Orlando Magic Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Al Harrington Hopes To Play Five More Years

March 7th, 2013 at 12:12pm CST by Luke Adams

Al Harrington just turned 33 last month, but having been drafted out of high school back in 1998, the Magic forward is already in his 15th NBA season. If Harrington has his way and if his body holds up, he'd like to become a 20-year NBA veteran, playing for five more seasons, as he tells Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida (Twitter link). The comment echoes one he made back in December to Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel.

Earlier this season, one report suggested that health and injury problems could keep Harrington sidelined for the entire season, with retirement also a possibility. Harrington quickly denied that he was considering retiring, and eventually worked his way back to the court, making his Orlando debut last Tuesday night.

Although health issues have prevented Harrington from making an impact on the court this season, he showed last year with the Nuggets that he still has the ability to be a solid contributor to an NBA team. In 64 contests with Denver, the 6'9" forward averaged 14.2 PPG and 5.0 RPG in 27.5 minutes per contest.

Harrington's current contract runs for two more seasons beyond 2012/13, though it's possible that he'll be released before it expires. Next season and 2014/15 are both 50% guaranteed, so if the Magic or another team were to waive Harrington this summer, they'd only be on the hook for half of the $14.76MM remaining on his deal.

Heat ‘Feverishly’ Pursued Trade For Nikola Vucevic

March 6th, 2013 at 10:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

Nikola Vucevic gives the Heat fits, having twice gone for at least 20 points and 20 rebounds against the team after tonight's 25-point, 21-board performance. The second-year Magic center could have been putting up those numbers for the Heat instead of against them if Miami had been willing to part with either Mario Chalmers, Norris Cole, or both, according to John Denton of Magic.com (Twitter link). Denton tweets that the Heat were "feverishly" trying to trade for Vucevic when he was with the Sixers last season, but apparently they weren't willing to give up their top two point guards to make it happen.

The Sixers dealt Vucevic to the Magic in August as part of the four-team Dwight Howard/Andrew Bynum blockbuster. The 22-year-old native of Switzerland has blossomed in Orlando, where he averages 12.1 points and 11.2 rebounds per game as the starting center. He's seeing twice as many minutes per game as he did last year with Philadelphia, which made him the 16th overall pick in the 2011 draft. Vucevic saw even less time in the playoffs, notching just three minutes during the Sixers' run to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The Heat had evidently seen enough to believe he could address their deficiencies in the paint. Miami has grabbed the fewest rebounds of any team in the league, and certainly the addition of Vucevic would have helped remedy that. Money likely wasn't an inhibiting factor for the Heat, since he's on a rookie-scale contract that pays him just $1.7MM this season. Still, Heat president Pat Riley and the rest of the team's front office probably didn't predict Vucevic would develop as well and as quickly as he has. If they had foreseen it, they might have had pause about dealing away both of their top two point guards, though they're apparently confident enough in the ballhandling abilities of Dwyane Wade, LeBron James to go without a third point guard this season.

Pacific Links: Warriors, Hunter, Dwight

March 6th, 2013 at 10:26pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Lakers moved with a game and a half of the final playoff spot tonight with a stunning 25-point comeback on the road against the Hornets, putting pressure on the Warriors, Rockets and Jazz. The Rockets added Aaron Brooks in the past few days to help their postseason cause, and Golden State may be the next team to bolster its roster, as we note here:

It seemed as recently as two days ago the Warriors were in no rush to add to their 13-man roster, but co-owner Joe Lacob tells Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group that the team will probably make a signing soon. Lacob confirms the team has enough room under the luxury tax threshold to add someone for the minimum, and Kawakami believes the W's would find a fit in Dominic McGuire, who spent time with the team last season and would likely welcome a return.
Suns coach Lindsey Hunter still has the "interim" tag attached to his title, but the team's front office saw him as the long-term solution when they promoted him, writes HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy, who would be surprised if Phoenix doesn't retain Hunter this summer.
Dwight Howard's characterization of his former Magic teammates as "people nobody wanted" drew a pithy response from Jameer Nelson earlier today, and Rashard Lewis followed suit, as Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel details.
The soon-to-be free agent's reputation is also taking a beating from front office types, as a Western Conference said he "wouldn't touch Howard with a 10-foot pole," Kennedy tweets.

