Everyone is always excited to get their rookies out on the court for the first time.
The league's annual convention in Las Vegas for Summer League is a time for unbridled optimism and a little taste of the future as players drafted only a few weeks before take the court with their new teams (sort of) for the first time.
Even for a team with a pair of Playoff berths behind them, there is excitement after the Magic added a Lottery-level talent in Jase Richardson and traded up to acquire Noah Penda. It has given the Magic's Summer League a bit more interest than it might have had in years past or you might expect.
Considering how aggressive the Magic have been this offseason, acquiring Desmond Bane in an out-of-nowhere trade to bolster their starting lineup, the Magic are a team that merits attention. They have been listed with the third-best odds to win the Eastern Conference and the fifth-best odds to win the NBA title, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Orlando is a team that demands attention.
But Richardson and Penda's first game with the Magic will go mostly without much fanfare. The Magic's entire trip to Las Vegas will happen fairly quietly.
Orlando Magic's Summer League schedule has few marquee matchups
The NBA released its Summer League schedule on Friday as rookies were introduced around the league after the Draft's completion.
The Magic will get just one game on the ESPN family of networks and have a lot of early times for the league's summer showcase.
Their schedule is as follows:
- July 10 vs. Sacramento, 7:30P (NBATV)
- July 13 vs. Toronto, 6P (ESPN2)
- July 15 vs. Thunder, 6:30P (NBATV)
- July 16 vs. Brooklyn, 7:30P (NBATV)
- Fifth Game TBD
You can see in those matchups alone that the Magic are not getting even marquee matchups.
The highest-drafted rookie the Magic will face is the No. 8 Egor Demin with the Brooklyn Nets. They will also face No. 9 pick Collin Murray-Boyles of the Toronto Raptors and No. 15 pick Thomas Sorber with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Certainly, the national TV schedule for Summer League is going to lean toward the higher draft picks -- Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks against Bronnie James and the Los Angeles Lakers is the lead game for Summer League's opening night. And the Magic drafting only 25th is not going to get them much publicity.
The Magic will debut their rookies in relative anonymity. But this should be the last time that happens.
The Orlando Magic should expect to be on national TV more
The NBA has long favored established brands and stars with their national TV schedule.
We will get a healthy diet of LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks and more on the national TV schedule. The Boston Celtics will still likely get its good share of national TV games despite Jayson Tatum's injury. Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks will surely get a good share of games too -- as will Victor Wembenyama and the San Antonio Spurs.
The Orlando Magic, even with the No. 1 pick in Paolo Banchero in the 2023 season, were mostly ignored. They got one national TV appearance in each of Banchero's first two seasons. They ended up with five -- and had one more added on mid-season -- last year.
With how injured the Eastern Conference is, though, the Magic could be in line for more attention. They are a young team that the league will want to feature. Especially with the Eastern Conference so wide open.
Banchero even finished fifth in All-Star voting for frontcourt players despite playing in only five games before voting closed in January. He should be featured far more than he has been nationally.
It is getting harder to ignore the Magic as players in the Eastern Conference. The trade for Desmond Bane was already a major statement on that front. The Magic are going to be in the spotlight one way or the other.
If Orlando is indeed among the top teams in the East, the team should get national attention.
The regular season schedule will not be released until August. But expect the Magic to have a lot more air time in the league's new TV deal that will feature Amazon Prime nights on Tuesdays and Thursdays to replace TNT, and NBC beginning a new package for Sunday nights and Mondays on Peacock.
The Magic should be featured throughout the season. They will not operate in anonymity much longer.
Summer League Roster coming together
The Orlando Magic will get their work in, whether they are on TV or not, during Summer League.
Rookies Jase Richardson and Noah Penda will, of course, play on the Summer League roster. Second-year forward Tristan da Silva is also expected to play during Summer League.
Da Silva will have a lot riding on Summer League as he tries to establish his role with this new team and cement a spot in the rotation after a sometimes-uneven rookie year.
The Magic have not done anything reported or official with their remaining two-way spots. But two-way guard Ethan Thompson should also play in Summer League for the Magic.
President of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said he likes to keep flexibility heading into Summer League with those remaining two-way spots. They have even plundered other teams' Summer League teams to fill out those spots (think Kevon Harris a few years ago).
Summer League is a true audition for everyone.
They are starting to fill out the roster. The Magic reportedly have added Arkansas guard Johnell Davis, Xavier forward Zach Freemantle and Dayton forward Nate Santos to their Summer League roster. There will, obviously, be more to come as the Magic prepare for their summer showcase.