Former Duke shooting guard Wendell Moore Jr. has yet to establish himself as a reliable rotation player at the NBA level, having appeared in just 90 total games since being drafted 26th overall in 2022. However, he believes he showed during his time with the Magic‘s Summer League team this month that he belongs on an NBA roster, as Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel relays (subscription required).
“I showed that I deserved to be in this league,” Moore said. “I showed I can be one of the best defenders out here. I can make shots, I can get downhill (and) play secondary lead guard, if needed. I showed I can do a bunch of things on the floor that can help teams win.”
Moore averaged 13.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.0 steal in 22.7 minutes per game across five outings for the Magic in Las Vegas. While he made a modest 44.0% of his shots from the field and 28.6% from beyond the arc, he earned 4.4 free throws per game and knocked down 86.4% of them while also providing defensive versatility.
The 6’5″ guard spent his first two seasons in Minnesota and barely got off the bench for the Timberwolves, logging just 228 total minutes across 54 appearances. He played a little more last season for Detroit and Charlotte, with averages of 4.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 13.9 minutes per game across 36 outings. He had a shooting line of .468/.341/.818.
Moore, who will turn 24 in September, finished the season on a two-way contract with the Hornets and wasn’t eligible for a qualifying offer, so he became an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
As Beede points out, Moore still qualifies for a two-way deal for one more season and has made a strong case for consideration with his play in Las Vegas. However, Orlando has a loaded backcourt already, so it’s unclear if the club would be willing to use one of its remaining two-way openings on him. Ethan Thompson is currently the Magic’s only two-way player.
Everyone looks good during Summer League. You showed nothing in the actual league since being drafted. Sorry, big dawg.
If you can go Europe and start. Make a name for yourself. Start making a living there. You still have the opportunity to come back. Top players and starters in Euro ball. All make a good living. Best way to get better, to peak. Is by playing, PT is what you need.
Couldn’t agree more. Prove yourself against better competition and come back. Summer league is too small a sample and most of these guys are g league.
I hope he is referring to a two-way spot, which he might end up getting.
For a real roster spot, there are just too many better players still available …