Magic Decline Team Options On Moe Wagner, Caleb Houstan
The Magic are declining the team options for Moritz Wagner and Caleb Houstan, reports ESPN’s Shams Charania (via Twitter), making the two players unrestricted free agents.
Wagner’s team option was for $11MM while Houstan’s was for $2.1MM. Turning down both will allow the Magic to retain some financial flexibility after they traded for Desmond Bane. Charania notes that the team retains both players’ Bird rights, meaning that a reunion remains possible for either or both of them.
Wagner has been with the Magic for over five seasons, and has averaged 10.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists while shooting 32.9% from three over the last four years as a reserve center. His 2024/25 season was cut short in December by a torn ACL, which he is still recovering from.
Wagner appeared well on his way to a career year in 2024/25, as he had averaged 12.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game with a .360 3PT% through his first 30 contests. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link), the Magic have interest in bringing him back.
Houstan, the former 32nd pick in the 2022 draft, has been in and out of the rotation over his three seasons in Orlando, but has become a strong shooter at 6’8″ and is still only 22 years old. He converted a career-best 40.0% of his three-point tries in 2024/25.
Point Guard Rumors: Paul, Suns, Clippers, Hornets, Ty. Jones, Magic
A return to the Suns is a possible outcome for Chris Paul in free agency, according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
As Stein and Fischer explain, the Suns are likely to be in the market for point guard help if Tyus Jones exits in free agency. Paul, meanwhile, is known to prefer to play closer to his family in Los Angeles. While an earlier report suggested the veteran point guard would like to play in L.A., it sounds like he’ll consider other options out west as well.
That doesn’t mean that playing with a Los Angeles team is off the table for Paul, however. According to Stein and Fischer, the Clippers are “weighing” a reunion with Paul, who played for the organization for six seasons from 2011-17. Even with James Harden expected to return, the Clips are known to be in the market for another guard, having been linked to Nickeil Alexander-Walker, among others.
While the Mavericks‘ interest in Paul has been reported for weeks, it doesn’t sound like CP3 is enthusiastic about spending another year in Texas, away his family, after playing in San Antonio in 2024/25. As Stein and Fischer note, there’s also a sense that the Mavs might be headed for a deal with D’Angelo Russell to address the point guard hole created by Kyrie Irving‘s ACL tear.
The Hornets had been mulling a run at Paul, a North Carolina native, but recognized that he was unlikely to have interest in playing for a rebuilding team so far away from his home, per Stein and Fischer. Charlotte pivoted to another veteran guard, having made a deal with Utah this afternoon to acquire Collin Sexton.
Meanwhile, with Jones seemingly headed for a split with the Suns, one of the teams with interest in him is the Magic, according to The Stein Line’s duo. While Jones wasn’t an ideal fit in Phoenix, the 29-year-old still put up solid offensive numbers, including 10.2 points and 5.3 assists per game with a 41.4% mark on three-point attempts.
Pistons, Clippers Eyeing Nickeil Alexander-Walker?
After the Timberwolves reached a five-year, $125MM contract agreement with big man Naz Reid on Friday, there’s a “growing belief” that they’ll bring back power forward Julius Randle on a new multiyear deal as well, reports Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
That might make Nickeil Alexander-Walker the odd man out in Minnesota, since re-signing the free agent guard to a market-value deal (perhaps in the range of the $14.1MM non-taxpayer mid-level exception) would push the Wolves’ salary well above the second tax apron, unless Randle takes a substantial pay cut.
According to Fischer, with Alexander-Walker’s future in Minnesota seemingly uncertain, the Pistons and Clippers have been continually identified as possible suitors for the veteran free agent guard. The Magic, who were previously identified as a team with potential interest in Alexander-Walker, are still being mentioned too, Fischer says, though their cap situation could complicate their ability to make a viable bid.
As Fischer details, it appears increasingly likely that Sacramento will make an aggressive play in free agency for Pistons free agent guard Dennis Schröder, so Detroit could look elsewhere for backcourt help and Alexander-Walker would make for an appealing target.
The Pistons have a few balls in the air, however. Sources tell Fischer that the club was prepared to make the roster moves necessary to put a competitive offer on the table for Reid before he agreed to re-sign with the Wolves. Detroit remains in the market for a floor-stretching big man, prompting Fischer to wonder if the front office might turn its attention to Santi Aldama, though the Grizzlies‘ power forward will be a restricted free agent.
The Pistons are also expected to work out a new multiyear deal with sharpshooter Malik Beasley, Fischer writes, despite only holding his Non-Bird rights. Given the team’s limited ability to offer a raise with the Non-Bird exception, Detroit would likely have to re-sign Beasley using cap room or its mid-level exception, which would further cut into the team’s spending flexibility.
