LAS VEGAS — One of the best Cinderella stories on the Orlando Magic Summer League roster also happens to be the player whom fans cannot take their eyes off of.
Bleached-blond hair covers Janis Timma’s scalp, and when he runs really fast, a yellow cowlick sometimes flaps in the air. Intricate tattoos cover his arms. And on a team full of youngsters who tend to belong in the G League more than in the NBA, Timma is an elder statesman from Latvia, a 29-year-old who has cut his teeth in sometimes smoke-filled arenas throughout Europe.
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Originally drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies with the final pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, an eternity ago for a basketball prospect, Timma might, just might, be good enough to latch on to a regular-season roster. That’s his fervent hope, anyway. He’s finally taking his shot right now.
“It’s been (a) long journey,” Timma said in accented English. “It’s been (a) long, long, long time. But it’s been a good time. I think for everybody (there) is a different road, a different story. You cannot go and do the same thing other guys did. You have your own path to do, and you just follow that.”
Timma, a 6-foot-7 forward, has developed a cult following among many Magic fans. For sure, some of their interest traces from his eccentric appearance. But their fascination mostly stems from their passion for the intricacies of roster construction. The Magic will have one conventional roster spot open after Moe Wagner signs his free-agent contract. The team also will have one two-way roster spot open when the team signs Ignas Brazdeikis to a two-way contract. Who better to use one of those spots on than Timma, an underdog who might be able to help the team?
Although rookie Jalen Suggs stole the spotlight during Orlando’s Summer League opener Monday, Timma arguably was the team’s second-best player, lifting the second unit with his long-range shooting, hustle and savvy. He scored 11 points and drained three of his five 3-point tries. He also collected six rebounds.
“He’s got the experience, and I think that’s what he showed out there, his ability to make shots,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said.
Fans assembled inside UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center cheered for Timma as much as they cheered for Suggs. Late in the third quarter, Timma collected an offensive rebound and scored on a putback layup, the kind of play you’d expect from a smart veteran. The crowd chanted, “TEE-ma! TEE-ma! TEE-ma!”
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Timma, who resembles Rutger Hauer’s character in the movie “Blade Runner,” has played for teams in Latvia, Russia, Greece and Spain, all while harboring NBA ambitions.
He grew up in the town of Kraslava, near Latvia’s border with Belarus. He said his family had a black-and-white TV during his childhood, and he didn’t know anything about the NBA until he was a 16-year-old who stood 6-foot-5.
His dad, who was his first basketball coach, found some videotapes of Michael Jordan-era Chicago Bulls games. His father already knew the results of the old games, but Janis has no idea which teams would win. Naturally, Janis cheered for Jordan.
Timma’s NBA dreams seemed possible in 2013 when Memphis drafted him 60th overall. The Grizzlies planned to stash him in Europe and see how he would develop. Timma even played Summer League ball for the Grizzlies that year.
On June 24, 2015, Timma was in Memphis at the Grizzlies’ practice facility to work out with the team, unaware that the team’s front office was facing a dilemma. Grizzlies executives wanted to complete a trade with Charlotte to acquire Matt Barnes, but they didn’t have an existing contract that could be used neatly to get Barnes.
Therefore, the Grizzlies decided to make a trade with the Magic, who were intending to waive Luke Ridnour before Ridnour’s $2.75 million salary for the 2015-16 season became guaranteed. The Grizzlies sent their draft rights to Timma to the Magic for Ridnour.
“I remember that day,” Timma said. “It was interesting. It was my first experience of this kind of move. I was at a regular workout in Memphis. I came from lifting weights and grabbed some breakfast, and then the general manager came in and said, ‘Janis, congratulations, you are traded to Orlando.’ I was like, ‘What’s going on?’ I never expected that, and I never before experienced that. So I said, ‘OK, cool, nice. Can I finish the practice?’ ”
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The Grizzlies informed him he needed to leave because they were not allowed to host a player whose NBA rights belonged to another team.
At that time, the Magic had no interest in Timma. So why did Magic general manager Rob Hennigan agree to the deal? He made the deal because he intended to waive Ridnour anyway, and it was better to get something (Timma’s draft rights) rather than merely waive Ridnour without receiving an asset in return.
The Magic have held Timma’s draft rights ever since, with no interest in bringing him to the U.S.
A few years ago, Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman and general manager John Hammond met with Timma during a scouting trip to Europe.
Timma said he has finally joined the Magic Summer League team because this offseason is the first time in his professional career that a European team has not owned his rights. No contract buyout would be required to sign him. He is a free agent who has no restrictions on where he can go.
“I just want to show that I’m ready to play here and I belong here,” Timma said.
Still, many league talent evaluators regard Timma as a fringe NBA player at best. A source with knowledge of the Magic’s thinking said it is unlikely the Magic will want to sign him. The Magic are going with a young roster, and the front office likely wants Mosley to devote playing time to younger players.
Left unsaid is the reality that the Magic are rebuilding and likely will want to make another run next offseason at another early lottery pick. Adding Timma could mean that Orlando would win an additional game or two and hurt the team’s lottery odds in the process.
But there is another possible scenario: After his strong performance Monday, Timma could continue his strong play in the Magic’s four remaining Summer League games and either prompt Magic officials to change their minds or spur another team to want to sign him to a guaranteed contract. If another team wants Timma, the Magic potentially could get a protected second-round pick for him.
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So having Timma on the Magic’s Summer League team could become a win-win for Timma and the franchise. This is his big chance — the chance he had in the back of his mind when his dad scrounged up the videotapes of the Bulls.
When asked about his unconventional journey to the precipice of the NBA, Timma said he has no regrets about following his dream eight years after he was originally drafted.
“If you decide to do something, do it, no matter when or how or how old you are or whatever,” Timma said. “Just believe it and go do it.”
(Photo: Garrett Ellwood / NBAE via Getty Images)
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