The Orlando Magic have just one roster spot left and it seems likely that DaQuan Jeffries and B.J. Johnson will have a fight to get it.
DaQuan Jeffries unleashed his potential and cemented excitement for his potential to go from undrafted rookie to potential roster player all in one moment.
Against the Chicago Bulls, Jeffries stole the ball near mid-court and had the open court in front of him. He unleashed a windmill jam that displayed all of his athleticism and potential. The Orlando Magic seemingly tried to keep him under wraps, but Jeffries was going to burst forward.
That was how Jeffries spent most of his summer as he searched for a NBA home.
And he was not done there. He reportedly balked at taking a two-way contract. He did not want to get tied down to a G-League team for most of the year it seemed.
It seems Jeffries believed he could show off again and earn a NBA spot — even if it meant starting in the G-League to get there.
Jeffries was going to bet on himself. And with the Magic having two roster spots open have the space to reward him for that bet. Jeffries just has to show the same spark he showed in Summer League.
With how much he has to work for — just like he did at Summer League — that should be no problem.
Jeffries averaged 13.2 points per game on 42 percent shooting during Summer League. He was able to work to get to his jumper on several occasions and was willing to attack the basket, albeit inefficiently.
What really stood about him from his Summer League stint was his defense and willingness to work on that end. He has the ability to guard virtually any perimeter position (except perhaps the bigger small forwards).
The Magic value this kind of versatility over everything else. They probably feel confident the scoring elements will come later.
For the Tulsa Golden Hurricane last year, Jeffries averaged 13.0 points per game and shot a 58.4 percent effective field goal percentage, hitting on 36.6 percent of his 3-pointers. He shot better than 39 percent in his two previous seasons with the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles.
Jeffries has plenty of defensive potential too. He has the athleticism to win the college slam dunk contest. He was a plus-defensive player in college. That was on full display in Summer League where he was good at staying within the Magic’s defensive schemes and made solid plays.
Even though Jeffries did not score a lot of points and sometimes was put in bad shot-taking spots in Summer League, he still stood out with his effort and defensive play. That is what got him some serious NBA looks and had fans a bit frustrated he did not take one of the Magic’s two-way contract slots.
But Jeffries likely did that to bet on himself to try to get a full roster spot — whether it was with the Magic or someone else in camp or down the road once the season begins.
He spent his entire summer impressing everyone. There was no reason for him not to continue pressing his luck there as he has seemingly exceeded expectations at every turn.
Jeffries shined in the NBA Draft Combine and other pre-draft workouts. That got him on several radars heading into the draft. He perhaps wanted the chance to pick his situation rather than get selected in the second round.
The Magic are at least an interesting opportunity. They have an open roster spot and could use some more wing depth — Melvin Frazier is still a relative unknown who has to show improvement with his shot to get minutes.
Jeffries has a path to earn a roster spot with this team. The Magic in deciding not to sign rookie Chuma Okeke left two roster spots open. They are likely only to fill one with a training camp invite. So there is a real motivation for the team’s Exhibit 10 players to have a good camp and potentially make a roster spot.
Judging by how loaded the team is at the wing position among these Exhibit 10 players — Vic Law and B.J. Johnson also join DaQuan Jeffries as potential wing players — there is a real opportunity. That seems to be all that Jeffries wants.
This is the bet Jeffries made on himself. He believed he could make this roster and did not want to settle or sacrifice a year as an almost exclusive G-League player.
With the way he played at Summer League and the way he continues to impress and improve quickly, Jeffries will be willing to take that chance.
Even if he starts with the Lakeland Magic this year, he will have his chance to shine and make a roster somewhere. It seems like no one should doubt Jeffries at this point.
B.J. Johnson
If DaQuan Jeffries wants to get a roster spot with the Orlando Magic this year, he got some late competition.
The Magic announced earlier this week they had added B.J. Johnson to their training camp roster. Reportedly on another Exhibit 10 contract (essentially a training camp invite that gives the player a bit more money with the understanding that he will filter down to the G-League roster after camp ends).
Johnson has an advantage over Jeffries in one key way — he has done the G-League ringer and earned a NBA roster spot thanks to his G-League play.
Johnson joined up with the Lakeland Magic last year, averaging 15.4 points per game and shooting a 56.0 percent effective field goal percentage, hitting on 44.4 percent of his 3-pointers. He proved himself a versatile forward able to hit from the outside and attack the basket.
That got Johnson a seven-game stint in the NBA, first with the Sacramento Kings and then with the Atlanta Hawks. That was the power of an Exhibit 10 contract. He was playing for the Lakeland Magic and had the chance to sign with anyone.
Orlando Magic
And he did that. He is very capable of playing at the NBA level. In those seven games, he scored 23 points and made 9 of 18 shots (including 3 of 7 from beyond the arc). Johnson can certainly produce and can certainly knock on the doors of the NBA.
Johnson impressed with Lakeland after an Exhibit 10 stint with Orlando last fall. He was a big part of Lakeland’s push to get to the Eastern Conference Finals. He averaged 21.0 points per game and 7.0 rebounds per game in the Magic’s two playoff games last year.
At 6-foot-7, he has better size to play both forward positions and more approximate perhaps what the Magic are losing in Chuma Okeke not playing. Like Okeke, he is a solid 3-point shooter and can be a straight, line-drive attacker. He can get out in transition.
Johnson may not have the defensive chops that Okeke potentially has. But he can hold his own on that end. He has the physical profile that Orlando likes and can guard bigger forwards, an advantage Johnson likely has over Jeffries in this race.
But, make no mistake about it, neither Jeffries nor Johnson are taking Okeke’s spot when he comes back to the roster next year. Neither may keep their roster spot when Okeke is healthy in the G-League later this year.
But Johnson is someone who can be ready to play in the NBA tomorrow. He is someone who is ready to get his chance at the NBA.
Orlando can clearly count on having two potential training camp invitees competing for that last roster spot. Both fit the Magic’s ideal and both seem willing and ready to work to get there.
That is an advantageous spot for the Magic to be in. But only one of these players is likely to get that final roster spot.