Career Night Spurs Confidence in Magic Two-Way Trevelin Queen: 'I'm an NBA Player'

Trevelin Queen, because of contract rules regarding two-way players, made his final appearance of the year with the Orlando Magic Friday. He did so in style, notching a career-high 25 points and fueling him with the confidence of where he belongs long-term.

Orlando Magic two-way guard Trevelin Queen notched a career-high 25 points in Friday's win over the Indiana Pacers. | Ron Haskins, Getty Images

INDIANAPOLIS – Trevelin Queen knew what was at stake Friday night in Indianapolis.

His Orlando Magic came into the contest with an already secured regular-season standing, the East's No. 7 seed, and a Play-In Tournament path to begin the postseason. With that in mind, Orlando opted to rest its starters versus the Indiana Pacers, who were following a similar philosophy after locking in their playoff plans Thursday evening.

In turn, the Magic's reserves were met with a golden chance to shine – one Queen and company needed no second invite to seize.

Queen scored a career-high, game-best 25 points in a dominant 129-115 victory Friday. He added five rebounds, four assists and three steals in

"Preparation always meets the opportunity, and I always just had a mindset coming into the game whether I was going to play or not, [I've] always got to stay ready," Queen said Friday. "I've been in this position most of my career, where it was like end-of-game minutes or throwing me in there in the fire, and I'm always prepared, always ready.

"I have a purpose bigger than myself, as do my teammates, they've got a purpose, so it's right for me to go out there and play as hard as I can for them and for myself. It's a testament to preparattion and the mindset that coach has in us and that we have in ourselves."

With his teammates eagerly egging him on, Queen was one of eight Magic players to score 10 or more points in Orlando's win, tying a franchise record for most single-game double-digit scorers for the 16th time.

"That's what these opportunities are about for these young men: being able to step into those moments, and they all took advantage of it," Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said postgame.

Orlando Magic guards Trevelin Queen and Anthony Black celebrate during Friday's game versus the Indiana Pacers. | Dylan Buell, Getty Images

For Queen, though – a two-way contract player in the final year of his deal with Orlando – the showcase may have been his last in a Magic uniform.

Two-way players are only eligible to be active for 50 NBA games in a season, and Orlando's penultimate regular-season game was Queen's 50th active game of the 2024-25 campaign. Thus, he cannot be active for the Magic in the Sunday's finale at Atlanta, and by rule, two-way contract players are ineligible to participate in the postseason.

Only players with three or fewer years of NBA service are eligible to sign two-way contracts. Queen, 28, has now appeared in NBA games in four different years (2021-22 Houston, '22-'23 Indiana, '23-'25 Orlando).

He's made 31 of his 62 career appearances this season, averaging 4.9 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.0 steals in 13.9 minutes per contest. Queen is only now eligible to be signed to standard NBA contracts.

Queen, undrafted in 2020, has been waived four times in his career. Indiana was his last stop before latching on with the Magic, and he admitted to that being at least some of his motivation Friday.

Above all, Queen has stayed the course – undeterred by his journey's multiple relocations and obstacles.

"You can't say enough about TQ," Mosley said. "The young man, with his journey, what's he's done, what he's been through, who he is to this team, his energy, his joking, but his toughness at the same [time]. He's just an unbelievable young man that is able to do so many things with this group even when he's not playing. There's an energy and focus about him, be brings that every single day."

Even with the up-and-down nature of his career, that mentality has led him to become a former G League MVP and Playoff MVP, as well as a multiple-time All-G League performer.

And, when the Magic's injury woes were at their height this year, Queen was relied upon in big moments and helped Orlando to results in a time of need.

Those experiences – all encapsulated by a career night in his Magic season send-off – let him know where he belongs.

"For myself, I wanted to have my own confidence in saying that I belong here," Queen said. "Going out like that gave me all the sense to go into the offseason and playoffs with these guys that I belong in the NBA, regardless of my situation or opportunity.

"Today gave me the confidence and belief that I am an NBA player."

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