Patrick Gardner relaxed with his family while on Christmas break after the NBA G-League showcase and before the full regular season schedule began on December 27. An opportunity to reset flipped on its head when Gardner’s agent gave him a call around 6 p.m.
His agent told him he was traded, and his flight to Orlando, Florida, was set for the next morning.
“At first I was a little upset, I’d be leaving my family, my coaches and teammates. I realized that it was a good opportunity for me. It was a quick turnaround. I had to decide what I was going to bring to Florida,” said Gardner.
The Long Island Nets traded Gardner on December 26, 2024, to the Osceola Magic, the Orlando Magic’s G-League team, in exchange for forward Tre Scott.
Osceola’s general manager sought out Gardner and initiated negotiations with the Nets, making it known that Gardner was someone they wanted to add to their roster.
At the top of the G-League standings with the Magic, Gardner averages five fewer minutes per game, but his numbers increase with additional minutes. In 12 minutes a night, Gardner adds five points and four rebounds for the Magic, shooting 47% from the field and 45% from behind the arc. Playing 17 minutes per game with the Nets, he averaged eight points and six rebounds.
As a Long Island native, playing close to home allowed Gardner to have family and friends come see him play often. Moving to Florida does not faze him, and he adjusted well to the new environment.
Gardner now plays with Mac McClung, the three-time dunk contest champion, and gets to see McClung’s work ethic, which has gotten him into NBA games in spurts over his career.
“He has every right to be like, ‘I already won the dunk contest three times, I don’t want to be here. I should be with the [NBA Team] Magic,” said Gardner. “But he comes in and plays hard every day. That sets a great example for what a professional basketball player should be.”
Gardner is no stranger to grinding; the G-League pro worked his way from JUCO to Division I at Marist, displaying his unique skill set. That journey earned him a spot on the Miami Heat’s Summer League roster and an Exhibit-10 contract with the Brooklyn Nets, a training camp opportunity as well as a G-League roster spot, with potential NBA-bound implications.
Gardner never got the call-up, but believes he developed well with the Nets and is happy with his progress. He credits G-League Nets assistant coach Tevin Baskin for pushing him to become a better pro.
In his one year at Marist, Gardner averaged 19 points and six rebounds per game on 50/38 shooting as a 6-foot-11 center. The Red Foxes struggled mightily in 2022-23, but Gardner helped create a Cinderella run in the MAAC tournament, as Marist reached the final, their first in program history, as the lowest No. 11 seed.
Marist lost in the final, but Gardner earned All-MAAC second team honors and worked out for 10 NBA teams in the pre-draft process, showing off his left-handed shot.
“The biggest thing I learned was that a lot of players are talented, and what’s going to separate you is your hard work,” said Gardner. “Your routines, what you do to stay in shape and all the little things that you have to consistently build.”
Gardner has focused on impacting the game outside of scoring, honing in on rebounding and defense with scoring as “the cherry on top.”
He has kept track of the Red Foxes, catching some games when he has the chance, including a visit to Stony Brook to watch in person last November. The former All-Conference player has maintained contact with the coaching staff due to their initially strong relationship. Dwight Murray Jr., a former Rider Broncs guard and all-MAAC First Team selection, is the only other MAAC player in the G-League.
Before embarking on his journey in the G-League, Gardner played for Team Egypt. His mother, Marwa, is Egyptian, making his time with the team significant for him and his family.
“It’s always been my dream to play for them. I’m hoping to put the country on the map as much as I can,” said Gardner.
He participated in the FIBA World Cup in 2023, the 2024 AfroBasket Qualifiers and the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifiers.
His time playing in that realm taught him the importance of conditioning and strength because the players he faced had a different level of physicality.
“They have such a firm base that you can’t move them, and they would move me. I realized I had to get stronger and better conditioned because I was getting tired fast,” said Gardner.
Both FIBA and G-League offer different styles of play that Gardner had to adjust to; the G-League is an up-and-down, high-volume game that emphasizes free play, while FIBA plays a slower-paced, physical game that requires skill to open up scoring chances. The G-League has a lesser emphasis on drawing up schematics with more focus on freedom for the players to showcase their skills.
Gardner is determined to get to the NBA but does not dwell on that dream, rather focusing on what he can control and staying in the moment.
“I don’t try to think about the NBA too much, or else I might drive myself crazy. The biggest factor I control is just the work I put in. My biggest thing right now is development and improvement,” said Gardner.
Gardner found a rhythm in recent weeks, tying a season-high 16 points in a win on March 26, making four 3-pointers.
The Magic clinched the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and begin the playoff run Thursday, April 3, against either the No. 4 seed Indiana Mad Ants or No. 5 seed Greensboro Swarm.
Edited by Dan Aulbach
Graphic From Cara Lacey
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