The team will be rebranded as the Osceola Magic and their new home will be in Osceola Heritage Park, beginning play at Silver Spurs Arena in November 2023, CEO and Managing Partner Alex Martins announced Tuesday.
The team’s new name and logo were already on its Twitter account by early afternoon.
“We are excited to bring the Magic and NBA G League basketball to Osceola County, Kissimmee and Osceola Heritage Park,” said Martins in a press release. “We would like to thank Osceola County Chairwoman Viviana Janer, County Manager Don Fisher and Osceola Heritage Park General Manager Robb Larson in assisting us in making this move a reality. We look forward to being an invested community partner in Kissimmee and Osceola County.”
In 2017, Orlando’s league team moved to Lakeland from Erie, Pa. In 2021, the Lakeland Magic won the G League championship. According to the Magic’s website, the G League is the NBA’s official developmental league, preparing players, coaches, officials, trainers and front office staff for careers in the NBA, while acting as the league’s research and developmental laboratory.
The NBA G League features 30 teams – 28 with one-to-one affiliations with NBA franchises. This past season, 49 G League players earned NBA call-ups. During the 2022-23 season which ended March 25, seven members of the Orlando Magic spent time in the G League with their affiliate.
News of the move was disappointing for Tony Camarillo, the RP Funding Center manager, who had been negotiating with the team.
“We feel confident we can replace the (Magic’s) revenue plus more,” Camarillo said.