Dererk Pardon

Magic Agree To Deals With DaQuan Jeffries, Vic Law, Dererk Pardon

The Magic have agreed to deals with a trio of undrafted free agents, per reports. Tulsa wing DaQuan Jeffries, Northwestern forward Vic Law, and Northwestern big man Dererk Pardon, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, and Michael Scotto of The Athletic, respectively (all Twitter links).

Jeffries, whose athleticism and explosiveness intrigued NBA teams, was ranked by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony as the fourth-best prospect who wasn’t drafted on Thursday night. He posted 13.0 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 1.2 BPG, and 1.0 SPG in his final college season, shooting .502/.366/.755.

Law, who played four full college seasons at Northwestern, averaged 15.0 PPG, 6.4 RPG, and 3.0 APG as a senior. Like Jeffries, he also averaged at least one block and steal per game. Law’s teammate Pardon played alongside him during those four years at Northwestern, averaging 14.0 PPG and 7.8 RPG as a senior.

Charania, Givony, and Scotto didn’t provide any additional details on what the Magic’s agreements with Jeffries, Law, and Pardon look like. Based on the lack of specificity, it’s possible that one or more of those deals is just for the Summer League and doesn’t lead to an actual NBA contract. Assuming all three are added to Orlando’s 20-man roster though, they figure to be in line for non-guaranteed deals, perhaps with small partial guarantees.

Central Notes: Bulls, Gasol, Cavs, Pacers, Pistons

There’s a growing belief around the NBA that the Bulls are open to discussing trades for anyone on their roster – and any assets they hold – besides Lauri Markkanen and Wendell Carter Jr., sources familiar with the team’s plans tell Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic.

Still, while the Bulls will likely consider a number of trade options this offseason, Mayberry makes a case that the club shouldn’t part ways with the No. 7 overall pick. Mayberry argues that cashing in their chips now for a veteran could be both premature and risky for the Bulls, who would have marginal assets available going forward. Plus, the No. 7 selection has proven valuable for the franchise in recent years — Markkanen and Carter were both selected at that spot.

Meanwhile, K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune tackles a handful of Bulls-related topics in his latest mailbag, exploring draft, trade, and free agency options. Johnson believes the Bulls would “absolutely” try to get involved as a facilitator in a multi-team Anthony Davis trade, and later suggests that if Chicago pursues an RFA point guard, Malcolm Brogdon is probably a more realistic target than D’Angelo Russell.

Here’s more from around the Central:

Southeast Draft Notes: Hornets, Heat, Magic, Hawks

The Hornets have looked into the possibility of moving up in the draft from their current spot in the lottery at No. 12, tweets Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. Bonnell acknowledges that it may be difficult for Charlotte to put together the sort of trade capital necessary to make a deal happen, but says GM Mitch Kupchak is active.

Meanwhile, the Hornets will continue to explore their draft options by bringing in six more prospects for workouts tomorrow, according to the team. Marques Bolden (Duke), Tacko Fall (UCF), Jaylen Hoard (Wake Forest), Jalen Hudson (Florida), and Luka Asceric (Mega Bemax) are among the players set to participate.

Here are a few more draft-related items from around the Southeast:

Bucks Notes: Hill, Gasol, Wilson, Draft Workouts

Tonight’s expected return of Malcolm Brogdon won’t cost veteran guard George Hill any playing time, tweets Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Hill has averaged 11.6 PPG in eight playoffs games this year and has been Milwaukee’s leading scorer off the bench in each of the three wins over the Celtics.

Acquired from the Cavaliers in a three-team trade in December, Hill has brought a steadying presence to the Bucks‘ backcourt and helped fill the void while Brogdon was sidelined. Brogdon is expected to be on a minutes restriction for a while as he returns from a minor plantar fascia tear in his right foot that has kept him out of action since mid-March.

Milwaukee will face a difficult decision on Hill’s future this summer. Until July 1, he has just a $1MM guarantee on his $18MM salary for next season, and the Bucks could use some of that money to play the free agent market or to help re-sign Brogdon and Khris Middleton.

There’s more from Milwaukee on the night of Game 5:

  • The Bucks aren’t sure when center Pau Gasol might be available again, tweets Malika Andrews of ESPN. Gasol hasn’t played since injuring his left ankle nearly two months ago and has appeared in just three games since signing with Milwaukee on March 3. Coach Mike Budenholzer said today that Gasol’s return is “not imminent or anywhere near.”
  • Second-year forward D.J. Wilson suffered a twisted ankle yesterday and won’t be available for Game 5, according to Matt Velazquez of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link). Wilson has appeared in six of the Bucks’ eight postseason games, but is averaging just six minutes per night.
  • Kansas guards Quentin Grimes and Devon Dotson were part of a pre-draft workout the Bucks held Tuesday, relays Gery Woelfel of Woelfel’sPressBox. Both were five-star recruits out of high school and had promising freshman seasons. Joining them were forwards EJ Montgomery of Kentucky and Dererk Pardon of Northwestern. All are considered to be second-round picks. Point guard Clayton Custer, formerly of Loyola Chicago, worked out for the team today, tweets Jordan Schultz of ESPN.