The Magic Insider

Magic Signs Veteran Joe Ingles; What's Next?

Joe Ingles is signing with the Orlando Magic. What's the team's next move in free agency?

Jeremy Brener

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ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic is bringing in a new face to the organization after signing Milwaukee Bucks forward Joe Ingles to a two-year, $22 million deal hours following the beginning of free agency.

Ingles, 35, averaged 6.9 points per game last season with the Bucks, his lowest total since the 2015-16 campaign with the Utah Jazz.

Adding Ingles takes away one of the two open roster spots the team had. Now, just one remains.

There are a few options the Magic can go in with its final roster spot.

Orlando delayed its decision to guarantee Bol Bol's contract for the upcoming year, which could mean that he may not be the recipient of that final spot on the 15-man roster.

The team could also re-sign Moe Wagner, the team's lone unrestricted free agent for this free agency cycle.

Bol or Wagner are the likely directions the Magic would go in as the front office is high on its core and would want to maintain the team's chemistry as much as possible.

Orlando could look to sign someone other than Bol or Wagner, and if that happens, it will likely be a center. The team only employs Wendell Carter Jr. and Goga Bitadze at the center position.

According to Spotrac, the Magic has roughly $11 million in cap space left, so the team could spend decent money on a backup big, but there aren't many options worth more than the veteran's minimum.

Orlando could also make a trade for someone, giving up draft compensation in return, to complete the team.

If there was a "favorite" for the final spot, it would likely be Wagner considering how much he played last season and how he would fit with the roster. But Orlando will explore its options before making a concrete decision.

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Jeremy Brener
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.

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