Orlando Magic Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Draft Night Leftovers: Rasheed, Bledsoe, Blazers

June 28th, 2013 at 12:11am CST by Luke Adams

If you're looking for the complete results of the 2013 NBA draft, you can find those right here.

Rasheed Wallace is in talks to join Maurice Cheeks' staff in Detroit as a Pistons assistant, tweets Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.
Magic GM Rob Hennigan told reporters, including Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel (Twitter links), that Orlando was "semi-close" twice to trading the No. 2 pick, and that the team could revisit Eric Bledsoe talks with the Clippers at some point this summer.
Trail Blazers GM Neil Olshey confirmed tonight that Eric Maynor wouldn't receive a qualifying offer from the team, and will become an unrestricted free agent, according to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com (Twitter link).
Olshey added that the Blazers "didn't come close" to making any substantial trades (Twitter link via Joe Freeman of the Oregonian).
Don't expect Sergey Karasev to be stashed overseas next season. Shams Charania of RealGM.com tweets that the Russian forward will play in the NBA for the Cavaliers.
There's also no guarantee Nemanja Nedovic will be a draft-and-stash prospect for the Warriors. Chris Broussard of ESPN.com tweets that Golden State wants to evaluate Nedovic in Summer League play before making a decision.
The Lakers won't extend qualifying offers to Andrew Goudelock, Darius Morris, or Devin Ebanks, GM Mitch Kupchak confirmed (Twitter link via Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News).

More Draft Rumors: Thunder, Cavs, Raptors, Jazz

June 27th, 2013 at 6:32pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers will be on the clock in less than two hours, and we still don't know exactly what they'll do with that No. 1 pick. The rest of the first round only gets more uncertain, so it looks like we're in for a fun night. Here are the latest rumors and rumblings related to the 2013 draft:

The Thunder tried to acquire the Cavs' first overall pick, but OKC's bid failed, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
According to ESPN.com's Andy Katz (via Twitter), the Cavs have made a decision on their first overall pick, assuming they hang onto it. Within the next 15 minutes or so, we'll know what that decision is.
The Raptors are finding no traction in their efforts to acquire a lottery pick, tweets Wojnarowski (via Twitter).
While the Wolves continue attempting to move up in the lottery, teams ahead of them are "hesitant" to move their picks, a source tells ESPN.com's Chad Ford (Twitter link).

Earlier updates:

While the Jazz could be seeking a point guard at No. 14, don't expect Michael Carter-Williams to fall to them, says Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
The Cavs "definitely" have interest in Lucas Nogueira, according to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (via Twitter).
ESPN.com's Chad Ford is hearing that the Pistons will ride things out and keep the No. 8 pick (Twitter link).
The Mavericks continue to shop the 13th pick "as hard as advertised," in hopes of landing a 2014 lottery pick, tweets Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com.
In addition to the Suns (mentioned below), the Timberwolves also remain in play for the No. 1 pick, tweets Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
The Suns have offered the Cavs the Nos. 5 and 30 picks for the first overall pick, tweets ESPN.com's Chad Ford. Phoenix is after Nerlens Noel, according to Ford. But given how highly the Cavs seem to value that top pick, I doubt that offer gets it done.
There's "little chance" that the Magic part with the No. 2 pick, tweets Chris Broussard of ESPN.com.
While the Timberwolves still have interest in trading up from No. 9, the price remains high, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities. In the likely scenario that Minnesota remains at No. 9, the team is expected to target Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cody Zeller, and C.J. McCollum, in that order.
The Cavs continue to explore trades involving the No. 1 pick, and Broussard says (via Twitter) that if they take anyone besides Alex Len, it could be part of a deal.
Various reports indicate that the Raptors are looking to acquire a lottery pick. Broussard tweets that they could be trying to get as high as No. 2, while Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com is hearing (Twitter link) Toronto is targeting a late lottery pick with its eye on Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Suns are trying to acquire late-first-round picks, hoping to add more young players to the roster, tweets Broussard.
Although the Trail Blazers would like to add veterans more than youth, indications are that they'll keep the No. 10 pick, tweets Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com.
The possibility that the Thunder could draft Antetokounmpo at No. 12 probably scares the Hawks, who have long coveted the "Greek Freak," tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

Thunder Pushing Hard To Move Up To No. 2

June 27th, 2013 at 5:35pm CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder are "pushing hard" to complete a deal that would see them acquire the Magic's second overall pick, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Wojnarowski says the Thunder are targeting Victor Oladipo if they can move up.

