Orlando Magic complete training camp roster with Admiral Schofield

Toward the end of the 2020 season, the Orlando Magic were looking for a replacement for Devin Cannady after his injury. The team needed bodies and had guaranteed playing time to give.

All the reports pointed toward adding G-League standout Admiral Schofield.

Then nothing happened. the deal did not come for a few days. there was some sort of hang-up — reportedly a positive COVID test or some discrepancy with the testing protocols. Schofield never made it to Orlando.

Instead, the Magic offered a deal to Ignas Brazdeikis to end the season. Brazdeikis stood out and secured a two-way contract for the upcoming season.

Orlando completed its training camp roster Monday by taking on the best of both worlds. Schofield will join the Magic for training camp starting next Tuesday as the Magic roster reached the maximum 20 players ahead of the start of training camp next week.

The Orlando Magic finalized their training camp roster, adding Admiral Schofield. Their depth chart previews the battles ahead in training camp.

Schofield gives the Magic one of the better scorers in the G-League. He averaged 10.1 points per game and 5.7 rebounds per game for the Greensboro Swarm last year in the G-League bubble. It was a down year from him after averaging 16.0 points per game for Capital City Go-Go in 2019.

Schofield shot less than 30-percent from beyond the arc last year but shot 36.8-percent from deep in 2020 for Capital City. There is plenty of room for improvement in the former Tennessee Volunteer.

He is a tough defender and capable of getting into the lane to score from the mid-range. He is still a likely G-League-level player after he struggled to latch on with the Wizards — he averaged only 3.0 points per game in 11.2 minutes per game across 33 games last year with them.

Among the Magic’s non-guaranteed contract roster invites, Schofield might have the best chance of netting the team’s second two-way contract because of his prior NBA experience and potential. He certainly fits the bill of things the Magic like as a versatile wing player with the ability to defend.

There will still be a lot to be sorted out in training camp. And this year’s camp will feature a lot of position battles for playing time. Some of those battles may not get sorted out until Jonathan Isaac and Markelle Fultz return from injury.

The NBA allows teams to carry 20 players on their training camp rosters. Likely a good chunk of the players the Magic have signed in recent weeks, including Schofield, will be set up with the Lakeland Magic for the season.

But here is a guess at the team’s preseason depth chart:

The Magic certainly value versatility and there is a lot of it on the roster with several players easily able to play multiple positions — Franz Wagner will certainly platoon a lot at the 4, for instance. But it is clear the team has some shortcomings at power forward, especially with it remaining at least uncertain to the public when Isaac will be back.

Even then, Isaac is likely to have a minute restriction and some playing restrictions this season when he does return.

For a roster like the Magic, it is probably not the end of the world to have some of these depth questions. But this is certainly a guad- and wing-heavy lineup. There will be a lot of players to sort through and distribute minutes in the next few weeks and throughout the season.

But Orlando has its group that will meet the media Monday and then attack training camp on Tuesday. The NBA season is truly nearly here.