Orlando Magic to sign Polish draft pick Marcin Gortat
The Orlando Magic's Marcin Gortat goes up for a layup in front of the New Jersey Nets' Josh Davis during their teams' opening game in the 2007 Pepsi Pro Summer League at the RDV Sportsplex in Maitland on July 9, 2007.
The Orlando Magic have decided to sign center Marcin Gortat, a second-round draft pick in 2005 who has played the last two seasons in Europe.
Gortat, who played well on the Magic's Summer League team earlier this month, would become just the third player from Poland to ever play in the NBA.
Gortat, 23, is a 6-foot-11, 240-pound center who is expected to provide depth in the frontcourt and ease the loss of free agent Darko Milicic, who left the Magic recently to sign with the Memphis Grizzlies.
In five Summer League games, Gortat averaged 10 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.2 blocks. He has played the past two seasons in Germany, along with playing for the Polish National team.
He originally was a second-round pick by Phoenix, then traded to the Magic on draft night of 2005.
"We've decided to keep him here instead of sending him back to Europe again," Magic General Manager Otis Smith said. "We think he'll develop faster here, and we want to see what he can do for us. We think he can become an NBA player."
The Magic also have decided to keep power forward James Augustine for a second season and bring him to training camp. They have an option to void at least part of the second year of his contract if they waived him by Aug. 1, but they have decided against exercising that option. He was a second-round pick in 2006 out of Illinois.
Source: OrlandoSentinel.com
The Orlando Magic's Marcin Gortat goes up for a layup in front of the New Jersey Nets' Josh Davis during their teams' opening game in the 2007 Pepsi Pro Summer League at the RDV Sportsplex in Maitland on July 9, 2007.
The Orlando Magic have decided to sign center Marcin Gortat, a second-round draft pick in 2005 who has played the last two seasons in Europe.
Gortat, who played well on the Magic's Summer League team earlier this month, would become just the third player from Poland to ever play in the NBA.
Gortat, 23, is a 6-foot-11, 240-pound center who is expected to provide depth in the frontcourt and ease the loss of free agent Darko Milicic, who left the Magic recently to sign with the Memphis Grizzlies.
In five Summer League games, Gortat averaged 10 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.2 blocks. He has played the past two seasons in Germany, along with playing for the Polish National team.
He originally was a second-round pick by Phoenix, then traded to the Magic on draft night of 2005.
"We've decided to keep him here instead of sending him back to Europe again," Magic General Manager Otis Smith said. "We think he'll develop faster here, and we want to see what he can do for us. We think he can become an NBA player."
The Magic also have decided to keep power forward James Augustine for a second season and bring him to training camp. They have an option to void at least part of the second year of his contract if they waived him by Aug. 1, but they have decided against exercising that option. He was a second-round pick in 2006 out of Illinois.
Source: OrlandoSentinel.com
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