Orlando Magic complete roster, add veteran in Cory Joseph

There is a lot of hand-wringing about the Orlando Magic's point guard position these days.

The Magic seem set to head into the season with Jalen Suggs as their starting point guard, a position that has not always felt natural to him. They have Cole Anthony, more of a scoring guard, behind him. They have second-year guard Anthony Black too, who was used very rarely as a true point guard in his run last year and has struggled at times running even the Summer League team.

For sure, this is going to be a major point of contention. Paolo Banchero even said publicly that he would have liked to see the Magic bring in a "table-setter" to help ease his playmaking responsibility. Indeed, watching the Orlando Magic's playoff series loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers made clear how much the Magic might need a point guard.

Yet, the team spent its major free agency addition adding a shooting guard in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, which was undoubtedly another need for the team. The Magic are betting on internal growth to handle the point guard spot.

They appear to have added some reinforcements to complete their roster.

With the Magic's last remaining roster spot following the team's flurry of free agent moves, the team is reportedly set to add veteran guard Cory Joseph on a two-year deal, as first reported by Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. The second year of the deal is a team option, according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel, giving the team more flexibility with the veteran guard.

With the signing, the Magic's regular roster is full. They only have two two-way spots remaining ahead of training camp at the end of September.

Joseph played for the Golden State Warriors last year averaging 2.4 points per game in 26 appearances. He was traded to the Indiana Pacers at the trade deadline before being waived on the same day.

He was out of the rotation last year with the Warriors before the trade. The 32-year-old guard had a down year after averaging 6.9 points per game in the 2023 season with the Detroit Pistons.

Joseph is a career 34.9 percent 3-point shooter who made 38.9 percent from three in the 2023 season.

No one should view this signing as anything more than filling out the Magic's roster. It gives them another veteran to replace perhaps some of the vibes the team is losing with Joe Ingles. Joseph has never been much more than a roster filler in his long NBA journey—he has played for six teams in 13 seasons, making the Magic his seventh team in 14 years.

But Joseph is a solid player. He will hit open threes when given the chance and he will reduce mistakes. He will not turn the ball over a ton and manage the game. Even at 6-foot-2, he is a solid defender. That is something the Magic value.

Joseph is known throughout the league as a solid veteran guard who can hold the boat steady when he is thrown into the mix. And to be sure, he is only going to play if the Magic are in a pinch—or if their other point guard options seem to fail. Joseph being part of the rotation would probably hint at something going terribly wrong.

But every team needs a 15th man. And after the Magic let Ingles go, they needed a vibes player. Joseph is a solid veteran who will do his job and be a veteran guide off the bench. He certainly seems like he would accept and perform that role when the time comes.

Fans should not be so up in arms about this signing because Joseph is not on the roster to play significant minutes or challenge young players for playing time. He is a backstop and veteran voice in the locker room, something the team needs considering the veterans the Magic lost this offseason.

The signing likely means the Magic are not going to bring Markelle Fultz back, ending the run of a popular player both internally and among fans. Joseph's presence is likely meant to mimic Fultz's cool demeanor while giving them a more reliable shooter and someone who should not take playing time from Black and his development.

Joseph will give the team a veteran leader to help some players who are not natural point guards play their role. He will be a good voice on the bench and a solid player to play a small role when he is called upon.

That is all the Magic needed to complete their roster.