Southeast Notes: Oden, Heat, Magic, Scott

March 6th, 2013 at 4:28pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA's longest current winning and losing streaks both belong to Southeast Division teams, and will be on the line tonight. The Heat are hosting the Magic, in search of their 16th straight win, while the Bobcats will look to snap a seven-game losing streak at home against the Nets. As we wait for the Eastern Conference's best and worst clubs to get underway tonight, let's round up a few notes out of the Southeast….

Agent Mike Conley Sr. doesn't expect Greg Oden to sign anywhere until July, suggesting to Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida that teams will have more financial flexibility to pursue his client after the season. According to Conley, there is mutual interest between Oden and the Heat, and the two sides expect to talk again in the summer. The Cavs, Bobcats, and Spurs are other potential suitors for the former first overall pick, according to Tomasson.
Responding to Dwight Howard's suggestion that his Magic teams were "full of people nobody wanted," Jameer Nelson shot back at his former teammate, as Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel documents. "At some point, when are you [Dwight] gonna as a man, when are you going to take ownership and stay out of the media in a professional manner?" Nelson said.
Mike Scott has returned to Atlanta to rejoin the Hawks after a brief stint with the team's D-League affiliate, according to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The Hawks officially announced in a press release that Scott has been recalled from the Bakersfield Jam and will be available for tonight's game against the Sixers.

Odds & Ends: Kings, Dentmon, Howard

March 5th, 2013 at 6:31pm CST by Alex Lee

With only three games on the schedule, Tuesday is a slow NBA night in terms of quantity. However, with the Lakers in Oklahoma City looking to eclipse the .500 mark for the first time since November, there is plenty of quality. Let's round up any odds and ends from around the league here:

Sacramento officials, led by Kevin Johnson, released a report today that provided statistical support for why Sacramento is a better market for the NBA than Seattle, reports Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee. According to the report, the Kings benefit from a pro sports monopoly in Sacramento, as evidenced by the fact that, when compared to Seattle, the Kings had higher attendance in 20 of the 23 seasons in which both cities had an NBA team. With the Sacramento bid in, the NBA Board of Governors will decide whether or not to approve the Seattle deal in mid-April.
In his Hang Time Blog, Sekou Smith takes a look at the tough decisions and disapointment that can come with being a D-Leaguer through Justin Dentmon of the Texas Legends. Despite currently leading the D-League in scoring and being last year's league MVP, Dentmon is in danger of going the entire 2012-13 season without an NBA look. Last year Dentmon received 10-day contracts with the Spurs and Raptors.
Moke Hamilton of Sheridan Hoops ranks the top 15 free agents come the offseason – both restricted and unrestricted – a list that is headed by Dwight Howard.
Speaking of Howard, the former Magic star ripped into his old squad in a recent interview with an Los Angeles television station, saying the team was "full of people nobody wanted," reports Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. Howard makes his return to Orlando on March 12, as if that fire needed any more fuel.

Magic To Pursue Glen Davis Trades

March 3rd, 2013 at 8:54am CST by Chuck Myron

The Magic will shop Glen Davis in the offseason or before next year's trade deadline, according to Brian K. Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). The 27-year-old big man still has two years and $13MM remaining on his contract after this season. He's likely out for the rest of 2012/13 with a broken left foot, though as fellow Sentinel scribe Josh Robbins points out, Magic team officials haven't ruled out his return before the end of the season.

Big Baby was enjoying a career year before suffering the injury on January 30th in a game against the Knicks. The 6'9" LSU product was putting up 15.1 points and 5.6 rebounds per game in his first season as a full-time starter. His PER of 15.1 this year tabs him as an average NBA player this year, the first time in his six NBA seasons that he's had a PER of more than 13.2.

Before the broken foot, Davis missed almost a month with a shoulder injury. Since Davis went down the first time, the Magic are 4-30, as Robbins points out, with Davis appearing in just nine of those games.

Davis' name appeared in a few trade rumors earlier this season, so it's no surprise to hear the team will continue to see what it can get in return for him, particularly given his contract. Still, Orlando may have a tough time finding takers for a player set to make $6.4MM next year, despite spending most of his career as a reserve.

Davis, for his part, seems focused on returning next year and blending in with the Magic's younger players.