As for the Clippers, the expectation is that they’ll be in the market for guard depth this summer. In Kris Dunn, L.A. already has one talented defensive stopper in its backcourt, but Alexander-Walker is more of an offensive threat than Dunn, having knocked down 38.6% of his three-point attempts over the past two seasons.
Depending on where a new contract for James Harden comes in, the Clippers should have their full non-taxpayer mid-level exception available this summer.
Southeast Notes: Jakucionis, Ware, Newell, White, Richardson, Penda
New Heat guard Kasparas Jakucionis declined to conduct a pre-draft workout for the Heat because he thought he’d be off the board by the time they picked at No. 20, according to the Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang. Miami also didn’t think Jakucionis, ranked in the top 10 on several big boards, would be available to them.
“We see tremendous potential with Kas,” Heat vice president of basketball operations and assistant general manager Adam Simon said. “You’re talking about a 6-5 [guard] with a plus-three [pointer], good athlete but with a high IQ. So if you combine all those things with a work ethic, there’s no reason why you can’t mold him into a very good NBA player. I think that’s why we were attracted to take him.”
The 6’5″ guard averaged 15.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game in his first and only season at Illinois. He’ll serve as a lead play-maker and help assert Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware as lob threats and roll men. Jakucionis did average 3.7 turnovers per game last year, but the Heat downplayed concerns about that figure.
“Certainly the numbers are higher than you want, but he’s high usage and he’s processing things,” Simon said. “The turnovers were high, certainly. But I think they’re turnovers that you can work with. I think those are correctable, they’re teachable to see the game. But if you just watched all his film, he’s making good reads out there, he’s making plays.”
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- The Heat are bullish on the future of Ware and this offseason is reflecting that, Chiang writes in another story. Ware was kept essentially off limits in Kevin Durant trade talks, and Jakucionis has the makings of a long-term running mate for the big man. “We’re excited about his growth, we really are,” franchise legend and current Heat executive Alonzo Mourning said of Ware. “This summer I’ve already seen him getting better in his workouts. He doesn’t have to be here, this is his time off. But that kind of speaks volumes that he has kind of blocked out all of the distractions as a kid.“
- Former Georgia forward Asa Newell was ecstatic to land with his hometown Hawks in the draft, per Lauren L. Williams of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I knew deep in my heart that I really wanted to go to the Hawks, and hearing about the trades, and me and DQ [Derik Queen] basically got traded for each other, it was pretty cool,” Newell said. “So that’s gonna be a fun matchup, for sure. But it was just like, ‘Wow.’ My heart was beating so fast when the camera came to my table, and I just, I was just so happy, especially getting dropped into a great organization.”
- Australian forward Jack White, who previously played 21 games in the NBA with the Nuggets and Grizzlies from 2022-24, will work out for the Hawks and play with them in Summer League, according to ESPN’s Olgun Uluc (Twitter link). Uluc writes that an NBA return for White is a possibility.
- The Magic drafted Jase Richardson and Noah Penda, targeting two players they valued for their character, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel writes in a subscriber-only story. “The exciting part for us as always, as you guys know, we look for the person before the player, and we feel that these two young guys have our Magic DNA,” president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said. “They’re about others and that reflects itself on the court.” According to Beede, Penda was disappointed to not hear his name called in the first round but is excited about landing with the Magic, who traded four seconds to move up to get him.
Stein’s Latest: Mavs, D-Lo, Paul, Exum, Sixers, Hawks
Within his latest NBA rumor round-up for The Stein Line (Substack link), Marc Stein reiterates a report he published on Twitter earlier this week, writing that the Mavericks are “increasingly regarded as the favorites” to sign point guard D’Angelo Russell.
Dallas will likely be limited to offering free agents the $5.7MM taxpayer mid-level exception, and Stein suggests Chris Paul will be another Mavs target using that MLE. However, there’s a growing belief that Paul would want to play somewhere closer to his home in Los Angeles if he continues his career, Stein explains.
Meanwhile, while the Mavericks still have interest in re-signing him, there’s a chance that a roster crunch could spell the end of Dante Exum‘s time in Dallas. Assuming Brandon Williams – who is on a non-guaranteed contract – is retained, the Mavs will have 14 players on standard contracts even before adding a free agent point guard.
According to Stein, a handful of EuroLeague teams – including Anadolu Efes, Fenerbahce, and Partizan Belgrade – are interested in trying to lure Exum back overseas. But the former No. 5 overall pick is still focused on trying to stick in the NBA even if there’s no pathway back to the Mavs for him, Stein writes.
Here’s more from Stein:
- Providing updates on a couple of popular Mavericks assistant coaches, Stein says the Nuggets are now among the teams with interest in hiring Jared Dudley away from Dallas, joining Memphis and Cleveland, while the Magic continue to put on a “full-court press” in the hopes of poaching God Shammgod from Jason Kidd‘s staff.
