The Orlando Magic recently signed four free agents – guard/forward Jarrett Culver, guard Myron Gardner, forward Jalen Slawson and forward Tre Scott, President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman announced.
Culver (6’6”, 195, 2/20/99) played in 29 games (22 starts) last season with Rio Grande Valley of the NBA G League, averaging 20.9 ppg., 6.9 rpg., 3.6 apg. and 1.93 stlpg. in 32.4 minpg., while shooting .380 (65-171) from three-point range.
Originally selected in the first round (sixth overall) of the 2019 NBA Draft by Phoenix, Culver has appeared in 144 career NBA regular season games (43 starts) with Minnesota, Memphis and Atlanta, averaging 6.5 ppg., 2.8 rpg. and 1.2 apg. in 17.3 minpg. He has also played in 52 career NBA G League regular season games (36 starts) with College Park and Rio Grande Valley, averaging 19.2 ppg., 7.2 rpg., 3.2 apg. and 1.60 stlpg. in 32.2 minpg.
Culver played in 75 games (58 starts) during two seasons (2017-19) at Texas Tech, averaging 14.9 ppg., 5.6 rpg., 2.7 apg. and 1.31 stlpg. in 29.5 minpg. In 2018-19, he received numerous accolades, including Second Team All-America by The Associated Press and was named the Big 12 Player of the Year. Culver led the Red Raiders to their first-ever NCAA Final Four appearance and to the 2019 NCAA Championship Game.
Gardner (6’6”, 220, 5/21/01) played in 31 games last season with Osceola of the NBA G League, averaging 4.8 ppg. and 4.3 rpg. in 15.1 minpg..
Undrafted by an NBA franchise, Gardner appeared in 46 career games (43 starts) during two seasons at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (2021-23), averaging 12.1 ppg., 8.1 rpg., 3.2 apg. and 1.17 stlpg. in 30.7 minpg. He was named to the All-Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) Second Team in 2022-23. Gardner also played one season (2020-21) at South Plains College and one season (2019-20) at Georgetown University.
Slawson (6’7”, 215, 10/22/99) played in 12 games last season with Sacramento, averaging 0.7 ppg. in 3.1 minpg. He also played and started in 30 games with Stockton of the NBA G League, averaging 13.6 ppg., 8.1 rpg., 3.9 apg., 1.43 blkpg. and 1.17 stlpg. in 34.4 minpg.
Originally selected in the second round (54th overall) of the 2023 NBA Draft by Sacramento, Slawson played in 153 career games during five seasons (2018-23) at Furman University, averaging 9.9 ppg., 5.5 rpg., 2.4 apg., 1.25 stlpg. and 1.18 blkpg. in 24.0 minpg., while shooting .518 (535-1,033) from the floor. He was named the 2022-23 Southern Conference Player of the Year, leading the Paladins to the conference regular season title and their first NCAA Tournament win since 1974.
Scott (6’8”, 225, 11/25/96) played in a combined 26 games (four starts) last season with both Greensboro and Osceola of the NBA G League, averaging 6.3 ppg. and 3.0 rpg. in 18.2 minpg. He appeared in nine games with Osceola, averaging 6.2 ppg. in 13.3 minpg.
Undrafted by an NBA franchise, Scott has appeared in two career NBA regular season games with Cleveland, averaging 3.0 ppg. and 1.0 rpg. in 5.5 minpg. He has also played in 80 career NBA G League regular season games (46 starts) with Salt Lake City, Agua Caliente, Cleveland, Greensboro and Osceola, averaging 10.0 ppg., 5.4 rpg. and 1.6 apg. in 27.6 minpg. Scott has also played professionally in Puerto Rico (2020), France (2022-23) and Canada (2023).
Scott played in 136 career games (65 starts) during four seasons at the University of Cincinnati (2016-20), averaging 6.5 ppg., 5.7 rpg. and 1.3 apg. in 21.2 minpg. He was named the American Athletic Conference’s (AAC) Defensive Player of the Year and Most Improved Player in 2019-20. Scott also earned All-AAC First Team honors in 2019-20.
