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Orlando Magic giving Chuma Okeke a redshirt year benefits everyone

By Philip Rossman-Reich

The Orlando Magic will give unsigned rookie Chuma Okeke a year to recover and get healthy. (Photo by Sean Berry/NBAE via Getty Images)
The Orlando Magic will give unsigned rookie Chuma Okeke a year to recover and get healthy. (Photo by Sean Berry/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Orlando Magic, Chuma Okeke
Orlando Magic Chuma Okeke (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel/TNS via Getty Images) /

Chuma Okeke remains unsigned as the Orlando Magic round out their training camp roster. It is looking more and more like he will get a redshirt year.

The Orlando Magic took another step toward completing their training camp roster, signing South Carolina Gamecocks point guard Hassani Gravett to what is reported to be an Exhibit 10 contract.

Gravett averaged 11.4 points per game in winning the SEC’s Sixth Man of the Year Award. He shot 39.9 percent from beyond the arc, taking more than half his shots from outside the arc for the Gamecocks last year.

He is likely another player headed to Lakeland to play in the G-League, joining Exhibit 10 contract signees DaQuan Jeffries, Vic Law and Isaac Humphries (reported, but not official yet) and two-way signees Josh Magette and Amile Jefferson.

The Lakeland Magic are looking like a pretty stacked team.

They will all spend at least training camp with the Magic (getting a bit more guaranteed money in the process). Then they will head to Lakeland to play out their season and hopefully get a future NBA call-up.

Orlando though is focused on rounding out their camp roster and hoping to find someone to fill out their last roster spots.

Up to 20 players can take their camp with the Magic this year. Orlando currently has 13 players under contract plus the three Exhibit 10 contracts and two two-way players. That brings the total up to 18 players likely to join the Magic for training camp.

There is still one name noticeably absent from the list. One player who remains unsigned and absent from the team’s training camp rolls.

And as the Magic continue to add to their training camp roster, it looks more and more likely Chuma Okeke will not be joining the team.

But this could be a good thing for both the Magic and for Chuma Okeke.

Okeke, still recovering from a torn ACL suffered during the NCAA Tournament, needs the time to recover and the chance to play. He will not get a lot of that playing with the main roster. A stint in Lakeland seems inevitable.

So Okeke sitting out a year saves a year on his contract — and gives him a small pay bump. All the while Okeke will still have the ability to use the Magic facilities and staff to help in his recovery.

Waiting a year seems to be best for both parties and one that will cost both the Magic and Okeke very little in the long run.