5 points per game and posted a 50.2 percent effective field goal percentage. His scoring average decreased through his first three years. He saw a bit of an uptick this past year, but his minutes were inconsistent. Even Scott Skiles admitted he was struggling to find him playing time even though he wanted to get him some more time on the court.

Nicholson was always just lost in the shuffle at the forward position. He never found a fit.

Not offering a qualifying offer to Nicholson is a largely procedural move. The Magic had clearly determined they were going to move on from him. Nicholson had about a $6 million cap hold. By not issuing the qualifying offer, the Magic create that much more in cap room. They likely will renounce Bird Rights on several free agents to clear up a little more cap room too.

The Magic though have moved on from Nicholson. It is uncertain if the Magic felt unwilling to match a contract he might receive or if he was simply not part of their plans. Nicholson’s NBA future is likely very much in jeopardy.

Magic announce Summer League roster

The Orlando Magic will field two teams once again for the Orlando Summer League beginning Saturday at Amway Center. The games are closed to the public but will be aired on NBATV.

The Magic do not have a first round pick playing this year and Mario Hezonja is in Italy playing with Croatia in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament. The roster is certainly lacking a lot of intrigue and key players.

The Magic’s main roster is highlighted by Devyn Marble making a somewhat surprising turn on the team. He is a free agent this summer. As a former second-round pick, he still has to make a roster and give himself a shot at staying in the league.

Last year’s second-round pick, Tyler Harvey will also be on the main roster along with this year’s second-round pick Stephen Zimmerman.

The second roster is full of several players who spent the year with the Magic’s D-League team with the Erie BayHawks.

There are a lot of intriguing players, but the Magic are not likely going to be keeping very many of the players on the roster. There are a few who deserve a closer look, but many are likely playing for a spot in Erie unless someone really shines.

Magic extend qualifying offer to Dewayne Dedmon

The Orlando Magic have extended a qualifying offer to Dewayne Dedmon, according to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. This will make him a restricted free agent.

Dedmon has been a very promising young player, but is still raw. His biggest skill is his athleticism and rim protection. Before the Serge Ibaka trade, Dedmon was the lone rim protector on the floor.

But Dedmon would struggle sometimes with defensive rotations under Scott Skiles. His playing time was very erratic last year when he averaged 4.4 points per game and 3.9 rebounds per game in 58 games. He came on strong at the end of the year though when Skiles put him in the starting lineup.

Next: Rumors: Orlando Magic interview Corliss Williamson

It is hard to get a handle on who he is as a player. Or what he might get as a free agent this summer. The Magic are clearly invested enough to retain his rights and see what he will get before deciding whether to match or not.