Magic Starting 5: Orlando Signs Jalen Suggs' College Teammate; Power Rankings Update

The Magic Insider lists five of the biggest NBA storylines in addition to relevant Orlando Magic news and analysis.

Jeremy Brener | Sep 13, 2022

Brad Penner/USA Today Sports

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Orlando Magic

1. MAGIC SIGN JOEL AYAYI

"The Orlando Magic are adding to their roster Monday, signing former Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Joel Ayayi. Ayayi, 22, went undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft and played seven games last season for the Washington Wizards, but spent majority of his time in the G League with the Capital City Go-Go. Ayayi is a former teammate of Magic guard Jalen Suggs, and the signing sparks a reunion between the two."

2. POWER RANKINGS UPDATE

"The Magic supplied a significant amount of intrigue on draft night with their selection of Paolo Banchero, after they were widely expected to select Jabari Smith Jr., and Banchero's presence should make the Magic, like Detroit, more watchable than their win total suggests," NBA insider Marc Stein said.

3. HOWARD TO THE HALL?

"Howard began his Hall of Fame career with eight seasons in Central Florida, averaging 18.4 points per game, 13 rebounds and 2.2 blocks. He also made the All-Star team six times and was named the Defensive Player of the Year three times. In his best year, 2008-09, Howard helped lead the Magic to the NBA Finals, but Orlando fell in five games to the late Kobe Bryant and the Lakers."

4. EUROBASKET UPDATE

Germany and Magic forward Franz Wagner remains questionable for today's quarterfinal match against Greece with an ankle sprain.

5. MAGIC FACT OF THE DAY

New Magic guard Joel Ayayi started 29 games alongside Jalen Suggs in college at Gonzaga during their historic 2020-21 season, where it went undefeated before losing to Baylor in the national championship.

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Published Sep 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.