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Magic Waive Four Players

October 18th, 2025 at 12:19pm CST by Luke Adams

The Magic have cut four players as they prepare their roster for the regular season, reports Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link).

Guards Reece Beekman, Lester Quinones, and Javonte Smart were placed on waivers, along with forward Phillip Wheeler. They were four of the five Orlando players in camp on Exhibit 10 contracts — the fifth, center Colin Castleton, is having his deal converted into a two-way contract.

The Magic put out a press release (Twitter link) confirming all four cuts, as well as Castleton’s two-way conversion.

Beekman, Quinones, Smart, and Wheeler all have NBA experience, with Beekman and Quinones both appearing in double-digit games last season and finishing the year on an NBA roster.

Beekman made 36 total appearances for Golden State and Brooklyn, while Quinones played 13 times for Philadelphia and New Orleans. Smart and Wheeler didn’t finish the 2024/25 campaign under contract with a team, but Smart has made 18 regular season outings, while Wheeler saw the court in five games while on a 10-day deal with the Sixers last season.

However, unless they can find a new NBA home within the next couple days, all four players appear likely to open the 2025/26 season in the G League with the Osceola Magic, Orlando’s affiliate. Each of the four will receive a full $85,300 bonus if he spends at least 60 days with Osceola this season.

Orlando’s roster should now be set for the regular season — the team has 14 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals.

Magic Sign Javonte Smart, Phillip Wheeler To Exhibit 10 Deals

October 13th, 2025 at 6:20pm CST by Rory Maher

The Magic have signed Javonte Smart and Phillip Wheeler, per a team press release. To complete the signings, Orlando waived Jalen Crutcher and Alex Morales.

Both Smart and Wheeler received Exhibit 10 contracts, reports Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (via Twitter).

Smart holds two years of NBA experience, appearing in a total of 18 games with Milwaukee, Miami and Philadelphia while on two-way contracts with those clubs. He spent all of last season with the Magic’s G League affiliate in Osceola after signing an Exhibit 10 deal last fall.

The 26-year-old guard, who played for Team USA during the FIBA AmeriCup tournament this summer (the Americans finished in third place, winning a bronze medal), appeared in 44 games (27.1 MPG) for Osceola in 2024/25, averaging 14.1 PPG, 3.9 APG, 2.5 RPG and 1.1 SPG on .459/.359/.737 shooting.

Wheeler’s Exhibit 10 agreement with the Magic was first reported in early September. The 6’9″ forward, who went undrafted in 2022, has spent the majority of the past three seasons playing in the NBAGL and the Puerto Rican league. He made his NBA debut in ’24/25, appearing in five games with the Sixers while on a 10-day hardship contract.

Crutcher and Morales were on Exhibit 10 deals as well. Both players are now eligible for a bonus worth $85,300 if they spend at least 60 days with Osceola in ’25/26.

Orlando’s roster is still at the offseason maximum of 21 players.

Brazil Wins FIBA AmeriCup 2025

September 1st, 2025 at 10:41am CST by Rory Maher

In a Sunday night final in which both teams struggled to score, Brazil beat Argentina by a final score of 55-47 to win the gold medal at AmeriCup 2025 in Nicaragua, according to FIBA.

Brazil’s 55 points marked the lowest ever by a champion, per the press release, while the 102 combined points between the two sides were the fewest in any AmeriCup game.

It was a rematch of the 2022 final, with the Brazilian national team avenging its loss and dethroning Argentina to win its fifth AmeriCup championship (first since 2009). Argentina claimed the silver medal as the runner-up.

Brazilian point guard Yago Santos, who competes professionally in the EuroLeague with Crvena Zvezda, was named MVP of the event after averaging 17.8 points, 6.2 assists (against only 1.8 turnovers) and 3.3 rebounds on .485/.487/.880 shooting in six appearances (27.6 minutes per game).

After recording game highs of 25 points and 12 assists in Brazil’s semifinal comeback against Team USA, Santos finished the final with game highs of 14 points and five assists.

