The Orlando Magic have reportedly used one of their two-way contracts to add journeyman point guard Josh Magette to the fold.
The Orlando Magic have very little left to do this summer with two open roster spots (one presumably reserved for yet-to-be-signed first-round pick Chuma Okeke) and two two-way contracts slots to fill. The team largely remained intact otherwise, adding only Al-Farouq Aminu to the roster.
Now they have a new player to add with one of those two-way contract slots.
Orlando is expected to sign point guard Josh Magette to a two-way contract according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo! Sports and Josh Robbins of the Athletic.
Orlando Magic and guard Josh Magette have reached an agreement on a deal, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) July 18, 2019
Josh Magette has been a stalwart in Summer Leagues for the last few years, but has played in only 18 games in the NBA. The 6-foot-1 point guard from Alabama-Huntsville averaged 2.6 points per game and 3.2 assists per game in 12.0 minutes per game in that time period with the Atlanta Hawks in 2018.
He averaged only 5.0 points per game and 3.0 assists per game in 14.5 minutes per game with the Gran Canaria in the Spanish ACB League last year. His last run in the G-League saw him average 15.1 points and 10.1 assists per game for the Erie BayHawks in 2018.
Magette has made his living in Summer League as a repeat player at the annual event. With the San Antonio Spurs this year, he averaged 6.8 points and 4.8 assists per game while playing with them in both Salt Lake City and Las Vegas.
It is pretty clear Magette is someone who finds value beyond his statistics. But he is someone who has not had much of a run in the NBA. It is hard to figure out how a 29-year-old point guard is going to get a significant run in the NBA.
Orlando certainly is right to use one of the team’s two-way slots on a point guard. The Magic have D.J. Augustin to hold down the starting spot. But after that the team will rely on Markelle Fultz, who has no public timetable for a return, and Michael Carter-Williams.
If the team faces any injury or Markelle Fultz is not ready to come back, the Magic need some point guard depth.
Having a quality and solid point guard to call up when necessary and fill in spot minutes is valuable. Magette, a veteran G-League player at the very least, could be that kind of player.
He will, at the very least, provide some stable leadership for the Lakeland Magic in their bid to win the G-League after last year’s Eastern Conference Finals appearance. That team is trying to win too after all.
The Magic are bumping up against the luxury tax. And so there might be some strategy at use here. The team may be looking for a point guard they are comfortable turning into a full contract in January when the amount keeps them beneath the luxury tax.
Magette is not the kind of player the leauge probably envisioned using two-way contracts on. He is an older player who is more fully developed. But he also has not played a ton of NBA-level basketball. He is always someone who fille din gaps on Summer League teams rather than starred on them.
It feels like this is an insurance move in a lot of ways. Or a “Break Glass in Case of Emergency” type move.
The Magic still have one more two-way contract to give out.
It is expected that DaQuan Jeffries will get that last spot. Or perhaps he will get one of those last roster spots with Chuma Okeke getting stashed in the G-League to rehab for the year. He has not signed his contract yet and so this possibility for him has to be considered.
Magette is a solid player and a hard worker. He has kept on the professional grind and made an impression and impact with the teams he has been with.