Orlando Magic offseason: Players are preparing for 2024-25 in pro-am circuit

Franz Wagner has had all eyes on him for Germany in their run to the Bronze Medal Game at the Paris Olympics. The whole basketball world has had its eyes on the Olympics.

Alas, Saturday marked the end of the Olympics Men's Basketball Tournament. The U.S. is coming home with the gold and the NBA is officially entering its quiet season.

Everyone will have to put the organized basketball away until training camps begin in early October. The NBA season seems a distant two months away now as the league goes unofficially quiet.

Of course, basketball does not ever stop. Players are in their own gyms getting their work in on the court and playing private pick-up runs with other pros.

While Franz and Mo Wagner were the only Magic players to take on international duty, they are not the only ones playing this summer.

What have other Magic players been up to this summer?

Several Magic players have taken to the pro-am circuit to at least get on the court.

Paolo Banchero is the highlight of this.

He spends most of his offseason in Seattle working on his game and giving back to his community there. And that includes participating in some of the annual pro-ams that take place in the Emerald City.

Last weekend, he played in the Zeke-End Pro-Am alongside host Isaiah Thomas and Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson. Banchero's team won, to say the least. and Banchero put on a show for the young Seattle fans in attendance. That is the point of showing up in the showcase pro-am.

Of course, take all pro-am highlights with the appropriate grains of salt.

But Banchero was willing to physically move players on his way to the basket and showcase his dribbling and scoring abilities. Banchero seems no worse for the wear (and got a trophy out of it).

Banchero is not the only getting some run in.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope also got some run in a pick-up run in Los Angeles with Chris Paul, Jordan Clarkson and DeAndre Jordan recently. Caldwell-Pope is already rocking some Magic gear in the runs and getting his work in with other pros as surely plenty of other players on the team are.

Players like Magic two-way guard Trevelin Queen.

Queen has been playing in the Tampa Pickup league alongside other NBA players like Reggie Evans. Queen showed off his athleticism and his abilityt o dunk in these games. But whether his jumper has come around will be another question.

Queen averaged 2.9 points per game in 14 appearances for the Orlando Magic last year. He averaged 24.4 points per game and 7.8 rebound sper game in 16 appearances for the Osceola Magic last year. That was more than enough to earn him a second year on a two-way contract.

Everyone is intrigued to see whether his shot makes a marked improvement and what he can bring to the team in a second year.

Of course, nothing replaces organized basketball. Teams would almost always say that playing in high-level tournaments internationally is better for development. But everyone is playing this time of year. The final countdown to the season is on.

For those wondering why Franz and Mo Wagner played in the Olympics, it is to represent their country. That is a truly high honor. But it is also about being able to play high-level, organized basketball. What Franz and Mo Wanger gained from the Olympics is greater than what others did this summer.

Still, it is always good to get on the court. Even in a relaxed, jokey manner. And at least the public got to see some of the work that Magic players are doing behind the scenes.