Orlando Magic round out training camp roster with Summer Leaguers

The Orlando Magic are gearing up for training camp, set to begin Sept. 28, by rounding out their training camp roster and bringing it closer to the max number of 20 players available for camp.

The team has reached into its Summer League roster to begin filling out the Lakeland Magic’s upcoming roster with either the final two-way spot or Exhibit 10 contracts.

The team announced Wednesday it has signed Jeff Dowtin, Hassani Gravett and Jon Teske to its training camp roster, bringing their roster to 18 players. All three played for the Magic during Summer League this year and had moments of success. Each can bring something to the team, although it is far more likely they will all be with the Lakeland Magic for this season.

The Orlando Magic bolstered their training camp roster, adding three players off their Summer League team. But the team may still be looking for a second two-way guy.

Of these players, Hassani Gravett is the one who has the best chance to grab the team’s second two-way spot. Although, certainly, that will still be a competition throughout training camp unless someone more established comes along.

Gravett averaged 8.0 points per game and shot a 58.3-percent effective field goal percentage in five Summer League games. He had his best effort in the finale against the Detroit Pistons when he scored 19 points on 7-for-11 shooting.

Gravett is really a strong defender for his size and that is where he made his lasting impression for the team during its Summer League run.

He had previously played for Lakeland in 2020, where he was the team’s leading scorer among full-time players on the roster, before heading to Macedonia last season.

Teske is the player who brings the most experience with the main roster Magic of this group.

Teske was an Exhibit 10 contract last year, going through training camp with the Magic, before spending the entire season with Lakeland. He averaged 6.7 points and 3.5 rebounds per game last year for the Magic.

In Summer League, Teske got the start at center for four of the team’s five games. But he averaged only 1.6 points and 2.2 rebounds per game. It was not the most impressive showing.

Teske is good defensively positionally, but he is not a great rebounder or stat accumulator. And he does not have the mobility to defend out on the perimeter.

This seems like a clear Exhibit 10 signing.

Orlando Magic

Dowtin had a solid run for the Magic at Summer League, showing flashes on both ends of the floor. He averaged 7.2 points per game. Dowtin was solid for the Lakeland Magic last year averaging 6.5 points per game and shooting 50.0-percent from deep (on less than 1.0 attempts per game).

Dowtin definitely can get into the lane and score a bit. But this again seems like a pickup to solidify Lakeland for their title defense.

As fans online have lamented, the Magic did not add Janis Timma to the roster.

This was expected. At 29 years old, Timma is likely not a good fit for the team’s second two-way contract or a trip straight to Lakeland. Timma is hoping to get a full roster spot or a full contract in Europe after leaving his team in Russia.

And currently, the Magic have a full roster of 15 full-time contracts after officially signing Moritz Wagner.

These signings are really about rounding out the team’s roster for training camp and solidifying the roster for Lakeland.

Hassani Gravett has the best chance of earning a two-way contract — joining Ignas Brazdeikis — with his knack for defense and shooting ability. But that still will keep him in Lakeland for most of the year.

Orlando still has two more open roster spots to fill before camp begins.

As some eagle-eyed fans have noted, Devin Cannady is making progress on his return after his horrific leg injury late last season.

He announced last week he is back to playing 5-on-5 and he has been counting down toward the start of training camp:

Cannady well could be another candidate to join the Magic’s training camp roster. He played really well, averaging 4.3 points per game in eight appearances. He was starting to find his rhythm just before he went down with the injury.

It would be some sort of justice for Cannady to make his return and get a real chance once again with the Magic. But Orlando, of course, has to make sure he is healthy enough to get through camp and worth the investment of a two-way contract or otherwise.

There are options, for sure.

With training camp coming up on the horizon, the Magic’s roster is starting to round into form.