- Despite rumors and speculation in recent weeks suggesting that the Sixers explored the prospect of moving off Paul George‘s contract and trading down from No. 3 in the draft, a league source familiar with the team’s thinking called that “nonsense,” according to Stein. Jake Fischer reported several weeks ago that Philadelphia wasn’t trying to get rid of George using that lottery pick.
- Although they had interest in Masai Ujiri earlier in their front office search, the Hawks aren’t expected to circle back now that the longtime Toronto executive is out of work, Stein says. One source close to the process tells Stein that Atlanta is operating under the assumption that general manager Onsi Saleh will be the team’s head of basketball operations for the foreseeable future.
Southeast Notes: Mann, Johnson, Riley, Newell, Martins, DeVos
The Hornets fully expect to retain restricted free agent Tre Mann, executive VP of basketball operations Jeff Peterson said during a press conference, per Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link).
“He’s a priority … I don’t see any reason why he’s not back,” Peterson said.
The Hornets, who hold Mann’s Bird rights, must make a $6.96MM qualifying offer in the coming days in order to make him a restricted free agent. If Charlotte passes on that QO, the point guard would reach unrestricted free agency and could sign with any team without the Hornets getting the opportunity to match. Peterson’s comments strongly suggest the Hornets will extend the QO.
Earlier in the week, it was reported that Mann had fully recovered from his back disc herniation. He has participated in all of Charlotte’s offseason activity and 5-on-5 scrimmages after playing in just 13 games last season.
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- The Wizards selected Texas guard Tre Johnson (No. 6) and Illinois wing Will Riley (No. 21) in the first round. General manager Will Dawkins expects Johnson to have an immediate offensive impact, according to Candace Buckner of the Washington Post. “Pound for pound, if he’s not the best shooter, [Johnson] is one of the best shooters in the draft,” Dawkins said. “But that’s not his only skill. He’s someone that can make plays … for others and averaged 19 points a game in the SEC, led the whole conference in scoring as a freshman, like in conference play. That’s hard to do.” According to Varun Shankar of the Post, the team’s brass was impressed by Riley’s competitiveness during 3-on-3 workouts when he visited the Wizards. The front office also believes Riley has more skills than he was allowed to show with the Illini. “We think there’s more there to unlock,” Dawkins said. “That’s why we had him as high as we did, and we’re happy to have him.”
- The Hawks traded down from the No. 13 pick on Wednesday to No. 23 and received an unprotected first-rounder next year from the Pelicans. They still got a quality talent in Georgia’s Asa Newell, according to Rod Beard of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “You don’t ever know if somebody’s going to be available when you move down that far,” Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh said. “We felt good about a bucket of players if we did get there, and it just was the right thing to do for us. It just made sense for us and where we’re at, and I think it just helped our future a little bit. So, yeah, it’s a good trade.”
- Alex Martins is stepping down as CEO of the Magic after 14 years and taking on a new role as the vice chair of the organization, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel reports. Martins will still serve as a senior advisor to the Magic board of directors to advance long-term strategic initiatives and as a resource to team executives. The Magic don’t have plans to hire a new CEO. The succession plan also includes the third generation of the DeVos family ownership. Magic vice president of shareholder engagement Ryan DeVos will take the role of managing director while Cole DeVos will relocate to Orlando at the beginning of the 2025/26 season to work more closely with the franchise in a full-time management development program. It shows that the DeVos family has no plans to sell the franchise, Beede notes.
Magic Acquire No. 32 Pick Noah Penda From Celtics
9:34 pm: The trade is official, the Magic confirmed in a press release (Twitter link).
7:26 pm: The Celtics have agreed to trade the No. 32 overall pick to the Magic, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, who reports (via Twitter) that Boston is acquiring tonight’s No. 46 and No. 57 picks, along with second-rounders in 2026 and 2027.
With their newly acquired pick, Orlando selected French forward Noah Penda.
Penda, a 6’8″ French forward, played for Le Mans in France last season. In 37 total games with the club, he averaged 10.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.9 blocks while shooting 44.7% from the field and 32.2% from three.
Penda is a strong defender, has a good frame and has the potential to do everything well on offense. The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie had him ranked No. 21 on his board.
On ESPN’s draft broadcast, Jonathan Givony reported that multiple teams were interested in getting Penda, but some of those clubs wanted to make him a draft-and-stash prospect, which he wasn’t enthusiastic about. The Magic will be bringing Penda over right away, so he’ll be on their 2025/26 roster, according to Givony.
The 2026 second-rounder the Celtics are acquiring is the most favorable of the Detroit, Milwaukee or Orlando picks, while the 2027 second-rounder is the most favorable of Orlando and Boston, reports Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link).
