The Orlando Magic offered Exhibit 10 contracts to Vic Law and Hassani Gravett. Both have NBA potential but plenty of gaps to fill when they reach Lakeland.
The Orlando Magic have been good at finding players around the margins.
Jeff Weltman and his staff have proven themselves pretty capable scouts and evaluators of talent, mining players from seemingly nowhere to boost the roster.
For all the criticism of his first draft, Jeff Weltman did unearth Wesley Iwundu in the second round. He proved to be a vital player for the team during its playoff run. He is a young, reliable player for the team.
Then there were the other players they mined from obscurity.
Khem Birch was an unknown when he arrived in Orlando two years ago. In NBA circles, he was one of the top NBA prospects in Euroleague and his arrival in Orlando was a bit of a surprise. He burst through the rotation toward the end of each season and proved he was a valuable player.
The Magic last year then found Isaiah Briscoe playing in a league in Estonia. Briscoe entered the rotation in January and made a huge impact, giving the team a better defensive presence and more stability at point guard.
Both players were brought onto the team in training camp with a real chance to make the roster. Perhaps even the inside track. But both proved this front office knows where to find players.
There are more than a few options for the Magic to find those kinds of players this year — we will get to Daquan Jeffries in this series next week, as he has the best chance of the Exhibit 10 players to nab that final roster spot. And with the way this front office has found players, why shouldn’t these players get a more serious look?
Off of this year’s Summer League roster was Vic Law.
Law had an up-and-down career for the Northwestern Wildcats, averaging 15.0 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game while shooting a 47.0 percent effective field goal percentage.
Injuries derailed much of his career. A season after the Wildcats made their first NCAA Tournament in 2017, he dealt with various injuries during a disappointing 2018 season. He missed the entire 2016 season with a shoulder injury. And the end of last year saw Law on the sidelines as the season came to an end.
The talent was all undoubtedly there. At his best, he could shoot from the outside efficiently and be a terror defensively. He has good length for a player at 6-foot-7. He always had the physical profile of a NBA player.
The problem, as is the case with so many college teams, is Northwestern had to rely on him for more than he could give. Law was the team’s go-to player. And with a team that was struggling to recapture the formula that got them to the tournament, the team leaned on Law more and more.
That is obviously not who he is in the NBA. His NBA prospects seem a lot better because he can work as a secondary player and floor spacer. There he can continue to improve his defense and be more of a stopper.
During the Magic’s Summer League run, Law showed some of this potential versatility. He averaged a relatively pedestrian 5.7 points and 4.0 rebounds per game, making 7 of 15 shots. Orlando sort of kept him under wraps, playing him in only three games for 16.0 minutes per game.
The idea with Law is to see if he can become a 3-and-D wing and someone who can come in and provide some offensive spark from the outside while remaining solid defensively. He has the physical tools to get there — that much was evident even as he played at Northwestern.
Consistency is his biggest issue. He never could take over the starring role at Northwestern. But when he was on, he could score in bunches and there was little defenses could do to stop him thanks to his size and athleticism.
That is something he will have to show throughout training camp and most likely in Lakeland next year.
The Magic also have another Exhibit 10 player heading to training camp in Hassani Gravett.
Gravett averaged 11.4 points per game and 2.4 assists per game coming off the bench for the South Carolina Gamecocks last year. He shot a 52.9 percent effective field goal percentage, including 39.9 percent from beyond the arc.
The 6-foot-2 point guard obviously still has some things to learn about the position. But his 3-point shooting makes him intriguing enough to ensure he remains in the Magic system.
Gravett is a solid spot-up 3-point shooter with a quick release. He can hit a bit off the dribble and can get into the paint. His shooting stands out over everything else as he can create space and shoot against tight defenses.
Orlando Magic
Playmaking and creating opportunities for teammates remains a bit of a weakness.
Gravett had a good showing during the combine process and tested well athletically. That got him on plenty of radars and eventually with the Magic.
His shooting is ultimately what will give him a chance. He can be an electric shooter and there is a swagger to his game that is necessary to make it in this league. The SEC’s reigning Sixth Man of the Year can certainly be a difference-maker.
He is unlikely to get a roster spot with the Magic either unless he shoots completely lights out. Orlando has plenty invested in point guard already with D.J. Augustin, Markelle Fultz, Michael Carter-Williams and two-way signee Josh Magette. It looks like Hassani Gravett will play some off-guard or alongside Josh Magette with the Lakeland Magic.
Gravett is interesting because of that shooting ability and his ability to catch fire off the bench. Finding someone who already knows how to prepare coming off the bench is a bit of a rarity at this level. That could be an advantage for Gravett when he reports to Lakeland.
But that is ultimately where he ends up this year.
Both Law and Gravett are intriguing prospects who still have to fill in gaps in their scouting profile. They both have to show more consistency and prove that their best skills — especially their outside shooting — can translate to the NBA level.
The Magic liked them enough to guarantee them a bit more money on an Exhibit 10 contract. That also means they are likely headed to Lakeland for the year. There, they can prove themselves and fill in those gaps.
Both players though fit the kinds of players the Magic are searching for. And Orlando may need a few of them to be ready depending on what happens in free agency. Both are capable of answering the call when the time comes.
Orlando must be eager to see where they stand during training camp before heading off to Lakeland.