The All-Star Five was comprised of Santos, Bruno Caboclo (Brazil), Juan Fernandez (Argentina), Javonte Smart (United States) and Kyshawn George (Canada). Caboclo and Smart are former NBA players, while George — who was making his senior national team debut — is entering his second season with the Wizards.

Prior to the final, the United States and Canada competed in the third-place game. It was another rematch, with the same result as three years ago: the U.S. defeated Canada to win bronze. Team USA was led by 21 points apiece from Smart and Tyler Cavanaugh.

Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado (Puerto Rico) headlined the All-Star Five second team, with Norchad Omier (Nicaragua), Georginho De Paula (Brazil), José Vildoza (Argentina) and Mfiondu Kabengele (Canada) rounding out the group.

Omier is expected to sign an Exhibit 10 deal with the Cavaliers after going undrafted in June, while Kabengele spent parts of three seasons in the NBA, last suiting up for Boston in 2022/23. Alvarado was injured during Puerto Rico’s quarterfinal loss.

USA Team Squanders Big Lead In AmeriCup Semifinals

August 31st, 2025 at 2:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Team USA squandered a 20-point second-half lead in the semifinals of the FIBA AmeriCup in Nicaragua, according to a FIBA press release.

The Brazilian team outscored the USA squad 34-9 in the last 10 minutes of a 92-77 win and avenged their prior loss in the Group Phase. With Saturday’s win, Brazil picked up its fourth victory in 11 AmeriCup matchups against the United States. The Brazilians will play in a second consecutive final.

Brazil will face Argentina for the championship on Sunday. Argentina defeated Canada in the other semifinal matchup, 83-73. The United States and Canada will square off for third-place honors.

Bruno Caboclo, who played 105 games during his NBA career, sparked the Brazilian comeback, finishing with 20 points (11 in the fourth quarter), nine rebounds, and two blocks. He was limited to 24 minutes due to foul trouble.

Crvena Zvezda guard Yago Santos finished with game highs of 25 points and 12 assists, while Lucas Dias played all 40 minutes and had a double-double (18 points, 13 rebounds).

Former NBA guards Langston Galloway (22 points) and Javonte Smart (13 points, five assists) led the way for Team USA in the loss.

Team USA Announces 2025 AmeriCup Roster

August 8th, 2025 at 2:30pm CST by Luke Adams

USA Basketball has officially announced the 12-man roster that will represent the United States at this year’s AmeriCup tournament, which will take place from August 22-31 in Managua, Nicaragua.

The roster is as follows:

While it’s not exactly the sort of star-studded roster you’d expect from Team USA at a higher-profile event like the FIBA World Cup or the Olympics, eight of the 12 players representing the U.S. have NBA experience, with Galloway (452 regular season games) and Grant (279 games) leading the way. Pemberton, Smith, Baker, and Auguste are the only players on the roster who haven’t appeared in an NBA regular season game.

The group also has a good deal of experience in international competitions. Galloway, Pemberton, Ramsey, Smart, Cavanaugh, Reynolds, and Baker have all played for Team USA during past AmeriCup or World Cup qualifiers, while Pemberton suited up for the U.S. at the 2022 AmeriCup, earning a bronze medal with that group.

Former Rockets head coach Stephen Silas will coach Team USA during the AmeriCup and will be joined on the sidelines by veteran NBA assistants Patrick Mutombo and Brad Jones.

The U.S. has been drawn into Group A alongside Brazil, Uruguay, and the Bahamas and will play its round-robin games from August 23-26. The other two four-team groups feature Canada, Venezuela, Panama, and Puerto Rico (Group B) and Argentina, Colombia, Dominican Republic, and host Nicaragua (Group C).

Eight of 12 teams will advance to the single-elimination stage of the AmeriCup based on the results of those first three games. The quarterfinals will be held on August 28, followed by the semifinals on Aug. 30 and the final (and third-place game) on Aug. 31.

Team USA Announces Roster For February AmeriCup Qualifiers

February 10th, 2025 at 12:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Team USA has announced its 12-man roster for upcoming AmeriCup qualifiers games against Puerto Rico and the Bahamas, per a USA Basketball press release.

