Orlando signs veteran Carter-Williams
Guard has played for the team in the past
The Orlando Magic are using their final standard roster spot to bring back a familiar face.
The Magic signed free agent guard Michael Carter-Williams, league sources told the Orlando Sentinel Sunday, adding a veteran voice in the locker room for the regular season’s final stretch.
Orlando confirmed the Sentinel’s reporting, announcing they signed Carter-Williams later in the day. The Magic didn’t disclose the terms of the deal, citing team policy, but The Athletic reported Carter-Williams’ contract is for two years with a team option for 2023-24.
The Magic (25-36) have 21 games remaining after Saturday’s 121-108 home loss to Indiana.
They kick off a three-game road trip with Monday’s matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans (30-31). They’ll also play the Milwaukee Bucks and the Charlotte Hornets as part of the swing.
Carter-Williams, who’ll travel for the trip, has been an important part of the organization in the past and is well-respected by Orlando’s players.
He last played for the Magic from 2019-22, averaging 7.5 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 21.1 minutes in his 88 games (25 starts) with Orlando.
The Magic waived Carter-Williams, along with E’Twaun Moore, on Feb. 10, 2022, ahead of last season’s trade deadline after acquiring Bol Bol and P.J. Dozier.
Carter-Williams was sidelined because of an August 2021 left ankle surgery when he was waived and didn’t play last season.
Orlando waived Dozier shortly after acquiring him.
Carter-Williams, the No. 11 pick in the 2013 draft who was named the 2013-14 Rookie of the Year, originally signed a 10-day contract with the Magic on March 15, 2019, before signing with Orlando for the remainder of the 2018-19 season.
He averaged 5.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.8 blocks in 18.9 minutes in 12 games (Magic went 10-2 in those
matchups) off the bench to help the Magic clinch their first playoff berth since the 2011-12 season.
Carter-Williams also played a prominent role for the 2019-20 team that made that season’s playoffs.
He averaged 8.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 25.8 minutes in 31 games (25 starts) for the Magic in 2020-21.
Carter-Williams was on the second year of a two-year $6.6 million deal that he signed with the Magic in November 2020 when Orlando waived him.
He’s played for the Philadelphia 76ers (2013-15), Milwaukee Bucks (2015-16), Chicago Bulls (2016-17), Charlotte Hornets (2017-18), Houston Rockets (2018-19) and Magic in his NBA career.
Carter-Williams has career averages of 10.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.27 steals in 25.3 minutes (391 games — 217 starts).
At 31 years old, Carter-Williams will surpass Gary Harris (28) as the Magic’s oldest player.
The addition of Carter-Williams will bring the Magic to 15 players signed to standard NBA contracts.
The Magic signed Goga Bitadze two weeks ago and converted Admiral Schofield’s two-way contract to a standard NBA deal last week.
They waived third-year guard R.J. Hampton, former franchise mainstay Terrence Ross and veteran guard Patrick Beverley, who Orlando acquired on Feb. 9 as part of the four-team trade that sent Mo Bamba to the Los Angeles Lakers, within the last couple of weeks to create those roster spots.
The Magic still have one two-way roster spot open.