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Recently Released Rocket Signs for the Orlando Magic
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- Recently Released Rocket Signs for the Orlando Magic
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
JD Davison was waived by the Houston Rockets on August 5th, 2026. Less than a month later, he signed with the Orlando Magic .
Davison had a very limited stint with the Houston Rockets in the NBA. He appeared in only 28 games, in which he averaged 2.5 points, 1.3 assists, and 1.2 rebounds in 7.8 minutes per game.
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Although his stint in the NBA was unproductive, the young point guard was very successful when playing for the Rockets' G League affiliate: the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. In only 5 starts for the team, he averaged 25.2 points, 6.8 assists, and 6.6 rebounds per game.
Although Davison does offer potential, the Houston Rockets decided to waive him for two main reasons. The first was that the Rockets had newfound depth at the guard position after signing Bruce Thornton, Marcus Smart , and Quadir Copeland. These new acquisitions left little room and opportunity for Davison.
More importantly, the Rockets were slightly above the luxury tax line, and dropping Davison's non-guaranteed $2.58 million salary for the 2026-27 season would bring the franchise below the luxury tax line, avoiding any tax penalties.
On September 3, 2026, the Orlando Magic officially announced the signing of Davison to a training camp agreement. This means that Davison will partake in the training camp and will be competing for the team's final roster spot or one of the team's two-way contract slots.
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Davison will mainly be competing with Malaki Branham . Branham was also offered an Exhibit 10 training camp contract on the same day as Davison. Branham was a 2022 first-round pick and played the 2025-26 season with the Washington Wizards .
In Washington, Branham played 28 games off the bench. Across an average of 9.8 minutes per game, he was able to put up 4.6 points, 1.6 rebounds, and .8 assists per game. Although both Branham and Davison are guards, they offer vastly different attributes to the Magic. Branham is a true scorer, while Davison is a true point guard.
Branham has already proven that he is a reliable shooter, as he shot 37.% percent from deep last season. Davison, on the other hand, has struggled with perimeter consistency and is still developing his shot.
Branham has a huge size advantage, as he stands at 6-foot-5 while having a 6-foot-10 wingspan; Davison is only 6-foot-1. However, the size difference does give Davison both a speed and vertical leap advantage. Davison is a better ball handler and passer, but Branham does have a slight edge overall.
Orlando's training camp begins on Tuesday, September 29, so we will have to wait and see who win the final roster spot.
