Orlando Magic Veteran Expected To Sign With Phoenix Suns Upon Buyout Agreement
On Saturday afternoon, reports surfaced about the Orlando Magic and veteran shooting guard Terrence Ross progressing towards a buyout agreement with Ross expected to join the Dallas Mavericks.
However, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Saturday evening that the Magic and Ross are set to agree to a buyout, but that the veteran will be joining the Phoenix Suns instead.
Adrian Wojnarowski: "After Suns owner Mat Ishbia and coach Monty Willams joined the pursuit, G Terrence Ross plans to sign with the Phoenix Suns, sources tell ESPN. Ross, finalizing a contract buyout with the Magic, brings his 38% 3-point shooting to Suns' title pursuit."
According to Wojnarowski, the Mavericks had emerged as a front-runner to sign Ross, but Phoenix presented the opportunity to play alongside Kevin Durant and bolster the Suns' depth on the wing in pursuit of a championship.
Ultimately, this was too good of an opportunity for Ross to turn down late in his career, which is why he flipped from wanting to go to Dallas to now set to sign with Phoenix once he becomes a free agent.
Ross, 32, is in his 11th NBA season and his seventh season with the Orlando Magic. Joining the franchise during the 2016-17 season, Terrence Ross has always been a go-to scoring option for Orlando off-the-bench, but his role has declined in the last couple of seasons.
Now in the final year of his contract and unable to move him at the trade deadline for value, the Magic are prepared to let their veteran guard pursue other opportunities this season, especially since Orlando is not in a playoff position and since they had no aspirations to keep him past the expiration of his current deal.
Trading away Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, Jae Crowder and a ton of draft assets over the next several seasons, the Phoenix Suns made the biggest addition at the trade deadline with Kevin Durant coming to the desert.
With Durant set to play alongside Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton, the Suns are now the favorites to win the Western Conference and possibly get back to the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021.
Averaging 11.0 points and 2.8 rebounds per game while shooting 36.2 percent from three-point range for his career, Terrence Ross will be a key scoring option for this team to turn to on the wing.
In 42 games with the Magic this season, Ross averaged 8.0 points per game and shot 38.1 percent from three-point range.
As long as Ross agrees to the buyout with Orlando by March 1, he will be eligible to be on the Suns' playoff roster.
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