Magic Announce Player Protected list after Championship Season
June 21, 2019 - National Basketball League of Canada (NBL Canada)
Moncton Magic News Release
(Moncton, NB) The Moncton Magic have announced their 2019 Player Protected list. The protected list, which allows teams to protect up to seven player's NBL Canada contractual rights was submitted to the league last week.
2019 Finals MVP Trey Kell, and 2-time NBL Canada Champion Billy White highlight the list, in a season where Head Coach and GM of Player Operations Joe Salerno says he wishes he could protect all 12 players from this years Championship team.
"This was a special group, who at the end of the season was playing at a very high level. Everyone knew what their role was, accepted it, and was competing for one common goal. I'd love to have all 12 back if we could, but that's just not how things tend to shake out in this league" commented Salerno.
Kell and White are joined on the protected list by forwards Marcus Lewis, and Wayne McCullough, along with Canadian point guard Gentrey Thomas, and big men Denzell Taylor and Nick Evans to round out the list.
Once a player is placed on a teams protective list, the protecting team retains that player's rights and has exclusive negotiating rights with the player up to roughly a month prior to the start of teams training camp for the 2019-2020 season to try and re-sign the player. The protecting team also retains the rights to trade and or release the player's right during that time. Competing NBL teams who may want to sign that protected player must wait until the protected list deadline passes which usually occurs in the late fall.
"A lot of different variables are considered when deciding who to place on your protected list. This is a big reason we conduct exit interviews with all of our guys before they leave following the season. Just because a guy is on our list, or not on our list, doesn't necessarily mean we want, or don't want that player back. I'm am very happy with our final list and feel that based on some of the feedback we received from players we made the right decisions to put our team in a position to bring a large number of our guys back next season" stated Salerno.
The Magic had their most successful season in team history in 2018-2019, compiling an overall record of 38-16 on the way to their first ever National Basketball League of Canada Championship. The Magic also set an NBL Canada record, going 24-4 at home this past season, their first in the Avenir Centre.
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National Basketball League of Canada Stories from June 21, 2019
- Magic Announce Player Protected list after Championship Season - Moncton Magic
- Five Announce Protected Player List - Sudbury Five
- NBLC Announces Protected List for 2019-2020 Season - NBL Canada
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