Monday night marked the official start of NBA free agency, and the Magichave made their first move.
According to a league source who spoke to the Orlando Sentinel, Orlando has reached an agreement with free agent guard Tyus Jones for a one-year contract worth $7 million.
Official free agency signings by teams begin at 12:00 ET on July 6.
It is anticipated that Moe Wagner will return to Orlando in free agency, despite the fact that nothing is official.
Jones, a seasoned point guard who is starting his eleventh season in the NBA, had previously been associated with Orlando. The deal between the parties was first reported by ESPN.
According to The Athletic,When Jones played for the Wizards on an expiring contract, the Magic asked him about his availability on Sunday night before the trade deadline for the 2023–24 season.
Over the past three years, Jones has averaged at least 10 points and five assists each game. He averaged 10.2 points, 5.3 assists, 2.4 rebounds, and nearly a full steal (0.9) per game during the previous season with the Suns.
He also doesn’t make many errors. According to NBA.com, Jones (4.71) was second in assist-to-turnover ratio among all players who played in at least 50 regular-season games during the 2024–25 season, only surpassed by Tyrese Haliburton of Indiana (5.61).
Jones is also connected to Desmond Bane, a recently acquired Magic guard. In Memphis, where Bane played for the first four years of his career, the two were teammates for three years.
This summer, Orlando has made several roster reorganizations, some of which were done in anticipation of free agency.
First, in exchange for Cole Anthony, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and several future first-round selections, the Magic got 27-year-old Bane, a 3-point shooting guard who can also assist in creating offense for others.
As part of the Bane trade, Orlando then turned down the club options on veteran guards Gary Harris and Cory Joseph, allowing them to become unrestricted free agents.
The Magic selected French forward Noah Penda in the second round after selecting Michigan State’s Jase Richardson with the 25th pick.
With ten players signed to regular contracts and the organization below the luxury tax level, Orlando rejected the team options for reserve wing Caleb Houstan and Wagner on Sunday.
Both players’ Bird rights were kept by the Magic so they could rejoin the team in free agency.
Orlando would have two two-way contracts available in addition to three regular roster spaces to fill if Richardson and Penda were signed.
Guard Mac McClung received a two-way qualifying offer from Orlando on Monday morning, according to a league source who spoke to the Sentinel. For the upcoming season, McClung is limited to a one-year, two-way contract with Orlando; alternatively, he can look for a regular contract from another team.
The Magic have strengthened their backcourt with the addition of Jones, a veteran.
You can contact Jason Beede at [email protected].
