Magic sign 4 players ahead of home loss
The Orlando Magic signed four players ahead of Friday’s 115-105 home loss to the Miami Heat after four more of their players were placed in the NBA’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols.
Terrence Ross, Moe Wagner and R.J. Hampton were ruled out against the Heat on Friday morning due to being in the protocols. Mo Bamba, who entered Friday as questionable due to a right ankle sprain, was ruled out 2½ hours before tipoff after being placed in the protocols.
The quartet joined two-way forward Ignas Brazdeikis as Magic players who were out against the Heat due to being in the league’s health and safety protocols. Brazdeikis was placed in protocols late Thursday evening.
The Magic had 11 players ruled out because of injury (6) or protocols (5), which would’ve left them with fewer than 8 available players — the league-mandated minimum needed by a team to play a game — if they didn’t make any signings.
To have the minimum amount of players available Friday, the Magic signed forward Aleem Ford (No. 11), Hassani Gravett (No. 12), guard/forward B.J. Johnson (No. 24) and forward Admiral Schofield (No. 25) to 10-day contracts via hardship exceptions from their G-League franchise, the Lakeland Magic.
Hardship exceptions allow for teams to exceed the roster limit when at least four players are sidelined for longer than two weeks due to illness or injury.
“The great part about our Lakeland team is that we stay connected,” coach Jamahl Mosley said ahead of Friday’s matchup. “Two of these guys [Gravett and Johnson] have been with us through training camp. I always look at it as a great opportunity for these guys to come in. get out there and play.”
The newly signed quartet combined for 15 points, with both Gravett (24) and Johnson (20) playing at least 20 minutes.
The Magic were led by Franz Wagner (27 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists). Gary Harris (20), Chuma Okeke (18) and Robin Lopez (18) all finished with their season
highs in points.
Max Strus (career-high 32 points) led the Heat, who shot 19 of 35 on 3s.
The five Magic players who were not listed on the team’s injury report Friday were Mychal Mulder, Franz Wagner, Okeke, Wendell Carter Jr. and Lopez. Carter exited during the second quarter with a “right lower leg injury.”
Cole Anthony (right ankle sprain) was ruled out Friday 1½ hours before tipoff while
Harris (left hamstring tightness) was available to play. The Magic’s starting lineup was: Franz Wagner, Harris, Okeke, Carter and Lopez.
The Magic remain without Jalen Suggs (fractured right thumb), Markelle Fultz (torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in January), Jonathan Issac (torn ACL in left knee in August 2020), (Michael Carter-Williams (recovering from August ankle surgery) and E’Twaun Moore (left knee sprain in an October practice).
The team’s players and traveling party were tested Friday morning ahead of the team’s road game against the Toronto Raptors on Monday. Canada requires fully-vaccinated travelers to provide proof of a negative COVID19 test result within 72 hours of their scheduled departure.
The Magic have a road game against the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday.
They canceled Friday morning’s shootaround after positive test results were returned. Their positive tests came at a time in which there’s a surge of COVID-19 cases in the league — as well as the rest of the country.
Outside of Issac, the Magic are a fully vaccinated team.
The players who were eligible to get a booster shot did.
“We constantly talk about this is bigger than the basketball game,” Mosley said. “Understanding our health and safety is the most important thing for these guys. Not just in the COVID situation, but their health on and off the court. We’ve talked about being able to take care of your body, making sure you do all the right things to stay available and ready.”