Four players will return to the team after representing the U.S. in the previous AmeriCup qualifying games in November. Those four players are as follows:

The following eight players will round out the roster, which will be coached by former Rockets head coach Stephen Silas:

Keita Bates-Diop, F
Norris Cole, G
Jalen Crutcher, G
John Jenkins, G
Miller Kopp, F
RJ Nembhard, G
Nassir Little, F
Reggie Perry, F/C

While this obviously isn’t the sort of star-studded roster that Team USA would typically send to the World Cup or the Olympics, it features a good deal of NBA experience. Kopp is the only one of the 12 players on the team to have never appeared in an NBA regular season game.

Ramsey and Smart have been Team USA’s top scorers in previous AmeriCup qualifying windows, with Ramsey averaged 17.8 points per game on .511/.478/.824 shooting in four outings, while Smart put up 20.5 PPG on .714/.455/.667 in two games.

Covington has the most NBA experience of any player on the team, with 614 regular season NBA appearances on his résumé. Little is among the most notable newcomers — he appeared in 237 games for Portland and Phoenix over the past five seasons, but hasn’t been on an NBA roster since being waived by Miami in October.

Bates-Diop is another new addition worth noting. The former first-round pick has made 283 NBA appearances and was poised to play in November’s qualifying games before having to be replaced at the last minute.

The qualifying rounds for the 2025 AmeriCup feature 16 teams divided into four groups of four teams each. Each club plays the other members of its group twice, with the top three from each group (12 total) qualifying for this year’s AmeriCup tournament, which will take place from August 23-31 in Managua, Nicaragua.

Team USA went 3-1 in the previous two qualifying windows, beating each of the three teams in its group once but also dropping a game to Cuba (2-2). The U.S. will play in Puerto Rico (2-2) on Feb. 20 and in the Bahamas (1-3) on Feb. 23 as it looks to secure its AmeriCup ticket.

Team USA Roster Announced For AmeriCup Qualifying Tournament

November 13th, 2024 at 8:38pm CST by Arthur Hill

Twelve players have been selected to represent Team USA in the next phase of the AmeriCup Qualifying Tournament, USA Basketball announced in a press release. All 12 have at least some NBA experience, and seven have represented the U.S. in the past.

One of the most notable names is Robert Covington, an 11-year veteran who remains a free agent after spending last season with the Clippers and Sixers. This is the first USA Basketball experience for the 33-year-old forward.

Also on the team is big man Frank Kaminsky, who was with the Suns during training camp but was waived before the start of the season. Kaminsky was hoping to return to the NBA after playing for Partizan Belgrade in Serbia last season.

Veteran forward Keita Bates-Diop, who was waived by the Timberwolves before the season began, is another prominent name on the roster. Bates-Diop divided last season between the Suns and Nets.

Rounding out the team are Henry Ellenson, Dusty Hannahs, Nate Hinton, Jahmi’us Ramsey, Chasson Randle, Javonte Smart, David Stockton, Paul Watson and Malik Williams.

Team USA will play two games in Washington, D.C., hosting Puerto Rico on November 22 and the Bahamas on November 25. Training camp will begin Friday and will run through November 21.

Former Rockets head coach Stephen Silas will coach the team during competition windows in November and February. His assistants will include Patrick Ewing and Keith Smart.

The Americans went 1-1 in the first window, splitting their games with Cuba. They will travel to Puerto Rico and the Bahamas in February.

The qualifying rounds involve 16 teams that are divided into four groups of four teams each. Each team plays the other members of its group twice, with the top three from each group qualifying for the FIBA Men’s AmeriCup tournament, which will take place August 23-31 2025, in Managua, Nicaragua.

The qualifying games can be viewed for free by setting up an account on Courtside 1891.

Magic Sign Robert Baker, Waive Javonte Smart

October 12th, 2024 at 9:30am CST by Luke Adams

OCTOBER 12: Baker’s Exhibit 10 deal with Orlando is now official, the Magic announced. To make room for Baker, the team waived Javonte Smart.

