Hampton recently revealed where he was and when he found out that he had been traded to the Magic in the deal involving Aaron Gordon.
R.J. Hampton recently revealed where he was and when he found out that he had been traded from the Denver Nuggets to the Orlando Magic in the deal involving Aaron Gordon.
Of course, the Magic acquired Hampton, Gary Harris and a first-round pick at the trade deadline on March 25 in exchange for Gordon and Gary Clark. The trade was among three different moves the Magic had made in an effort to restart and build toward the future.
Hampton, in a Q&A session on Instagram this week, said he was sitting with several of his Nuggets teammates on the team bus when he found out about the trade.
The 24th overall pick last year made the most of his time with the Magic, averaging 11.2 points, five rebounds and 2.8 assists in 26 games. He was also named the Rookie of the Month in May, posting 16 points, 7.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists.
The trade from Denver to Orlando likely caught Hampton by surprise but it will go down as perhaps one of the best things for him. He now has the opportunity to play plenty of minutes with the upstart Magic and that could help him out in the long run.
Anthony and Hampton were among those in attendance to watch the UCF Knights defeat the Boise State Broncos in a thrilling game.
Orlando Magic guards Cole Anthony and R.J. Hampton were among those in attendance on Thursday to watch the UCF Knights defeat the Boise State Broncos in a thrilling matchup.
Knights quarterback Dillon Gabriel passed for 318 yards and four touchdowns while Oklahoma transfer Jaylon Robinson hauled in six catches for 140 yards during the 36-31 win. The game was delayed by nearly three hours due to lightning in the area.
Anthony and Hampton were treated to an exciting, back-and-forth game. The lead changed hands multiple times in the fourth quarter with the Knights prevailing with a little over minutes left on an eight-yard touchdown by Isaiah Bowser, who finished with 170 yards on the ground.
The two Magic teammates were pumped up to see UCF win.
Anthony and Hampton look to be staying busy in Orlando with the offseason winding down. The Magic will begin training camp later this month as Anthony and Hampton look to build upon their solid rookie campaigns in the NBA.
An early surprise on draft night enabled Jalen Suggs to be reunited with long-time friend R.J. Hampton.
When the Toronto Raptors passed on Jalen Suggs in the NBA draft, a large contingent of fans erupted with cheer and applause inside of the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida.
The fans at the draft party knew that likely meant one thing: The Magic were selecting Suggs at No. 5.
Magic fans began chanting “Suggs! Suggs! Suggs!” once Orlando was on the clock in hopes the team would take the former Gonzaga guard. They eventually grew quiet as it became time for NBA commissioner Adam Silver to announce the fifth overall pick by the Magic.
Then, the arena erupted as Silver announced his name with the fifth pick.
Among those in attendance on Thursday were Magic guard R.J. Hampton and center Wendell Carter Jr. With the potential of landing a franchise-changing prospect, the draft proved to be a rather monumental occasion and they wanted to be on hand to celebrate the night.
The selection of Scottie Barnes by the Raptors with the fourth overall pick was the first surprise of the night. Suggs had been heavily linked to the Raptors and seemed fairly confident he wouldn’t fall past them. In fact, he didn’t even work out with the Magic.
Despite falling, Suggs loves his fit with the Magic and is ecstatic to join the organization. But, perhaps no one in that crowd was happier with the pick than Hampton.
Suggs and Hampton have known each other for several years now, and even unknowingly matched up on the court in high school. They eventually became teammates with USA Basketball in the 2017 FIBA Americas U-16 Championship and 2018 FIBA U-17 World Cup.
The two helped Team USA to gold in Argentina in 2018 after defeating France in the championship game. Suggs averaged 8.7 points, 2.7 assists and 2.4 rebounds in seven tournament games, while Hampton posted 7.5 points in two games.
“Me and R.J. go way back,” Suggs said during his introductory press conference with the Magic on Friday, which Hampton attended. “He is just great people. He comes from a great family, all down-to-earth and genuine-loving people.
“I remember sitting in a Buffalo Wild Wings with USA Basketball and R.J. and I were watching the draft like, ‘This is going to be us in a couple of years. How crazy would it be if ended up on the same team?’ It turned out that we’re here together.”
Suggs and Hampton were among 12 players that won gold in 2018 with USA Basketball. (FIBA. Basketball)
The reunion between Suggs and Hampton was possible following a trade last season that sent Hampton to the Magic from the Denver Nuggets in the deal involving Aaron Gordon.
Hampton later said the Nuggets did him a favor by sending him to Orlando because he finally had the opportunity to log significant minutes with the Magic.
He made the most of his time, averaging 11.2 points, five rebounds and 2.8 assists in 26 games. He was named the Rookie of the Month in May, posting 16 points, 7.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists.
