The Magic are declining the club options for reserve forward Joe Ingles and backup center Moe Wagner, but the sides are expected to continue to talk about new deals in free agency next week, a league source told the Sentinel.
Orlando had until Saturday to either exercise or decline the second year of Ingles’ $22 million deal and the second year of Wagner’s $16 million contract they each signed last summer.
By not picking up the $11 million option for Ingles and the $8 million option for Wagner, they will become unrestricted free agents.
Just because Orlando didn’t pick up the club options doesn’t mean Ingles and Wagner aren’t factors in its future. The sides can now work to negotiate more cap-friendly deals that could be less than their respective club options.
And that’s the expectation, according to a league source. For now, the move to decline their options increases Orlando’s cap space to roughly $52 million and gives the team more leverage in pursuing a high-impact free-agent signing. They can backfill the roster, which could include a new deal for Ingles and Wagner, after they finish that pursuit.
The Magic are considered to be one of multiple suitors around the league with significant cap room for Clippers forward Paul George, who on Saturday opted out of his $48.8 million to become an unrestricted free agent.
George, a 6-time All-NBA selection, is planning to set meetings with cap-space teams, including Orlando and the Clippers, beginning Sunday night, according to ESPN.
Negotiations between teams and their own free agents began the day after the NBA Finals (June 18) but talks between teams and all other upcoming free agents can’t start until today at 6 p.m.
Teams can begin signing free agents to contracts 12:01 p.m. on July 6.
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Although Ingles attempted a career-low 161 3-pointers, he still shot a team-high 43.5% from beyond the arc. Among all forwards in the NBA with at least 125 attempts of above-the-break 3s, Ingles’ 42.4% success rate from there was second best.
With 50 playoff games already under his belt, Ingles would often guide his younger teammates through a long but successful season that saw the franchise return to the postseason for the first time since 2020.
Wagner arrived to Orlando in April 2021 after he spent the first three years of his career on three different teams (Lakers, Wizards and Celtics). That summer he re-signed with the Magic and did so again last year.
The 25th pick in the 2018 NBA draft, Wagner has since found a home in Orlando and thrived in his role as a reserve center. This season, he recorded career-highs in scoring (10.9 points), effective field goal percentage (63.6%), rebounds (347), assists (96), steals (39) and blocks (21).
Beyond declining or picking up the club options, the Magic could have pushed the guarantee dates later, if mutually agreed upon.
Jason Beede can be reached at [email protected]
