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The Orlando Magic decided Wednesday to cut ties with Devyn Marble before his contract became guaranteed. Now, according to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel, that decision will pay immediate dividends.
Rather than waiving Marble outright, says Robbins, the Magic will trade him and a future second-round NBA Draft choice to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for C.J. Wilcox and cash.
The Clippers made Wilcox, now 25, the 28th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, but he struggled to carve out a role on a veteran-laden team with championship aspirations. In 44 appearances at the NBA level, the former Washington standout has averaged 2.5 points and 0.4 rebounds per game while shooting 40.4 percent from the floor and 38.1 percent on three-pointers.
Marble, 23, played 44 games for Orlando after it acquired his Draft rights from the Denver Nuggets in the trade which also netted it Evan Fournier. Despite a strong four-year career at Iowa, Marble never found his niche with the Magic, shooting 30.4 percent from the floor.
Wilcox is older than Marble, and no more proven, but his college and NBA D-League performances at least suggest he might develop into a competent outside shooter: at Washington, he stroked 38.9 percent of his triples, a figure he raised to 42.1 percent in 26 D-League games. He may find more opportunities in Orlando than he did in L.A., but getting on the floor still won't be easy: he'll face an uphill battle for minutes given the presence of Fournier, Jodie Meeks, and Mario Hezonja on the wings.
The Clippers announced last Thursday that Wilcox will miss at least four weeks after undergoing surgery on his right hand.