Guard/forward Terrence Ross intends to sign with the Suns once eligible for free agency, after agreeing to a contract buyout with the Magic, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Earlier in the day, Wojnarowski reported that the Mavericks had emerged as the frontrunner to sign Ross — though he apparently had a change of heart after being pursued by Phoenix, which recently acquired star forward Kevin Durant.
Ross, 32, is 6-foot-6 and averaging 8.0 points and shooting 43 percent from the field in 42 games. His scoring average and minutes per game (22.5) are the lowest since his rookie season of 2012-13.
The Magic had trade conversations regarding Ross but were unable to land a deal ahead of Thursday’s deadline. He made it known before the season that he would like to play for a contender, though never requested a trade.
Ross will have to wait 48 hours to clear waivers before entering free agency.
Orlando is expected to stick with its younger players in the final stretch of the regular season. Along with Ross, the Magic are also expected to reach agreement on a buyout with guard Patrick Beverley, acquired in a trade with the Lakers for center Mo Bamba.
Players must be waived by March 1 to be eligible for another team’s playoff roster.
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