ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Magic showed Saturday how pleased they have been with the progress of center/forward Wendell Carter Jr., inking the fourth-year pro to a four-year contract that extends through the 2025-26 season.
Carter Jr.’s extension is, according to The Athletic, worth $50 million over the four-year period, which puts his entire contract worth about $72 million dating to his rookie signing with the Chicago Bulls. His rookie contract was to expire at the end of this season.
“It’s amazing. All of the work, all of the sleepless nights ...” Carter Jr. said. “Ever since I was a little kid I’ve dreamed about this moment and for it to finally get here is just a blessing. I give all the grace to God and I thank my parents every day for this. It’s a blessing, but it’s just the beginning. I don’t want to feel like I’m content with this.
“I want to continue to help my team win, I want to continue to do all the right things ... when you’re winning, it makes things a lot easier.”
The Magic are hoping Carter Jr. is a big part of bringing winning back to Orlando. The team showed it knew he had potential when the Magic traded NBA All-Star center Nikola Vucevic for Carter Jr. at the trade deadline in March.
“Just the fact that they traded away one of their best players for me showed they wanted me here,” Carter Jr. said. “When I got here I immediately felt the love from them and they made sure anything I needed they helped me with ... then it was just about me going out on that court and performing and showing them what I can do.”
The former Duke star played 21 games for the Magic after coming over from the Bulls, averaging 11.7 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. New head coach Jamahl Mosley certainly likes what he’s seen out of his versatile big man.
“Dell is fantastic when it comes to his ability [and] he’s a professional, he’s a worker, he’s a great kid,” Mosley said of the 22-year-old Carter Jr., who is 6-foot-10, 260 pounds. “He’s got so much upside. He’s a guy who is a foundational piece in a lot of ways of what you want. When you talk about IQ and on- and off-the-court things, he is that.
“I heard those things about him early on, but now ... I see it on a day-to-day basis.”
Jeff Weltman, Magic president of basketball operations, agreed with Mosley and he sees what he had figured he would see when the team was willing to give up Vucevic for Carter Jr.
“Obviously rookie extensions are always difficult conversations. There’s always a bridge between where a 22-year-old sits today and where he’s going to be at the end of that contract,” Weltman said. “Within that you have to find whether there’s a range to have a discussion about a contract.
“Obviously we were able to cross that bridge with Wendell’s representatives and hopefully it puts him in a good place. He’s gonna work and he’s gonna be a great teammate regardless.”
Carter Jr. is just happy to be able to see his NBA career into the future.
“It feels good, especially being with a young team ... to know they’ve got that kind of love and that kind of respect to where they understand I can bring that kind of value to the team,” Carter Jr. said. “Just the fact that they even took that chance with me ... they see the potential and they see into the future what I can do for this organization.”
Jalen Suggs remains sidelined
Magic top pick Jalen Suggs, the overall No. 5 selection this year, continues to battle what was termed a “stomach bug” and once again did not practice with the team Saturday. He status remains day-to-day with the non-COVID illness and it is unclear if he will be available for Orlando’s regular-season opener at San Antonio on Wednesday night.
Suggs missed Wednesday’s preseason finale with the illness. In three preseason games, the Gonzaga product averaged nearly 22 minutes per game and scored a total 15 points and had 11 rebounds and nine assists. He also blocked four shots and had two steals.
Meanwhile, the Magic waived guard Jeff Dowtin, guard Hassani Gravett, guard-forward B.J. Johnson and forward Admiral Schofield, Weltman announced Saturday. Orlando’s roster stands at 16 players.
