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Magic sign pair of guards to NBA training camp deals
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- Magic sign pair of guards to NBA training camp deals
The Magic signed free agent guards Malaki Branham and JD Davison on Thursday night, the team announced.
Both Branham and Davison signed Exhibit 10 contracts with Orlando , a league source told the Orlando Sentinel .
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An Exhibit 10 contract is a non-guaranteed deal that allows players to join an NBA team for training camp. Most players who sign Exhibit 10 deals end up getting eventually waived, but there are financial incentives tied to the contract.
Teams can convert an Exhibit 10 contract to a two-way contract, which allows players to go between the NBA and G League for up to 50 NBA games (although they're not eligible for the postseason). Teams can sign up to three two-way contracts, and the Magic currently have all three spots filled: Colin Castleton, Alex Morales and rookie draft pick Izaiyah Nelson.
Neither Branham nor Davison, however, are eligible to sign a two-way contract due to their four years of NBA experience.
Still, if a player on an Exhibit 10 contract is waived and then spends at least 60 days with the team's G League affiliate (in this case the Osceola Magic), they'd earn a bonus worth up to $91,000 this season. A player on an Exhibit 10 deal could also earn a standard NBA contract depending on how they perform in training camp and the preseason, but that path is generally less likely.
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After signing Branham and Davison, the Magic have 19 players on their roster: 14 standard-contract players, three two-way players and two on Exhibit 10 deals. Although NBA rosters are limited to 15 standard-contract players during the regular season, teams are allowed to carry up to 21 players during the offseason. While two-way players don't count toward the 15-man maximum during the regular-season, they do during the offseason.
Branham and Davison have played in their fair share of NBA games. The two have also spent time in the G League.
Branham, the No. 20 pick in the 2022 NBA draft, has appeared in 216 regular-season NBA games with San Antonio and Washington, averaging 8 points, two rebounds and 1.6 assists during 17.8 minutes per night. The 6-foot-5 guard also played in nine career G League regular-season games with Austin and Cleveland, averaging 20.6 points, 4.3 assists and 4.1 rebounds in 24.9 minutes per night.
Davison, drafted in the second round in 2022 with the No. 53 pick, has appeared in 64 career NBA regular-season games with Boston and Houston, averaging 2.1 points, 1.1 assists and a rebound during 6.5 minutes per contest.
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The 6-foot-4 guard has also played in 89 career G League regular-season games with Maine and Rio Grande Valley, averaging 20.1 points, 8.2 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 33.6 minutes per night.
Davison earned All-NBA G League third-team honors in 2023-24 and was named the 2024-25 G League Most Valuable Player, earning All-NBA G League first-team honors that season as well.
The Magic and new coach Sean Sweeney open training camp Sept. 29 at the AdventHealth Training Center.
Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com
