Magic Center Goga Bitadze 'More Than Happy' to Return Next Season

Goga Bitadze was imperative to the Orlando Magic's early-season success, but will he re-sign after barely playing at the end of the year?

Dec 29, 2023; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic center Goga Bitadze (35) dunks the ball / Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

ORLANDO — With the story of the Orlando Magic's 2023-24 season said and done, few players had a more underrated impact on their success than center Goga Bitadze.

When Wendell Carter Jr. suffered a fractured hand and was out for 20 games, Bitadze stepped into the starting lineup and Orlando didn't skip a beat, going 13-7, including a nine-game winning streak. Bitadze also had a stretch where he started 11 of 12 games with Carter Jr. battling a knee injury, but he played sparingly for the rest of the season, as he didn't surpass 10 minutes in any of the Magic's final 17 games of the regular season. In total, Bitadze appeared in 62 games and started 33 for Orlando.

Bitadze, 24, who is set to be a free agent this offseason, averaged 5.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. He also had five double-doubles in his sparse playing time.

This won't be the first time Bitadze will have uncertainty surrounding his future. The 6-foot-10 Georgian center was waived by the Indiana Pacers in the 2022-23 season before getting claimed by the Magic. With Orlando providing him a second chance in the NBA, Bitadze noted he'd be more than open to returning next season.

"I got waived and these guys picked me up off of waivers," Bitadze said at exit interviews on May 6. "I didn't even know if I was going to stay in the league. I was already thinking about going back to Europe and these guys just took me in with open arms. This is the home [where] I want to be in. If it comes down to that and I'm still here, I would be really happy."

Orlando's success with Bitadze in the starting lineup early in the set could set him up for a decent payday in free agency. While keeping Bitadze at the right price could be a goal for the Magic with Carter Jr.'s health being a concern, the thought of them getting into a bidding war for the Georgian center seems unlikely with upcoming contracts and other potential moves they could make.

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