The Orlando Magic have acquired Shabazz Napier in a trade with the Miami Heat and the point guard could be a backup option for Elfrid Payton and this comes after Aaron Gordon had to undergo surgery after playing in the NBA Summer League.
The Magic have been fairly active this offseason and they have signed back Tobias Harris in free agency and now have added Napier. According to Yahoo Sports, Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the Miami Heat have traded Napier to the Magic for a protected future second round pick. The move gives the Miami Heat a bit more breathing room on the luxury tax, while the Magic now have some more depth at point guard with Payton and CJ Watson.
The Magic are expecting to be better this season and they will have a young roster for new head coach Scott Skiles. Skiles is defensive minded and he is hoping that this run with the Magic will be a successful one after his last coaching job. Napier adds some depth to the roster for the Magic and it comes after the team also brought back Tobias Harris on a contract this summer. The team also added Jason Smith and he is a nice depth option for the team after he averaged eight point per game last season.
According to Pro Basketball Talk, the Heat will save nearly $6 million in luxury tax money on the deal and that is likely the motivation behind the move. The website reported that Miami was trying to trade Napier, Mario Chalmers and Chris Andersen this offseason and Zach Lowe at Grantland said the team would be willing to give away Napier for "nothing." The team basically did that here and it helps free up space after Napier averaged five points and 2.5 assists per game last season.
Miami was over the roster limit and this deal helps that, while the Magic have been looking to add another guard to the mix heading into camp. Napier is a solid option and it's very low risk for the Magic, as they did not give up any important assets for the point guard.
The Magic have Aaron Gordon on the mend after he had jaw surgery earlier in the offseason after playing in the summer league. According to NBA.com, there has been no timetable set for Gordon's recovery and he previously averaged 21 points and 11 rebounds in three games in the summer league. Gordon was reportedly 'horsing around' with his brother when he injured his jaw. There is a chance Gordon could miss the start of camp, but he likely will be ready to go.
Nikola Vucevic said that he thinks the Magic can compete for the playoffs in the east and he added that the team should be improved this season. Vucevic is coming into his fifth season and he comes in after averaging a very strong 19 points and 10 rebounds per game last season. Vucevic has been improving each year for the Magic and with Harris coming back, the team has a solid core to build around for a few years.
Check here for more on the Orlando Magic offseason moves.