"When I look at the game, I want to see bumps and bruises," Davis said to Robbins."I want to see guys who are going through the grit of the NBA and are understanding what it takes to win, and that's what these guys are doing now. This time right here for them is unbelievable because next year you can't sit here and tell me with the way we worked and the way we played, we won't be a better team because of these guys and their approach."

Odds & Ends: D-Will, Kenyon, Blake, Thunder

March 1st, 2013 at 11:15pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Magic have given a higher percentage of their minutes to players who weren't on their roster last season than any other team in the league, notes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Orlando has given 66% of its minutes to newcomers, while the Rockets are second, with 64% of their minutes going to players who weren't with them in 2011/12. Both clubs made a blockbuster deal before the season, and both were involved in smaller swaps at the trade deadline, further altering their compositions. Here's more on players coming and going from around the league:

Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld revists Deron Williams' choice of the Nets over the Mavericks, opining that Dallas wouldn't have been a playoff team this year even with D-Will. Ingram also caught up with J.J. Redick and Stan Van Gundy.
Kenyon Martin didn't play in tonight's game and has only seen five minutes of action more than halfway through his 10-day contract, but as Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com observes, Knicks coach Mike Woodson indicated the team is likely to keep him around after his current deal expires. "Kenyon's not going nowhere, he's here," Woodson said (Twitter link).
Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors identified him as an amnesty candidate earlier today, but as Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com chronicles, Blake has recently been playing some of his best ball as a member of the Lakers.
The Oklahoman's Berry Tramel, with the help ofSalary Cap FAQ contributor Jon Hamm, examines the Thunder's payroll for the next few seasons and looks at how they can minimize their tax hit.
Fellow Oklahoman scribe Darnell Mayberry praises the subtle moves the Thunder made at the deadline, and expects such tweaking to become the norm with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka occupying so much room on the payroll.

Stein On Hawks, Bucks, Josh Smith, Spurs, Blair

March 1st, 2013 at 8:33pm CST by Chuck Myron

It's more than a week after the trade deadline, but the stream of rumors is far from an end. In his Weekend Dime, Marc Stein of ESPN.com puts a bow on last week's proceedings, and provides some scuttlebutt related to tonight's buyout deadline as well. Here's what Stein has to share:

The Hawks wanted to trade Josh Smith at the deadline, and expected they'd get a deal done. But when the Bucks refused to part with Monta Ellis, Atlanta's main target, or Ersan Ilyasova, Plan B for the Hawks, GM Danny Ferry and company walked away from a package that would have featured Beno Udrih's expiring contract and Luc Mbah a Moute, who has two years and $8.97MM remaining on his deal this season.
DeJuan Blair has been seeking a buyout from his expiring $1.054MM contract with the Spurs, but San Antonio is reluctant to grant his wish, fearing he'd sign with another playoff team. If he's not bought out before tonight's 11pm deadline, Blair would be ineligible for the postseason if he signs elsewhere this season. Stein says it's clear that neither Blair nor the Spurs wish to continue their working relationship in 2013/14, so perhaps Blair could be a buyout candidate after tonight, but that's just my speculation.
The Spurs were seeking a first-round pick in offers for Blair at the trade deadline, but like everyone seeking that kind of return, they were rebuffed, as Stein notes the increasing value of those picks and the rookie-scale contracts that come with them.
According to Stein, industry standard dictates that prospective owners in the midst of a pending sale may designate two or three players they wish the team to keep, freeing current management to trade anyone else on the roster. That makes it easier to understand why the Kings shed salary, including last June's No. 5 overall pick Thomas Robinson, at the deadline, even though we heard the Chris Hansen/Howard Ballmer group from Seattle was consulted before the move was made.
Stein sizes up the competing chances of Gregg Popovich and Doc Rivers to become the next coach of Team USA, while adding that USA Basketball executive director Jerry Colangelo wants to wait until he hears from Mike Krzyzewski after the college season to definitely rule out the Coach K's return.
The ESPN.com scribe also checks in with new Bucks shooting guard J.J. Redick, who felt like he was going to stay with the Magic right up until they traded him.

