Orlando Magic: Ranking every offseason acquisition

Orlando Magic ranking every offseason acquisition:

4. Re-Signing Ignas Brazdeikis to a two-way deal

The Orlando Magic have to feel pretty good about the players they signed late in the season last year, considering they re-signed both of them to stay within the franchise family. That is a good thing for a rebuilding team. They are supposed to find diamonds in the rough and develop them into rotation players.

Or at least use them to fill roster spots.

In this case, there might be an argument that Ignas Brazdeikis would have been a better fit for the team to sign a full contract because he fills a need for the roster with his shooting and positional fit.

Brazdeikis had a strong finish to the season, averaging 11.1 points per game with a 51.3-percent effective field goal percentage. That is what happens when a player gets ample playing time — 29.3 minutes per game in eight appearances last year. Brazdeikis showed he can produce as a shooter and even as a cutter.

He also looked good in Summer League, averaging 8.8 points per game on a 47.1-percent effective field goal percentage. Shooting numbers are usually a bit depressed in Summer League, so the lower percentages are not too concerning. He looked comfortable on the floor and within the system and played well off the team’s key players.

Brazdeikis will be one of the best players in the G-League and was a strong addition for the defending champion Lakeland Magic. He averaged 20.8 points per game and 51.0-percent effective field goal percentage for the Westchester Knicks last year. He averaged better than 20 points per game in the year before too.

He figures still to play a big role for the Magic because of the lack of depth on the wing.

Brazdeikis is a really solid signing on a two-way contract. And he has shown how close he is to latching onto an NBA roster. The Magic are a great environment for his development to continue.