Various reports over the last several days have suggested that the Thunder would like to move up into the top five. However, the club has indicated it has no interest in moving Serge Ibaka to do so. We heard yesterday that the club's trade chips would likely include the 12th, 29th, and 32nd picks, and perhaps Kendrick Perkins.

Although we heard earlier tonight that the Magic will likely keep the No. 2 pick, the Wolves also remain in the hunt for the selection in the hope of drafting Oladipo, tweets Wojnarowski.

Eric Bledsoe Trade Not Expected Tonight

June 27th, 2013 at 4:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Eric Bledsoe remains one of the top trade candidates of the summer, but word is he's unlikely to be on the move tonight. Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com reported earlier today that the "general feeling" was that Bledsoe was staying put tonight, while Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports tweets that the Clips are unlikely to make a Bledsoe deal today.

According to Spears, the Raptors, Pelicans, Pistons, Magic, and Mavericks are among the teams that have expressed interest in Bledsoe. The Celtics also had interest in Bledsoe earlier this month, but when the C's and Clippers reached an agreement on Doc Rivers, they agreed not to swap players for the next year, so that destination is no longer in play for Bledsoe.

While the Magic have been linked to the young point guard most frequently, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld tweets that those rumors may have been pushed in part by the Clippers to drum up better offers. Rivers is a fan of Bledsoe and may want to keep him on the club's roster.

With Chris Paul expected to re-up with the Clippers when the July free agency period gets underway, however, Bledsoe's name figures to continue to surface in trade rumors until he's dealt or extended.

Wojnarowski On Draft, Len, Zeller, Bucks, Mavs

June 27th, 2013 at 2:14pm CST by Zachary Links

Here's the latest draft news from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, with all links going to Twitter..

It's becoming harder to see how Anthony Bennett won't take a tumble in tonight's draft and he could leave the Blazers with a choice to make at No. 10 (link).
Other lottery teams are supremely confident that the Magic will take Victor Oladipo at No. 2, but Orlando is still talking trade, tweets Wojnarowski.
The Cavs are choosing between Nerlens Noel and Alex Len at No. 1. If they pick Len, Noel could fall to the Suns at No. 5 (link).
Alex Len is still the favorite for the Bobcats if he's there at No. 4, but Cody Zeller has remained in constant dialogue, sources tell Wojnarowski.
Zeller is in strong consideration for the Bobcats at No. 4 and the Suns at No. 5, sources say. If C.J. McCollum goes to the Pelicans at No. 6 or the Kings at No. 7, then the Pistons, who pick 8th, have Zeller high on their board.
The Bucks have discussed swapping their No. 15 pick for the Mavs' No. 13 pick to solidify itself to take Russian swingman Sergey Karasev, according to sources. However, Milwaukee is worried that the 13th pick may not be high enough to grab Karasev (link). The 6'7" Russian appears to be a hot commodity as we heard that the Cavs would also like to get their hands on the Mavs' pick in order to take him.
League sources say that Celtics GM Danny Ainge brought guard Ray McCallum to Boston's facility for a workout yesterday in the event that he moves back from No. 16.
Some are shying away from North Texas forward Tony Mitchell but he could find a home with the T-Wolves at No. 26, according to league sources. Flip Saunders was impressed with his workout and there's no question that he has high-lottery talents (link).
Everyone in the lottery says that they are extremely impressed by the NBA readiness of IU products Zeller and Oladipo.

Kennedy On Magic, Noel, Len, McLemore, Cavs

June 27th, 2013 at 2:12pm CST by Zachary Links

Here's the latest draft buzz from Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (all links go to Twitter)..

It sounds like the Magic are really high on Nerlens Noel, Kennedy tweets. If the Cavaliers select Alex Len at No. 1, Orlando may go with Noel.
If Noel is gone, the Magic will likely select Ben McLemore or Victor Oladipo. Many people are assuming Oladipo will be the pick in that case, but Kennedy is not so sure.
Some sources tell Kennedy that Shabazz Muhammad will slip out of the lottery, which lines up with him not being invited to green room.
There are still questions about Oladipo and teams are intrigued by McLemore's upside. Kennedy has been told that the Indiana product could slip all the way to the Suns at No. 5.
The Mavs continue to shop the No. 13 pick. The Wolves and Thunder want to move up while the Grizzlies, Rockies, Warriors, and 76ers want to add a first-rounder.

Southeast Notes: Dwight, Bobcats, Magic, Hedo

June 27th, 2013 at 11:52am CST by Zachary Links

The Lakers have launched a sizable billboard campaign in L.A. imploring Dwight Howard to re-sign. It may seem like a small gesture, but Brian K. Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel (via Twitter) notes that one of Howard's complaints with the Magic was that there were no, or very few, billboards of him around Orlando. Of course, if this morning's report is to be believed, the billboards won't do much to sway him. Here's today's look at the Southeast Division..

