Magic waives 3 players after preseason win vs Heat

The Orlando Magic closed out the preseason with a convincing win over the Miami Heat, and less than a day later, they began trimming the roster ahead of opening night.

The Magic announced they have waived Malaki Branham, JD Davison, and Kevin Knox II. All three joined Orlando during the offseason as camp additions competing for a spot heading into the regular season.

Orlando beat Miami 136-115 on Friday night at Kia Center to finish the preseason 3-1. Paolo Banchero led the way with 24 points, going 13-of-16 from the free-throw line in 27 minutes. Desmond Bane added 23 points on 7-of-12 shooting from deep, while Nikola Vucevic posted 13 points and seven rebounds in his first game back in a Magic uniform in five years.

The win came at a cost, though. Franz Wagner left late in the third quarter with soreness in his right arm, Jase Richardson exited with a sore lower back, and Noah Penda departed in the first quarter with right hamstring tightness. Anthony Black, who sat out the entire preseason with a hamstring injury, and Jonathan Isaac also remain sidelined.

Branham was the 20th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. He spent his first two seasons with the San Antonio Spurs before moving to the Washington Wizards, and he was dealt twice at the 2026 trade deadline before the Charlotte Hornets waived him in February. He signed an Exhibit 10 deal with Orlando in early September.

Davison signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Magic on the same day. The former Alabama guard was a second-round pick of the Boston Celtics in 2022 and won G League MVP with the Maine Celtics in 2024-25 before Boston waived him the following summer.

Knox, the ninth overall pick by the New York Knicks in 2018, signed with Orlando in late September. He has appeared in 320 NBA games with five franchises, averaging 7.3 points per game, and spent last season with the G League’s Windy City Bulls.

With the preseason in the books, Orlando turns its attention to the regular season. The Magic open their 2026-27 campaign at home against the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, Oct. 21, and the health of Wagner, Richardson and Penda will be worth monitoring in the days leading up to tipoff.