'Great Professional' Admiral Schofield Has Inspiring Message for Magic Teammates

Hard work pays off.

ORLANDO - When the Orlando Magic kick off the Las Vegas Summer League against the Houston Rockets, veteran Admiral Schofield will play an important role for his team.

Schofield, 25, is playing in his third Summer League, and it could very likely be his last. As the Summer League veteran in the group, Schofield had a strong message for his teammates going into the foray of games this week.

"I've been a starter, I've been on the bench, I've been starting then on the bench, and then not playing," Schofield said in a team huddle. "The best thing you can do is be a great professional on the bench."

Schofield joined the team in December on a 10-day contract after a league-wide COVID outbreak sidelined dozens of players around the league. Schofield stuck on and signed a two-way contract later in the season. During his season with the Magic, Schofield averaged 3.8 points per game.

According to Khobi Price of the Orlando Sentinel, the Magic extended a qualifying offer to Schofield, making him a restricted free agent this summer.

Should Schofield accept the qualifying offer, he will be guaranteed to make $50,000 next season.

By extending him the offer, the Magic has shown interest in continuing to develop Schofield.

The team also showed a sign to keep him by placing him as a late addition on the Summer League roster. And it appears that he's making the most of it by adopting a leadership role with the young Magic squad.

Schofield shouldn't be seen as a guaranteed option moving forward for Orlando, but this year's Summer League should add a bit more clarity for his career moving forward.