The Magic have parted ways with the 41st overall pick from last year’s draft, according to Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel, who tweets that the team has waived second-year center Stephen Zimmerman.
Zimmerman, 20, saw limited action during his rookie season in Orlando, averaging 1.2 PPG and 1.8 RPG in 19 games (5.7 MPG) for the club. The former UNLV big man had a more extensive role in 21 games for the Erie BayHawks, averaging 13.4 PPG and 8.9 RPG in the G League.
While teams are often inclined to stick with second-round projects for longer than just one year, the Magic are under new management this offseason, having hired Jeff Weltman and John Hammond to replace Rob Hennigan in the front office, so the new group didn’t have any particular attachment to Zimmerman.
Zimmerman’s contract also forced the team to make a decision on him this week — his minimum salary for 2017/18 was set to become fully guaranteed if he wasn’t cut by the end of the July moratorium. The Magic won’t be on the hook for any of that money now that they’ve waived him.
….kind of confusing. I feel like he looks like he’s grown this year. If anything, they should be trying to trade their other bigs
The kid looked lost yesterday in Summer League, so somewhat understandable. He still was considered a possible 1st rounder coming out last year, but fell. Maybe the scouts knew something everyone else didn’t. I’m sure someone will take a flyer on the kid and wish him the best.
He def didn’t forget how to play ball. He started over Zach Collins in hs was a McDs all American and now a days with the advance scouting rarely do kids completely bust. I’ll b surprised if he doesn’t become a second teamer eventually on a team that’s patient