The Orlando Magic were active this offseason in revamping their wing rotation to better support their two stars in Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. While their work may not be entirely done, one decision has now been made: Trevelin Queen will not be returning to the Magic next season.
The story of Queen is a heart-warming one, as he built brick by brick a path out of disaster and into a professional basketball career. He barely played basketball in high school and had no scholarship offers entering college. He eventually worked his way to New Mexico State and was a Second Team All-WAC player in his senior season.
Queen went undrafted in 2020 and caught on with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the Houston Rockets' G League affiliate. He was incredible in the G League, in his second season winning G League MVP honors and leading the Vipers to the championship. That began earning him two-way contracts around the league.
After stops in Houston, Philadelphia and Indiana, Queen finally landed with the Orlando Magic entering the 2023-24 NBA season. In two seasons, he played 45 total games for the Magic, usually in garbage time but occasionally at the back end of the rotation. The 6'6" wing brought energy and determination to every appearance, and that energy was at times infectious to his teammates. There is a reason NBA head coaches like an "energy guy" coming off the bench.
Queen's defensive impact was obvious, but he never found his stride offensively. He was an inefficient scoring threat even in his limited minutes, and his 3-point shot never came around. On a team flush with non-shooters, keeping another one around in Queen didn't make a lot of sense.
Even so, Queen's stature with the team and his very real NBA defensive skills made him a possibility to return to the Magic this season with their final roster spot. Having exhausted his two-way eligibility, he needed a standard NBA contract to play for the Magic this next season. In the end, they declined to offer one.
While many other NBA teams could also benefit from Queen's intensity and defense, it appears no one else was willing to overlook the offensive concerns. At long last, after nearly three months of silence, Queen made the decision to take his talents overseas and sign with a new team.
Trevelin Queen has a new team
It was announced this week that Trevelin Queen has signed a new contract with the Guangdong Dongguan Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). A mid-tier team, the Tigers won the league for three consecutive seasons as Queen was breaking into the NBA, but the last few seasons have fallen back into the pack.
Queen will try to boost their chances and add a defensive identity to the roster. Last season, the Tigers were led by former NBA guard Trey Burke and another onetime New Mexico State player, Troy Gillenwater.
The CBA is not a top-tier international league; Queen will not be proving himself against many other NBA-caliber players. What he will do is get some positive film on tape and keep his name in the basketball consciousness. When the CBA's season ends in the spring, he will have the opportunity to return to the NBA and sign onto a team's 14th or 15th roster spot ahead of the playoffs.
Queen almost certainly wants to continue an NBA career. It didn't happen in Orlando, but his dream is still alive. And the next step will be playing for the Dragons across the Pacific. Perhaps Puff can stop by for an appearance.