Magic eyeing Georges-Hunt
Team could sign D-League swingman
The Orlando Magic appear likely to sign 6-foot-6 swingman
for the remainder of the season and perhaps to a non-guaranteed deal for the 2017-18 season.
Georges-Hunt, 23, recently finished the NBA Development League regular season with the Maine Red Claws.
Signing Georges-Hunt to a non-guaranteed deal for next season would make sense and would be a no-risk move for the Magic. It would mean he would commit to playing for the Magic’s summer-league team before he can field summer-league offers from other NBA franchises.
In the short term, he would provide some depth on the wings, where
and have played extended minutes lately as coach
has tried to shore up the team’s underperforming second unit.
who recently served as
backup at power forward, has missed the Magic’s last six games. Team officials said Green has back spasms, and Vogel has said Green is day-today with the injury.
But it also would not be a surprise if Green does not play in the Magic’s final five games. Green is about to complete his one-year contract with the Magic, and not having him play would make it easier for the team to continue to experiment with playing
at power forward in small-ball lineups.
The Magic’s interest in Georges-Hunt was reported first by a website called The Step Back.
In 45 games with the Red Claws, Georges-Hunt averaged 15.8 points per game and made 39.2 percent of his 3-point attempts.
In February, GeorgesHunt signed a 10-day contract with the Miami Heat but didn’t play in a game.
He played four seasons at Georgia Tech and was not selected in the 2016 NBA Draft.
The Magic’s bench play has been a severe problem in recent games, especially during the team’s 121-111 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night.
The Magic and Nets opened the fourth quarter tied 89-89, but the Nets started the period on an 11-0 run against a quintet of
Ross, Hezonja and
“Our guys were playing hard,” Meeks said. “We just couldn’t seem to get a bucket during that stretch. We were playing the right way. We’ve just got to find a way to score, and they were hitting everything.”
The Nets’ bench outscored the Magic’s bench 72-16.
The loss to the Nets no doubt pleased Magic fans who want the Magic to maximize their chances for next month’s NBA Draft Lottery.
The Magic own a 27-50 record and currently are in sole possession of the NBA’s fourth-worst record.
The Nets’ 72 bench points were their thirdmost bench points this season.
The Magic also allowed 72 points in the paint — the highest total by the Nets this season and their fourth-highest total since points in the paint became an official statistic during the 1996-97 season.
The Magic returned to Orlando after the loss to the Nets. The players had Sunday off, as is customary following a back-to-back. The players will practice at Amway Center today before they leave for Cleveland for their next-to-last road trip of the season.
In a scheduling quirk, the Magic will host the Nets on Thursday at Amway Center.