Now, the two are part of a young roster in the beginning stages of a rebuild. They figure to be important pieces of the puzzle as Orlando looks to build toward the future.
With a roster that includes Markelle Fultz, Jonathan Isaac, Cole Anthony, Franz Wagner and others, the front office appears to have constructed a strong foundation to build around.
Suggs and Hampton will soon hit the court with the Magic in summer league, their first time on the same team in three years. They will certainly be hoping for the same result as the last time they were teammates.
Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards and Magic guard R.J. Hampton were named the NBA Western and Eastern Conference Rookies of the Month.
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards and Orlando Magic guard R.J. Hampton on Monday were named the NBA Western and Eastern Conference Rookies of the Month, respectively, for games played in May.
Edwards closed out the regular season by claiming the award in each of the last three months after averaging 27 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists. He tied a career-high with 42 points on May 5 to become just the second teenager in history with multiple 40-point games.
Meanwhile, Hampton became the seventh rookie in Magic history to win after averaging 16 points, 7.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists in eight games. He registered three double-doubles during the month while shooting 45.7% from the field.
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards and Orlando Magic guard R.J. Hampton have been named the NBA Western and Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month, respectively, for May. pic.twitter.com/jD7sVD4qsP
In addition to Edwards and Hampton, Houston Rockets guard KJ Martin, New Orleans Pelicans forward Naji Marshall, Magic guard Cole Anthony and Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball were among the other rookies nominated for the award.
Rookie Wire takes a look at the top first-year players over the last two weeks of the 2020-21 season.
With less than a week to go in the regular season, playoff races around the league are heating up as teams look to stamp their tickets into the postseason.
Of course, other teams are already looking ahead to next season and have turned things over to their rookies and other young players. One thing is certain, these rookies haven’t given up on the season as many are playing some of their best basketball.
To make sense of it all, we took a look at the best recent performances of these first-year players and ranked them in the final edition of the Rookie Wire Power Rankings this season. The rankings are not for Rookie of the Year purposes but, rather, to illustrate the best players week to week.
Hampton hasn’t been with the Magic very long, but he has already impressed head coach Steve Clifford in one area.
R.J. Hampton has only logged 22 appearances with the Orlando Magic since joining the team at the trade deadline so head coach Steve Clifford and the rest of the team are still learning about what the 24th overall pick can bring to the court.
But, Clifford loves how Hampton is fully committed to developing his game.
Joining the Magic would ensure Hampton had the opportunity to log consistent playing time. With the Denver Nuggets, Hampton played sparingly behind so many established players on a roster designed to compete for a championship.
In Orlando, Hampton has been given the green light to make mistakes on the court and develop his game. With that green light and playing through those mistakes comes a learning curve, something Hampton is ready to learn from and improve.
“The one thing I like about him as I get to know him is he is coachable,” Clifford said. “He understands that there has to be a defensive component to what he is doing if he wants to get to the point where he can play every night. If you don’t have a certain aspect at both ends of the floor to your game now, it is hard to play every night on good teams.”
Hampton is currently on his best run of the season after scoring in double figures in five straight games. During that span, Hampton is averaging 15.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game, while he also produced his first career double-double on Wednesday versus the Boston Celtics.
Clifford often cautions those listening to monitor the stats a player or team puts up during the final month of the season. For a variety of reasons, those numbers can often be empty, but he believes Hampton is learning and developing the right way.
“I think for all of these guys, one thing that has to happen, and this is what I like about him, is that he asks questions and understands that it is what you do at both ends of the floor,” Clifford said. “He has a good attitude and he learns things quickly and that is one of the more important things that I have learned in the short time that he has been here with us.”
Cole Anthony was asked about RJ Hampton tonight … In the midst of talking about him, he made sure to give a quick shout out to Denver for the trade:
When discussing trade offers for Aaron Gordon with the Nuggets, the Magic demanded that Hampton was included in the package. The Nuggets were hesitant to part ways with him because of his potential on the court but knew they had to in order to add a piece in Gordon that can help them win.
In a small sample size, Hampton has given the organization plenty of hope for the future and he projects to play a key role with the team moving forward.
When LaMelo Ball and R.J. Hampton chose to play the 2019-20 season abroad in the National Basketball League, the two players were viewed as trailblazers for the next generation of prospects. They set records when they faced each other and now can say they have squared off in the NBA.
Of course, Ball was named the NBL Rookie of the Year after a dazzling campaign with the Illawarra Hawks. Hampton offered flashes of his potential with the NZ Breakers, and showed off his skill set in a limited sample against tough competition.
On Friday, the two played each other for the first time in the NBA.
