The Fantasy Basketball Encyclopedia

Player Dossier · Orlando Magic

Goga Bitadze

Goga Bitadze is a strong per-minute rebounds, FG, and blocks streamer trapped behind two veteran centers in Orlando's healthy base rotation.

Related: Wendell Carter Jr. · Nikola Vucevic · Jonathan Isaac · Colin Castleton

Information cutoff: 2026-07-18.

Projection card

GP MPG FG FT 3PM PTS REB AST STL BLK TO
62 9.0 .640 (1.4/2.2) .700 (0.7/1.0) 0.0 3.5 3.0 0.8 0.4 0.6 0.4

Healthy active-game allocation: 9 minutes. Confidence: low-medium on minutes, high on the direction of the role squeeze.

Correction 2026-07-18: this card previously projected 5.0 MPG. A ten-minute cut from his 2025-26 role (64 games at 15.2 minutes) is more than the addition of one 35-year-old minimum-contract centre justifies, and Sports Illustrated's rotation projection places him immediately outside the top ten with the expectation of frequent playing time, ahead of Richardson and Cain. Revised to 9 minutes, with the corresponding three-minute reduction taken from Vucevic rather than from Bitadze alone: Bitadze is 26 and under contract, and his rim protection fits Sweeney's blitzing scheme, while Vucevic is on a one-year minimum. Source: SI Magic rotation projection.

2025-26 baseline

Bitadze played 64 games at 15.2 minutes, averaging 5.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.6 steals, 1.0 block, and 0.7 turnovers. He shot an exceptional .676 from the field and .711 from the line.

Those rates are extremely fantasy-friendly: in 25 minutes, they scale toward eight rebounds and 1.6 blocks without meaningful FG damage. Vucevic's arrival, not a loss of skill, drives the low base projection.

Role and pathway

Bitadze is the third conventional center behind Carter and Vucevic, but the gap to Vucevic is now three minutes rather than eleven. Nine minutes represents average healthy-active-game allocation across matchup nights; the split swings on whether Sweeney prioritises rim protection or floor spacing behind Carter, and he becomes an immediate 20-minute streamer when either center sits.

His defense may win some matchups over Vucevic, especially if Sweeney prioritizes rim protection. A trade involving any center would also materially change the page.

Category shape

Bitadze is a classic schedule-and-injury watch rather than a draft-and-hold player.

Format and market map

Format Base posture
9-cat redraft Undrafted; top handcuff/streamer
H2H points Waiver until 18-plus minutes
Dynasty Deep center hold; Hashtag ranked 275
Best ball Late specialist with spike-week upside

Floor, base, and ceiling

Scenario Fantasy outcome
Floor Matchup DNPs as third center
Base Nine minutes across 62 appearances; no standard value, high handcuff priority
Ceiling 22 minutes after injury/trade, about 9/7 with 1.4 blocks and elite FG; top-100 specialist stretches

Evidence trail

Career record

Pre-NBA: Georgian. Debuted for VITA Tbilisi in the VTB United League in 2015-16 at 16, then signed with Mega Basket in Serbia, spending 2016-17 on loan at Smederevo in the Serbian league (10.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.2 blocks). Broke out with Mega in the Adriatic (ABA) League in 2017-18 at 11.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocks, and opened 2018-19 at 20.2 points and 7.9 rebounds through 11 ABA games. Loaned to Budućnost of Montenegro in December 2018 for EuroLeague play — 13 games at 12.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.3 blocks, earning EuroLeague Rising Star. Also 2019 ABA League MVP and blocks leader. Draft: 2019, first round, 18th overall, Indiana Pacers.

Season Age Team GP MPG PTS REB AST STL BLK 3PM FG% FT% TO
2019-20 20 IND 54 8.7 3.2 2.0 0.4 0.2 0.7 0.1 .467 .727 0.5
2020-21 21 IND 45 12.5 5.1 3.3 0.8 0.2 1.3 0.4 .428 .738 0.4
2021-22 22 IND 50 14.6 7.0 3.5 1.1 0.4 0.8 0.5 .520 .681 0.9
2022-23 23 IND 21 9.6 3.3 2.3 0.9 0.4 0.5 0.2 .519 .458 0.6
2022-23 23 ORL 17 15.0 5.8 5.2 1.2 0.4 0.9 0.1 .575 .667 0.6
2023-24 24 ORL 62 15.4 5.0 4.6 1.3 0.5 1.2 0.0 .603 .655 0.7
2024-25 25 ORL 70 20.4 7.2 6.6 2.0 0.7 1.4 0.0 .611 .639 1.0
2025-26 26 ORL 64 15.2 5.9 5.0 1.3 0.6 1.0 0.0 .676 .711 0.7
Career 383 14.6 5.5 4.3 1.2 0.5 1.0 0.2 .561 .671 0.7

Durability: Never above 70 games, but the shortfalls are role and roster churn rather than a single chronic problem — the 38-game 2022-23 spans a February waiver by Indiana and a rest-of-season signing with Orlando. 62, 70 and 64 games across the three full Orlando years is adequate availability for a backup center.

Trajectory: Seven seasons of steady per-minute improvement and a hard ceiling on minutes. Field-goal percentage has climbed every year in Orlando — .603, .611, .676 — and the blocks and rebounds per minute have always been rotation-quality; what he has never done is shoot a three or take a starting job. The 2024-25 season at 20.4 minutes is the high-water mark for his role, and Vučević's one-year return pushed him back to third center. Everything fantasy-relevant depends on a center absence: he is a top-priority handcuff who becomes an immediate 20-plus-minute streamer for rebounds, blocks and elite field-goal percentage the moment Carter or Vučević sits, and a trade of either would restore the 2024-25 role outright.

Career sources: ESPN career stats · StatMuse season averages · Wikipedia · SI Magic rotation projection

Open questions