NBA Free Agency 2016: Magic extend qualifying offer to Dewayne Dedmon

Entering free agency for the first time in his short career, Dewayne Dedmon will be able to look at all his options, but where he ends up will ultimately come down to the Orlando Magic.

After a report surfaced that the team would not extend a qualifying offer to fellow big man Andrew Nicholson earlier in the day, the Orlando Sentinel's Josh Robbins reported that the Magic submitted a qualifying offer for Dedmon, making him a free agent.

The Magic have submitted a qualifying offer to Dewayne Dedmon, putting him on track to restricted free agency.

— Josh Robbins (@JoshuaBRobbins) June 28, 2016

After adding Serge Ibaka and Stephen Zimmerman on draft night, extending a qualifying offer to Dedmon is an interesting move by the Magic. They likely need to add at least one more center to the roster, be it to back up starter Nikola Vucevic, or to have a veteran safety net behind Zimmerman, should he be ready to play and contribute come the start of the season.

Dedmon would likely be a cheaper option than a lot of backup centers could be, and his familiarity with teammates would be a much needed welcoming sign for the Magic. He's one of a handful of options, and very well could continue his career in pinstripes.