SEPTEMBER 20: The Magic have agreed to sign forward Robert Baker to an Exhibit 10 contract, agent Darrell Comer tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Baker, who played college ball at Harvard from 2017-20, has spent the last few seasons in the G League, playing for the Kings’, Lakers’, and Hawks’ affiliates. Last season, he appeared in 29 games for the College Park Skyhawks – Atlanta’s NBAGL team – and averaged 14.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in 28.2 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .448/.340/.780.

The 6’10” forward had his G League returning rights traded earlier this month from the Skyhawks to the Osceola Magic, Orlando’s affiliate. Given that context, it looks like the plan is for him to be signed and waived by Orlando and then head back this fall to the G League, where he’ll earn an Exhibit 10 bonus worth up to $77.5K if he spends at least 60 days with Osceola.

The Magic currently have a full 21-man offseason roster, so someone will need to be waived in order for Baker to officially sign his contract. Five of those 21 players are on Exhibit 10 deals, so the cut will almost certainly come from that group.

Magic Sign Three Players To Exhibit 10 Contracts

September 19th, 2024 at 11:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The Magic have maxed out their offseason roster at 21 players by signing free agent guards Mac McClung, Javonte Smart, and Ethan Thompson, the team announced today in a press release (Twitter link). All three players received Exhibit 10 contracts, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel.

McClung’s deal with the team was previously reported. The 6’2″ guard is the reigning G League MVP and two-time dunk contest champion. In 41 Showcase Cup and regular season games for the Osceola Magic last season, he averaged 25.5 points, 6.5 assists, and 4.6 rebounds in 35.5 minutes per contest, with an excellent shooting line of .492/.380/.846.

Smart, a 6’4″ guard, began last season on a two-way contract with Philadelphia but appeared in just one game for the Sixers before being waived in December. He signed with Serbian team Crvena Zvezda in January and finished the season overseas. The 25-year-old also had previous NBA stints with the Bucks and Heat.

Thompson, a 6’5″ shooting guard who went undrafted out of Oregon State in 2021, has primarily played in the G League since going pro, spending time with the Windy City Bulls and Mexico City Capitanes. He also played in Puerto Rico for Osos de Manati earlier this year.

The Exhibit 10 contracts for McClung, Smart, and Thompson would make them eligible for bonuses worth up to $77.5K if they’re waived by Orlando and then spends at least 60 days with the Magic’s G League affiliate (Osceola).

It’s worth noting that Exhibit 10 deals can also be converted to two-way contracts up until October 21 and the Magic are currently only carrying one player (Trevelin Queen) on a two-way contract, leaving two spots available. All three newcomers are two-way eligible, and McClung in particular “seems primed” to earn one of those deals, according to Beede.

Orlando had been carrying 20 players but opened up two additional roster spots earlier today by waiving forwards Tre Scott and Myron Gardner.

Javonte Smart Signs With Serbian Team

January 14th, 2024 at 8:57am CST by Arthur Hill

Three weeks after being waived by the Sixers, Javonte Smart has signed with KK Crvena Zvezda in Serbia, writes Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. The team announced that Smart’s contract will run through the end of the season and carries an option for 2024/25.

Smart, who held a two-way contract with Philadelphia, made just one brief NBA appearance before being released when the team signed Kenneth Lofton Jr. He spent most of the season with the Delaware Blue Coats in the G League, averaging 21.0 points, 5.8 assists and 3.9 rebounds in 16 Showcase Cup games.

The 24-year-old point guard began his NBA career on a two-way contract with Milwaukee after going undrafted out of LSU in 2021. He appeared in 13 games for the Bucks before being waived, then got into four more games with Miami on another two-way deal during the 2021/22 season.

Smart will provide depth for a KK Crvena Zvezda team that has experienced a series of injuries, Askounis adds. Among the recent losses are 2024 lottery prospect Nikola Topic and former NBA player Milos Teodosic. The Serbian squad is 9-12 in EuroLeague play, but leads the ABA League at 13-2.