Ball led his Charlotte Hornets to the 122-112 win over the Orlando Magic after tallying 27 points, six rebounds and six assists in 33 minutes of work. On the other side, Hampton had 16 points, five rebounds and three assists for his fifth straight game in double figures.
The opportunity to play Hampton was something Ball enjoyed.
“It was definitely cool just knowing the paths we took,” Ball said. “This was the dream we were looking forward to – playing on an NBA court. We got to do that today. It’s a blessing.”
In the NBL, Hampton and the Breakers went 2-0 against Ball and the Hawks in their two matchups, but Ball and the Hornets emerged victorious in their first NBA contest.
It’s safe to say Hampton and the Magic will definitely be looking forward to the next matchup next season.
Magic players mobbed Hampton with a water shower after registering his first career double-double in the NBA.
On Monday, rookie R.J. Hampton produced his first career double-double and the 24th overall pick was promptly mobbed by his teammates with a shower of water after helping the Orlando Magic to their third win in four games.
Hampton finished with 16 points, a career-high 10 assists and seven rebounds in 35 minutes of action in the 119-112 win over the Detroit Pistons. He finished the contest by converting on 5-of-11 shots from the field and 5-of-6 from the free-throw line.
With other players having logged heavy minutes as of late, Magic acting head coach Ty Corbin kept Hampton in the game a bit longer than usual and he responded with perhaps his best performance since arriving in Orlando.
“I feel real comfortable,” Hampton said. “The guys motivate me to play to my strengths so I think that’s just a part of growing and maturing getting the experience that I’ve gotten with the Magic and that is to play meaningful minutes. Whenever I’m out there, I’m going to take the best of the opportunity.”
After getting a big bear hug from Cole Anthony and a celebratory shower from his teammates, @RjHampton14 said they're having a lot of fun right now after the win against Detroit.
— Bally Sports Florida: Magic (@BallyMagic) May 4, 2021
The contest on Monday marked Hampton’s 20th game with the Magic. After seeing little playing time with the Denver Nuggets, the team feels as though he is understanding more and more about the NBA game in his expanded role and that has resulted in some strong performances.
Hampton has now scored in double figures 10 times this season, with each of those coming with the Magic. He is coming off a career-high 18 points on Saturday, another example of Hampton taking advantage of his newfound opportunity.
His teammates have noticed him improving on a nightly basis.
“I think a lot of it is opportunity,” Magic center Mo Bamba said. “I watched Denver some earlier in the year, they played a lot of nationally-televised games, and he didn’t get much opportunity there. Him being able to get an opportunity and figuring out what works and what doesn’t work and what he wants to be in this league is huge for him.”
When Hampton first joined the Magic, he said the Nuggets did him a favor by trading him. In Orlando, Hampton will have the opportunity to see plenty of minutes and that will only pay dividends down the road for his development.
Hampton is averaging 9.6 points and 4.2 rebounds in 22.8 minutes per game since joining the Magic last month.
R.J. Hampton last month expressed happiness and excitement to join the Orlando Magic following a trade from the Denver Nuggets, and the 24th overall pick recently expounded on those comments.
The move to the Magic has given Hampton the opportunity to log heavy minutes. He played sparingly this season on a crowded Nuggets roster and now finds himself as a key member of the new-look Magic following the trade deadline.
Hampton understood playing time likely would have been scarce with the Nuggets this season and welcomed the trade to Orlando. On Thursday, Hampton expressed his appreciation for the trade on Locker Room, a live audio app.
Fascinating insight from RJ Hampton tonight via @lockerroomapp on getting traded from Denver to Orlando. He says Tim Connelly still texts him after every game and that he respects the Nuggets for giving him a chance to develop in a situation where he's getting consistent minutes. pic.twitter.com/IYZPbtQ2L8
Since joining the Magic, Hampton is averaging 9.6 points and 4.2 rebounds in 22.8 minutes over 10 games. He has already scored more points with the Magic (96) than he did in 25 games with the Nuggets (64), while he will soon surpass his minutes total.
The Magic were ecstatic to acquire Hampton, a player they were very high on during the pre-draft process. With the team in a rebuilding effort now, adding Hampton, 20, was an easy decision given his skill set and potential on the court.
Rookie Wire takes a look at the top first-year players over the last two weeks of the 2020-21 season.
By this point of the year, teams around the NBA have a good idea if they are battling for playoff positioning or pingpong balls as the season begins to wind down.
With more clarity on their prospective paths, some organizations have started to prioritize the development of rookies and other younger players. As a result, several rookies have emerged with strong performances in their expanded roles.
To make sense of it all, we took a look at the best recent performances of these first-year players and ranked them in the latest edition of the Rookie Wire Power Rankings. The rankings are not for Rookie of the Year purposes but, rather, to illustrate the best players week to week.
