October 26, 2013
Orlando, FL -- The Orlando Magic have exercised their third-year team option on the contracts of forward Maurice Harkless and Andrew Nicholson, while also exercising their fourth-year team option on the contracts of Tobias Harris and Nikola Vučević, General Manager Rob Hennigan announced today. Per team policy, terms of the deals are not disclosed. All four players are now under contract through the 2014-15 season.
Harkless (6-9, 220, 5/11/93) played in 76 games (59 starts) during his rookie campaign (2012-13) with Orlando, averaging 8.2 ppg., 4.4 rpg. and 1.16 stlpg. in 26.0 minpg. He ranked sixth in the NBA in steals-to-turnover ratio (1.28, 88/69) and 40th in steals. Harkless also ranked among all NBA rookies in scoring (11th), rebounding (9th), field goal percentage (8th, .461), steals (2nd) and blocked shots (8th, 0.82 blkpg.). He was acquired by Orlando as part of a four-team, 12-player trade on Aug. 10, 2012, along with Vučević. Harkless was originally selected in the first round (15th overall) of the 2012 NBA Draft by Philadelphia.
Harris (6-9, 235, 7/15/92) was acquired by Orlando in a six-player trade with Milwaukee on Feb. 21, 2013. He appeared in 55 games (34 starts) with both the Magic and the Bucks in 2012-13, averaging 11.0 ppg., 5.2 rpg. and 1.3 apg. in 23.6 minpg. In 27 games with Orlando, Harris averaged 17.3 ppg., 8.5 rpg., 2.1 apg. and 1.37 blkpg. in 36.1 minpg. On Mar. 29 @ Charlotte, he poured in a career-high 30 points, becoming the second-youngest player in Magic history to score 30+ points in a game (20 years, 257 days old). Harris was originally selected in the first round (19th overall) of the 2011 NBA Draft by Charlotte.
Nicholson (6-9, 250, 12/8/89) played in 75 games (28 starts) during his rookie season (2012-13) with Orlando, averaging 7.8 ppg. and 3.4 rpg. in 16.7 minpg., while shooting .527 (256-486) from the field. He ranked among all NBA rookies in scoring (14th), rebounding (16th), field goal percentage (4th) and free throw percentage (5th, .798). Nicholson participated in the 2013 BBVA Rising Stars Challenge at NBA All-Star Weekend, tallying six points and three rebounds in 10 minutes.
Vučević (7-0, 250, 10/24/90) appeared and started in 77 games in 2012-13 for Orlando, averaging 13.1 ppg., a team-high 11.9 rpg., 1.9 apg. and a team-best 1.03 blkpg. in 33.2 minpg., while shooting .519 (461-889) from the floor. He ranked second in the NBA in rebounding, third in double-doubles (team-high 46), tied for 21st in field goal percentage and tied for 33rd in blocked shots. Vučević finished fourth in voting for the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award. On Dec. 31 vs. Miami, he broke the franchise record for most rebounds in a single game, pulling down 29 boards and breaking the mark previously held by Shaquille O’Neal (28, Nov. 20, 1993 @ New Jersey).