Goga Bitadze is a 6-foot-11 Georgian center for the Orlando Magic — an efficient, shot-blocking interior big. Drafted 18th in 2019 by Indiana after being named ABA League MVP, he moved to Orlando and developed into a reliable rotation center, posting career-best rebounding and elite finishing efficiency. He is a rim protector who scores mostly at the basket.
Model lines Bitadze at 5.8 pts (range 3.1–8.5) vs a 6 line — roughly a coin flip to clear it (48%).
Model favors New York Knicks (61%), projected 111–113, ~224 total at 96.8 pace.
An efficient, shot-blocking Georgian center — rim protection and interior finishing for the Magic.
Son of a pro player, Bitadze was 2019 ABA League MVP before Indiana drafted him 18th that year.
After four seasons in Indiana, he moved to Orlando.
He posted a career-best 6.6 rebounds a game on 60%+ finishing.
A shot-blocker who scores at the rim, he gives Orlando frontcourt depth.
An efficient, shot-blocking Georgian center — rim protection and interior finishing for the Magic.
Goga Bitadze was born in Sagarejo, Georgia, the son of a professional basketball player, and starred in Europe — winning ABA League MVP and EuroLeague Rising Star honors in 2019 — before Indiana drafted him 18th that year. After four seasons with the Pacers, he moved to Orlando.
With the Magic he developed into a reliable rotation center, posting a career-best 6.6 rebounds a game in 2024-25 on elite finishing efficiency (over 60% from the field). A shot-blocker who scores mostly at the rim, he gives Orlando dependable frontcourt depth.
Sources: Wikipedia, NBA.com, Basketball-Reference, ESPN.
Bitadze carries Georgia's basketball tradition — the son of a pro player whose own career was cut short by injury — and rose through the elite European ranks, dominating the Adriatic League as its 2019 MVP before reaching the NBA. He became a sympathetic pre-draft figure when a viral photo showed reporters ignoring him to crowd around Zion Williamson, drawing public encouragement from NBA stars.
His on-court identity is efficient, defense-first center play — a 6-foot-11 rim protector who blocks shots, rebounds, and finishes near the basket at an elite clip (rising above 60% from the field in Orlando). A traditional, non-stretch big, his value is interior efficiency and rim protection off the bench for a young Magic team.
An efficient, shot-blocking center — rim protection, rebounding, and interior finishing.
Efficient rim protection
Bitadze's value is defense-first, efficient center play — a 6-foot-11 rim protector who blocks shots, rebounds (a career-best 6.6 a game), and finishes near the basket at an elite clip (over 60% from the field). On a young Magic team, that reliable interior presence gives valuable frontcourt depth and defensive anchoring off the bench.
A traditional role
As a non-stretch, back-to-the-basket big, Bitadze's role is defined and modern-limited — he thrives protecting the rim and finishing plays rather than spacing the floor. But his steady efficiency, shot-blocking, and rebounding make him a dependable rotation center, exactly the cost-effective frontcourt depth a rising team needs.
Per game
| Season | GP | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | FG% | 3P% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 64 | 15.2 | 5.9 | 5.0 | 1.3 | .676 |
Source: Basketball-Reference.
Where he sits in history
Hardware
An efficient, shot-blocking center — reliable rim protection and interior depth for Orlando.
Bitadze gives Orlando dependable, defense-first center play — rim protection, rebounding, and elite interior finishing. As a traditional non-stretch big his role is defined, but his steady efficiency and shot-blocking make him valuable, cost-effective frontcourt depth on a rising team.
Contract
An efficient, shot-blocking center who finishes at an elite clip and protects the rim — dependable, cost-effective frontcourt depth for a young Magic team.
A defense-first rotation center — a shot-blocker and rebounder who finishes near the basket at an elite clip and gives Orlando frontcourt depth.
He was named ABA League MVP and EuroLeague Rising Star in 2019 before Indiana drafted him 18th overall.
Sagarejo, Georgia — the son of a professional basketball player.