Odds & Ends: Free Agency, Kevin Martin, Nash, Magic

February 28th, 2013 at 5:58pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld says that last week's quiet deadline could lead to a noisy offseason this year, with quite a handful of those who were rumored to be moved set to hit free agency. Kennedy provides a list of this summer's top 20 free agents along with a primer of each player's situation to boot. One interesting situation involves Oklahoma City's Kevin Martin, who has already been given the impression that the Thunder would like to keep him for the long-term. However, Kennedy opines that a strong post-season could increase the shooting guard's stock to the point where Oklahoma City may have to let him go – as they did with James Harden – if his price tag becomes too high. Here are a few more tidbits we've gathered up from the NBA this evening:

The Pistons figure to have the task of re-signing Jose Calderon as one of their top priorities this summer, writes David Mayo of MLive.com. However, Mayo thinks that the team's lack of practice time has hindered Calderon's efforts in trying to become acclimated in Detroit.
Channing Frye discusses the mental toughness he's developed as he continues to sit out from a heart ailment that caused him to miss the season (Stefan Swiat of Suns.com).
While the Lakers' regular season has been disappointing so far to say the least, Steve Nash tells Sam Amick of USA Today that if given the opportunity to revisit last year's offseason: "Ten out of ten times, I make the same decision again." Nash's agent, Bill Duffy, thinks that the point guard would have considered retirement if they were unable to get a deal to Los Angeles done.
Don't expect anyone from the Magic roster to shake free anytime soon, as Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel (via Twitter) says that the team isn't planning to buy out or waive anyone before the March 1st buyout deadline.
Newly acquired Tobias Harris offered his thoughts on being traded to the Magic and the opportunity that lies ahead for him on a young team looking to build for the future (Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld reports).
Current ESPN analyst and former NBA head coach Flip Saunders remains open to coaching again, whether it be in the NBA or the college ranks, writes Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune: "I'm keeping my options open…If the right situation comes along? I'll evaluate that. I want to be able to build something, want to go to a place where something can be accomplished.''
D-League standout Henry Sims of the Erie Bayhawks could be given a chance to join the Knicks depending on how Kenyon Martin fares during his 10-day contract, notes ESPN New York's Jared Zwerling. One NBA scout thinks that Sims has played well enough to be on an NBA roster next season at the very least.

J.J. Redick Talks Magic, Howard, Trade

February 27th, 2013 at 3:19pm CST by Luke Adams

Since being drafted by the Magic 11th overall in 2006, J.J. Redick had spent his entire career in Orlando, including an NBA Finals appearance in 2009. Now a member of the Bucks after last Thursday's trade, Redick spoke to Jeff Caplan of NBA.com about Orlando's post-Finals team, the Dwight Howard situation, and the deal that sent him to Milwaukee. Here are the highlights from Redick:

On how close the Magic were to becoming an Eastern Conference powerhouse after 2009:

"We were very close. I think the big decision was what to do with Hedo [Turkoglu]. We didn’t necessarily want to give him a five-year deal and he had options out there, two five-year deals in excess of $50 million with Portland and Toronto. He made his decision and it was a good decision for him. As a player you have to strike while the iron is hot and take advantage of your small window to make a living.

"We made the trade for Vince [Carter] and for whatever reason we just couldn’t get over the top and beat the Celtics the next year. The following season we had a bunch of injuries and sicknesses early on and got off to a little bit of a slow start, and we made two separate blockbuster trades. And, to me, that was the turning point. We never really got back to elite status after that."

On when the Howard situation started to have an effect on the Magic:

"Dating back to a year and a half, two years ago is when things started to get a little hectic in Orlando. It definitely changed the makeup of the organization and the franchise. And obviously, when you have a player of Dwight’s caliber you’re in contention to win a championship. When you lose a player like that there’s a strong possibility you’re going to have to rebuild and it might get a little ugly."

On Howard having not committed to re-signing with the Lakers:

"I think he’s non-commital, I guess, for a reason. I’m not sure what that reason is, but if he wanted to explore his free agency he could have done it last summer. I’m not sure why he opted in [last year] because he wanted out of Orlando. I’m not really sure."

On having been sent to the Bucks after weeks of rumors and speculation:

"There’s definitely a feeling of relief. My feeling on just being traded in general is it’s part of the business. I’m a guy who just believes in making the best out of any situation. You can’t always change or control your circumstances, but you can change your perspective and your attitude. So no matter where I went, if I had stayed in Orlando, I would have made the most of it."