The Bobcats are looking to trade for a late first-round or a second-round selection, writes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. They could trade back from No. 4 as well, but it's more likely that they keep the pick.
Magic GM Rob Hennigan told Schmitz (on Twitter) that he'll be talking with the agents for Hedo Turkoglu and Al Harrington soon, presumably to work out buy-outs. Turkoglu is set to make $12MM next season while Harrington is owed nearly $15MM across the next two seasons. 50% of Harrington's remaining salary is guaranteed.
Even though tonight's draft is the talk of the basketball world, it's the 2014 draft that really matters for the Magic, Schmitz writes. Next year's draft is universally regarded as a much stronger crop than this year's.

Magic Resisting ‘Tempting’ Offers’?

June 26th, 2013 at 8:32pm CST by Luke Adams

8:32pm: The Magic continue to explore their options with the No. 2 pick, tweets HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy.

8:04pm: The Magic have no trades in the works and expect to use the No. 2 overall pick for themselves Thursday, sources tell Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel tweeted earlier this evening that though little is certain surrounding the team, it will not trade up to get the No. 1 pick.

3:10pm: Few, if any, trade rumors have surfaced more frequently over the last several days than one connecting Eric Bledsoe to the Magic and Arron Afflalo to the Clippers. However, according to Magic GM Rob Hennigan, he'd be "stunned" if his team made a deal with L.A. on or before draft night, since he hasn't talked trade with the Clips in about three weeks (Twitter links via Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel).

Although Hennigan downplayed the possibility of a trade with the Clippers, that doesn't mean the Magic won't be active this week. According to the GM, there are some tempting offers on the table for his team, with the Orlando front office seriously considering "three or four" different possibilities (Twitter links via John Denton of Magic.com).

Hennigan didn't go into specifics about the proposals on the table for the Magic, but it's a good bet that most or all of them include the No. 2 overall pick — reports earlier today indicated that the Magic were weighing the possibility of trading down in the draft. The Timberwolves are among the teams believed to be interested in trading up, reportedly dangling the ninth and 26th overall picks along with Derrick Williams.

In other roster-building news for the Magic, Hennigan suggested that Orlando is unlikely to use its mid-level exception in free agency this summer, according to Robbins (via Twitter).

Magic Weighing Trading Down In Draft

June 26th, 2013 at 12:48pm CST by Luke Adams

While we've heard on multiple occasions that the Cavaliers are exploring possible trades involving the No. 1 overall pick in tomorrow's draft, it may be another team at the top that ends up dealing its pick.

Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel tweets that the Magic are considering moving the No. 2 overall pick, while Adrian Wojnarowski notes (via Twitter) that Orlando has been doing plenty of homework on late-lottery/mid-first-round prospects. According to Wojnarowski, the Magic are weighing possible deals involving the second overall pick.

Within his tweet, Robbins advises to keep an eye on the Timberwolves, since we've heard Minnesota has interest in trading up to draft Victor Oladipo or Ben McLemore. When I previewed the Wolves' offseason this morning, I pointed out that Oladipo was a good bet to go second overall if the Cavs take Nerlens Noel first, so acquiring that Orlando pick could be necessary if the Wolves covet the Indiana guard. The Nos. 9 and 26 picks, along with Derrick Williams, could be in play if the two sides were to discuss a deal.

Assuming the Magic keep the No. 2 pick, Noel is viewed as the player atop their draft board. If Noel is selected first overall, Oladipo and McLemore are considered the favorites for the second pick, while ESPN.com's Chad Ford cited Cody Zeller as a dark horse.

Southeast Notes: Bobcats, Magic, James

June 25th, 2013 at 11:30pm CST by Michael Pina

A few notes from around the NBA's Southeast Division.

The Bobcats have been involved in a few bold rumors today, and a league source tells the Charlotte Observer's Rick Bonnell that there is a slim chance Georgetown forward Otto Porter falls to them at the fourth pick in Thursday's draft.
If the Cavaliers do not take Nerlens Noel with the number one overall pick in Thursday's draft, the Magic will make him their first round pick with the second overall selection, according to Hoopsworld.com's Alex Kennedy.
LeBron James said his ultimate goal would be to win a string of championships with the Heat, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Erik Spoelstra, and Pat Riley. But he wouldn't close the door on his options in free agency during the summer of 2014, writes FoxSports.com's Chris Tomasson.