The Orlando Magic are heading into Las Vegas Summer League without a marquee rookie from this year’s draft, but one of the more interesting names on the roster is a familiar one to college hoops fans: TyTy Washington.
Washington, the former Kentucky point guard who most recently spent last season with the LA Clippers, is a different kind of swing for Orlando. He doesn’t match the usual mold the Magic chase, but his scoring touch could make him worth a longer look in the desert.
Washington came into the 2022 NBA Draft with plenty of buzz from draft analysts. He was viewed as one of those polished John Calipari guards who had been boxed into a difficult role at Kentucky and was ready to show more. The selling points were clear: a smooth jumper, sharp passing and enough skill to make up for questions about size and athleticism.
That skill has shown up loudly in the G League. Over four regular seasons there, Washington has put up 22.2 points and 7.3 assists per game while shooting 39.6 percent from three. In the G League playoffs, he has taken it up another level, averaging 32.6 points, 8.3 assists, 7.6 rebounds and three made threes per game on the same 39 percent shooting from deep.
At that level, he has been a problem with the ball in his hands.
The frustrating part is that production has not translated into a real NBA runway. Washington has bounced through four teams in four seasons. The Houston Rockets gave him 31 games as a rookie on a bad team, but the role was small and the results were inefficient.
After that, the Milwaukee Bucks, Phoenix Suns and LA Clippers each used him sparingly, with an average of 14 games apiece. His lack of separation is still an issue, but most of those minutes have come in garbage time, without much of a chance to show what he can do.
Even so, Washington did make the most of his time with the Clippers last season. He was excellent in the G League and, in limited NBA minutes, posted seven assists, 2.5 steals and 1.2 blocks per 36 minutes.
He is still only 24, and the talent is obvious. Orlando may not be the most natural fit for him, but the Magic also do not have anyone on the bench with quite his skill set.
If Washington is going to stick, Summer League has to be the launch point. He will need to play at a level that forces the issue and gets him into Training Camp conversation.
Otherwise, the next stop could be overseas.
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