Magic sign Garino, Georges-Hunt
In 2010, at 17 years old, Patricio Garino left his home in Argentina to attend Montverde Academy for his junior and senior years of high school. Garino wanted eventually to earn a degree at an American college.
Now, almost six years later, another one of his dreams runs through Central Florida.
The Orlando Magic signed Garino and Marcus Georges-Hunt on Monday. The deals not only run through the remainder of this season. The contracts also include non-guaranteed salaries for the 2017-18 season, so Garino and Georges-Hunt will enter training camp next fall with a chance to make the Magic’s regular-season roster.
“This is where my dream started,” Garino said Monday, after his first Magic practice. “Now to almost being able to come true here in Orlando, it’s a very humbling experience.”
Garino and GeorgesHunt occupy the 14th and 15th spots on the Magic’s current roster. To make room for both of them, the Magic waived shooting guard C.J. Wilcox, who struggled through injuries this season and never cracked the team’s rotation.
Garino, 23, is a 6-foot-6 swingman who played summer-league ball for the Magic last July. Magic officials regarded him highly.
But Garino went to training camp last fall with the San Antonio Spurs, was waived by the Spurs in October and spent the NBA Development League season with the Austin Spurs. In 49 DLeague games, Garino averaged 11.2 points per game and made 43.0 percent of his 3-point tries.
Georges-Hunt, 23, also is a 6-foot-6 swingman. Earlier this season, he signed a 10-day contract with the Miami Heat, but he never played in a game with the Heat.
In 45 games with the D-League’s Maine Red Claws, Georges-Hunt averaged 15.8 points per game and made 39.2 percent of his 3-point attempts.
Garino and GeorgesHunt practiced with the Magic on Monday.
“I like that both of them are big-time shooters,” Magic coach Frank Vogel said. “Both shot 40 percent in the D-League. Both are capable defenders and great culture fits: high-IQ guys, both with great competitive spirit and fight and will and determination to play the game and to win.”
By signing Garino and Georges-Hunt now, the Magic prevented them from fielding trainingcamp offers from other franchises.
“It’s a great opportunity,” Georges-Hunt said. “Not many people get the opportunity, so I’m going to take advantage of it and just keep working each day.”
Garino and GeorgesHunt each played four years in college — Garino at George Washington and Georges-Hunt at Georgia Tech.
Garino attended his first NBA game in Orlando during his time at Montverde. The Magic played the Spurs that night.
In the years since, he became good friends with perhaps the best basketball player in Argentina history, Spurs shooting guard Manu Ginobili. They were teammates on Argentina’s 2016 Summer Olympic team and again with the Spurs last fall in training camp.
When Garino first arrived in the U.S. back in 2010, his English needed substantial work. He’s fluent now. And, now, he’ll try to make another transition — the transition from the DLeague to the NBA.
It helps that he’s familiar with Central Florida from his days at Montverde and familiar with the Magic from the Orlando Pro Summer League last year.
“It feels really comfortable,” Garino said. “I feel like I never left, to be honest. I’ve been in a cloud all day since I got the news. I definitely feel very comfortable here.
“I know the coaches and the teammates are doing a great job of making ourselves included on the team.”