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
— Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) April 16, 2021
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.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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