Magic Adds G League Ignite Ex Kai Sotto to Summer League Roster: NBA Draft Tracker

The NBA Draft takes place tonight. The Magic Insider, powered by Sports Illustrated, is here to chronicle it for you - news and rumors from Central Florida and beyond ...

Jeremy Brener | Jun 23, 2023

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MAGIC ADDS KAI SOTTO, OTHERS TO SUMMER LEAGUE ROSTER

The NBA Draft is over, which means Summer League is around the corner.

The Orlando Magic has added former G League Ignite center Kai Sotto, Osceola Magic guard Drake Jeffries and Texas A&M guard Dexter Dennis to the roster.

Sotto went undrafted in 2021, but has made an impression overseas, leading to his Summer League invite.

Jeffries averaged seven points per game in the G League last season.

Dennis played four years at Wichita State before becoming a graduate transfer at Texas A&M. He averaged 9.5 points per game with the Aggies last season.

BILAL COULIBALY TRADED TO WIZARDS

After being selected by the Indiana Pacers with the No. 7 pick in the NBA Draft, Bilal Coulibaly is being traded to the Southeast Division rival Washington Wizards.

In return, the Pacers are taking the No. 8 pick and selecting Houston forward Jarace Walker.

It marks the first trade of what should be many in tonight's draft.

HORNETS TAKE BRANDON MILLER

After debate between Scoot Henderson and Brandon Miller, the Charlotte Hornets are taking the latter.

Miller averaged 18.8 points per game for the Alabama Crimson Tide this past season.

Miller is expected to lead the Hornets against the Orlando Magic for years to come.

WARRIORS ACQUIRE CHRIS PAUL FROM WIZARDS

The Washington Wizards, a division rival of the Orlando Magic, continues to take center stage ahead of the NBA Draft.

After acquiring Chris Paul from the Phoenix Suns earlier this week for Bradley Beal, the team is sending him to the Golden State Warriors for Jordan Poole, a 2027 second-round pick and a 2030 first-round selection, per The Athletic.

Poole was potentially a trade target for the Magic, but now he has a new home within the Southeast Division.

SCOOT HENDERSON GAINING 'SERIOUS MOMENTUM' FOR NO. 2 PICK

The Orlando Magic could be welcoming Scoot Henderson to the Southeast Division soon.

According to The Athletic, Henderson is "gaining serious momentum" towards becoming the Charlotte Hornets' selection with the No. 2 pick in tonight's draft.

The Hornets have been mulling the possibility of selecting either Henderson or Brandon Miller with their top pick, but based on this report, it could appear that the team is looking to take the G League Ignite point guard.

CELTICS GET PORZINGIS, SMART TO GRIZZLIES IN 3-TEAM TRADE

A rival of the Orlando Magic looks very different after a big trade.

After striking out on a three-team trade with the Los Angeles Clippers Wednesday afternoon, the Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards agreed to a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies by early Thursday morning to route Kristaps Porzingis to Beantown.

Here's a look at the full trade:

Celtics receive:

Kristaps Porzingis (via Wizards)
No. 25 pick in 2023 Draft (via Grizzlies)
2024 first-round pick (top-four protected, via Warriors)

Grizzlies receive:

Marcus Smart (via Celtics)

Wizards receive:

Tyus Jones (via Grizzlies)
Danilo Gallinari (via Celtics)
Mike Muscala (via Celtics)
No. 35 pick in 2023 Draft (via Celtics)

The trade ends Marcus Smart's nine-year tenure with the Celtics and lands him with the Grizzlies, where he hopes to be the veteran presence Memphis needs in order to take the next step in its path to the NBA championship.

The Wizards clear the books on Porzingis' $36 million salary, while getting a legitimate starting point guard in Tyus Jones. Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala shouldn't have prominent roles in Washington and could be routed elsewhere before the start of the season.

Ultimately, giving up Smart is pricey, but the Celtics hope this trade will get them over the hump and win their first NBA championship since 2008.

You can follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.

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Published Jun 23, 2023

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.