Magic Use No. 25 Pick To Draft Jase Richardson
Jase Richardson is headed to Orlando. The Magic have used the No. 25 pick to draft the Michigan State guard.
Richardson had a strong freshman year for the Spartans, coming off the bench in his first 21 games before claiming a spot in the starting lineup starting in early February. In 36 total contests, he averaged 12.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 25.3 minutes per game, with an excellent .493/.412/.836 shooting line.
As Jonathan Givony of ESPN writes, Richardson is undersized for either guard position – 6’1″ and 178 pounds – and performs better off the ball than as a play-maker with the ball in his hands, but he should have real value as a shot-maker who plays with intensity on the defensive end.
The 19-year-old will provide backcourt depth for a Magic team that lost Jalen Suggs to injury for much of this season. They need to replenish their guard corps after declining the options on Gary Harris and Cory Joseph in the wake of the Desmond Bane trade.
Richardson had the distinction of being this year’s highest-ranked player by ESPN who didn’t receive a green room invitation. But the night still worked out fine for him as he’s headed to the Magic, who should be one of the East’s top teams next season.
Richardson is the son of former NBA star Jason Richardson, who spent two seasons with Orlando late in his career.
Celtics Notes: Tatum, Simons, Sale, Roster, Brown, White
Celtics forward Torrey Craig has provided an update on recovering All-Star forward Jayson Tatum. In an interview with CLNS Boston’s Bobby Manning and Noa Dalzell on their show “The Garden Report” (YouTube video link), Craig spoke about Tatum’s recovery from an Achilles surgery.
Tatum is currently four weeks into his rehabilitation, having torn the tendon in Game 4 of an eventual second round playoff series loss to New York.
“(I) see him smiling and laughing and joking around,” Craig said. “I just look forward to his recovery, the progress he’s making, and it’s always good to see him in good spirits.”
Craig, 34, is an unrestricted free agent this summer. With Tatum on the shelf through much or all of 2025/26, he may be an option the team considers on another minimum-salary contract as it looks to fill out its wing depth.
There’s more out of Boston:
- The Celtics’ newest guard, Anfernee Simons, asked to be traded away from Portland even ahead of the 2024/25 season, a source informs Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe (subscriber link). According to Washburn’s source, Simons – an Orlando-area native – had been interested the Magic. Orlando addressed its scoring guard needs with its blockbuster deal for Desmond Bane earlier this summer, but Simons eventually got the change of scenery he sought.
- Although the Celtics have yet to officially be sold to new majority owner William Chisholm, the club’s impending sale is still on track to be approved and finalized in the not-too-distant future, sources tell Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (Twitter link).
- Thanks to their deals of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, the Celtics are now below the NBA’s punitive second luxury tax apron. Brian Robb of MassLive takes a look at potential next steps for Boston following those deals.
- During a Wednesday appearance on ESPN’s “First Take” (YouTube video link), NBA insider Brian Windhorst confirmed colleague Shams Charania’s report that the Celtics are getting calls about stars Jaylen Brown and Derrick White. Windhorst suggested that Boston’s decision on whether or not to move those players may happen sooner rather than later. “There are teams in the top 10 (of tonight’s draft) who are making offers,” Windhorst said. “And you’d potentially be able to get replacement players and a draft pick. I don’t know if Brad Stevens and his staff is in love with one of these top guys. Maybe they are. But that’s what is on the table. … I say at midnight, Jaylen Brown is still a Celtic and Derrick White is still a Celtic, and they run it back, and they get ready to go in ’26/27.”
Spurs To Hire Mavs Assistant Sweeney As Associate Head Coach
Mavericks assistant Sean Sweeney has agreed to become the associate head coach of the Spurs under Mitch Johnson, Shams Charania of ESPN tweets. The Spurs’ interest in Sweeney was previously reported by Marc Stein.
Sweeney has been an assistant under Jason Kidd with the Nets and Bucks as well as the Mavericks. They’ll now lose him to an up-and-coming division rival.
Sweeney’s name has frequently popped up when head coaching jobs have come open but he has yet to land one of those coveted positions. He most recently interviewed for the Suns head coaching job.
Stein also reports that another Mavericks assistant, Jared Dudley, is being pursued by the Grizzlies and Cavaliers (Twitter link). According to The Athletic’s Fred Katz, the Mavericks opted not to extend the contracts of their assistant coaches after their 2024 run to the NBA Finals (Twitter link). That is apparently a contributing factor in those assistants seeking other jobs.
Dallas could try to convince former Lakers and Suns coach Frank Vogel, who is now a consultant to the organization, to take Sweeney’s spot, according to Stein (Twitter link). However, Vogel apparently is comfortable in his consultant’s role as he awaits another head coaching opportunity.
Another assistant, God Shammgod, is drawing interest from the Magic, Stein adds (Twitter link).