While there was no surprise activity Monday by the Orlando Magic on the first day of the NBA free agency recruitment period, they didn’t quite sit by idly either.
The Magic have decided to fully guarantee the contract of guard E’Twaun Moore for the 2013-14 season and to not submit a qualifying offer to forward DeQuan Jones, making him an unrestricted free agent. Moore, 24, started in 21 of the 75 games he played during his first season with the Magic and averaged 7.8 points and 2.7 assists. Jones, 23, played in 63 games and made 17 starts after going undrafted out of the University of Miami.
Although Jones is eligible to sign with anyone else, he is also part of the Magic’s summer league team that was announced. He is one of six players from this past season who are included on the roster, as are 2013 draft picks Victor Oladipo and Romero Osby.
Jones, Maurice Harkless, Tobias Harris, Doron Lamb, Andrew Nicholson and Kyle O’Quinn are scheduled to participate in the six-day, 10-team event that begins Sunday on the Magic’s practice court at the Amway Center.
Harris is the only player from that group not coming off his rookie season. Nicholson and O’Quinn were drafted by the Magic a year ago, while Harkless was taken by the Philadelphia 76ers and then acquired as part of the blockbuster trade that sent Dwight Howard to the Los Angeles Lakers. Lamb and Harris came over from Milwaukee in February as part of the trade that made J.J. Redick a member of the Bucks.
With Lamb and perhaps Harkless to receive the bulk of their minutes next week at the shooting guard position, it could be that the Magic will give Oladipo the opportunity to see what he can do at point guard.
The only other noteworthy point guard on the roster is A.J. Slaughter, who played last season in France and was a college teammate at Western Kentucky of 2008 Magic first-round pick Courtney Lee.
Due to space limitations, the event is not open to the public.
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