Former Princeton star basketball player Devin Cannady ’20 signed a multiyear contract extension on Sunday with the Orlando Magic.
Cannady, 25, previously signed a 10-day contract on March 31, and played in the Magic’s final five regular season games. The deal is partially guaranteed, although the exact details have not been released by team officials. Cannady is just the 11th Princeton player in history to play in the NBA.
After an illustrious four year career at Princeton from 2015–2019, Cannady first signed a deal with the Orlando Magic in 2020. He finished his college career as Princeton’s fifth all-time leading scorer, while ranking third in Princeton history in three pointers made and first in free throw percentage. As a Tiger, he also earned All-Ivy honors twice and averaged over 14 points per game during his four seasons at Princeton. He was waived by the Magic in 2020, at which time he began playing for the Orlando Magic’s NBA G League affiliate, the Lakeland Magic. The G League is the official minor league of the NBA.
The success he attained in college continued in the G League. He averaged 11.7 points per game during the 2020-21 G League season and eventually was named Championship Game MVP after dropping 22 points in the title game. The Lakeland Magic beat the Delaware Blue Coats by a score of 97–78, claiming the team’s first G League title.
After this run of success, Cannady earned a second 10-day contract with the Orlando Magic in 2021. He played in eight games, scoring a career-high 17 points in a game against the New Orleans Pelicans. Sadly, he would go on to suffer a severe ankle injury that would keep him off the court for almost a year.
Now, he is back and playing some of the best basketball of his career, cementing his spot in the NBA. Cannady suited up for the Magic in their final regular season games against the Toronto Raptors, New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Charlotte Hornets, and Miami Heat. He averaged 10 points per game across the five games, including a 15 point performance against the Heat in the season finale. Cannady averaged over 27 minutes per game during the stretch, and shot just over 40 percent from three-point range.
After his first game back with the Magic, Cannady told Dan Savage of orlandomagic.com that he was “having fun” and said that it “felt good to be back.” He went on to describe his 11-month return from injury as a “grind” and said, in reference to his return to the NBA, “whether I made every shot or missed every shot, I was gonna have fun out there.”
Whether it was his optimistic demeanor, well-rounded play, or a combination of the two that convinced coaches and team executives to sign him indefinitely, the bottom line is that his place in the NBA is secure for the near future.
The Magic finished the season with a record of 22–60, the second worst in the league behind only the Houston Rockets. Via the Draft Lottery, Orlando will have the second best odds to land the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. Anchored by a young core of Cole Anthony, Mo Bamba, Franz Wagner, and Jalen Suggs, the Magic will look to continue to rebuild next season, and Cannady is now guaranteed to be along for the ride.
Kameron Wolters is a contributor to the Sports section at the 'Prince.' He can be reached at kw9217@princeton.edu or on Instagram at @kam.wolters.
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