Magic Draft Pick Caleb Houstan Signs Contract: Details

Houstan was drafted with the 32nd overall pick in last month's draft.

Jeremy Brener | Jul 13, 2022

Magic Draft Pick Caleb Houstan Signs Contract: Details /

ORLANDO - Orlando Magic draft pick Caleb Houstan is celebrating today, knowing he has a longterm contract signed with the team that drafted him 32nd overall in last month's draft.

According to a press release, Houstan signed his contract over the weekend but the terms were not disclosed by the team.

However, those details are now public.

According to HoopsHype, Houstan signed a four-year contract worth $8.2 million. The first two years of the deal are fully guaranteed, while his third year is non-guaranteed and the fourth year is a team option. For a second-round pick, this is one of the richest rookie deals in NBA history.

But Houstan has shown that he is worthy of the contract.

In the Magic's Summer League opener last week, Houstan scored a team-high 20 points in a win over the Houston Rockets. Houstan hasn't been able to post those kind of numbers in the games since, but he's shown enough to warrant a lucrative contract.

Houstan was a top-10 prospect in high school in 2021 and joined Michigan in the No. 1 recruiting class in the country.

However, Houstan didn't tear up the Big Ten like many expected him to and he fell down draft boards throughout the season. When declaring for the draft, Houstan maintained his college eligibility before receiving feedback from NBA teams. The feedback he received was enough to keep him in the draft.

Houstan likely stayed in the draft because he has a ton of upside as a 6-8 wing that can defend and play multiple positions. There's an untapped ceiling if he can find the magic that made him a top-10 high school recruit, but he's going to have to earn minutes in a crowded wing rotation if he wants to get there.

Houstan likely spends majority of his rookie year in the G League with Lakeland before getting an opportunity late in the year with Orlando.

Houstan is a developmental project that can work if he earns the minutes, but he'll likely have to wait his turn and/or outplay the other wings on the roster.

Published Jul 13, 2022

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.