By HENRY FREDERICK / Headline Surfer
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Mo Bamba agreed to a new contract with the Orlando Magic that will pay him $21 million over the next two seasons, but long-suffering fan Bob Morrison doesn't see the team going deep into NBA playoffs, if at all next season, even with Duke forward Paolo Banchero selected first overall in the recent draft
Bamba, the sixth overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, had reportedly drawn interest from several other teams before re-upping with the Magic last week.
The third-year center, who last year had the best season of his young career, started 69 games for Orlando, averaging 10.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game.
Bamba is viewed as having a lot of potential for this young, rebuilding Magic squad, who had the first overall pick in the 2022 draft and selected Duke forward Paolo Banchero. The Magic are building around 2021 first-rounders Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner and 2020 first-rounder Cole Anthony.
The Magic also resigned small forward Gary Harris to a contract extension.
With Bamba and Harris now in the fold, Orlando is not expected to pursue any marquee-free agents with most of the top free agents off the market now with a flurry of activity in the past couple of weeks.
Morrison, who grew up in New Smyrna Beach, and now lives in Tallahassee, has been a long-suffering Magic fan, though he grew up rooting for the Cleveland Cavaliers long before superstar LeBron James entered the league in the early '90s. Morrison said he believes Bamba's re-signing is a good investment for the Magic. "
Bamba is a good young player," Morrison said. "That is not a bad contract for him." As for high hopes of a return to the post-season, especially with the 6-10 freshman Banchero from Duke taken first overall in the 2022 NBA Draft last month, Morrison is not optimistic.
Morrison, who grew up in New Smyrna Beach, and now lives in Tallahassee, has been a long-suffering Magic fan, though he grew up rooting for the Cleveland Cavaliers long before superstar LeBron James entered the league in the early '90s. Morrison said he believes Bamba's re-signing is a good investment for the Magic. "Bamba is a good young player," Morrison said. "That is not a bad contract for him." As for high hopes of a return to the post-season, especially with the 6-10 freshman Banchero from Duke taken first overall in the 2022 NBA Draft last month, Morrison is not optimistic.
"I saw him here in Tallahassee in Duke's loss to FSU," Morrison said. "I was not too impressed with him, especially as the first overall pick," I'm not sure I would say this Orlando Magic team is up and coming. They are improving, but so are many other teams.,"
Morrison added this caveat of intrigue: "The most interesting thing involving the Magic to me is the rumor that Shaq wants to buy them. That would shake things up. The current owners have not done much for many years."
Magic Fan Bio: Bob Morrison, 62, grew up in New Smyrna Beach and graduated from New Smyrna Beach High School in 1978. He earned his Bachelor's degree from Florida State University in 1983. He works as a hearing aid specialist at Costo in Tallahassee where he resides with his wife, Susan, and their son, Sam Jr. The family regularly returns to the hard sands of New Smyrna Beach for fvisits with family and friends from back in the day. Morrison, a huge sports fan has been counted on over the years for quotes and color about significant college and pro sports events covered by Headline Surfer.
About the Byline Writer: Henry Frederick is a member of the working press and publisher of Headline Surfer, the award-winning 24/7 internet news outlet launched in 2008, that serves greater Daytona Beach, Sanford & Orlando from Lake Mary, Florida via HeadlineSurfer.com. Frederick has amassed close to 150 award-winning bylines in print & online. He earned his Master of Arts in New Media Journalism from Full Sail University in 2019. He was a breaking news reporter (metro cops & courts beat) for the Daytona Beach News-Journal for nearly a decade. And Before that worked the same beat for The Journal-News/Gannett Suburban Newspapers in Rockland/Westchester counties, NY, dating back to 1989. Having witnessed the execution of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Florida's death chamber and covering other high-profile cases, Frederick has appeared on national crime documentary shows on Discovery ID, Reelz, and the Oxygen Network series "Snapped" for his analysis. • Award-Winning Journalism: Florida Press Club recognizes Headline Surfer for nine stories in 2020 statewide competition. • Award-Winning Journalism of Henry Frederick.