Orlando Magic Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Brandon Jennings Frustrated With Bucks?

February 13th, 2013 at 6:18pm CST by Luke Adams

6:18pm: In a text message to ESPN.com's Chris Broussard, Jennings has denied that he wants to be traded from the Bucks by next week's deadline. "That is not true," Jennings texted. "Just because I got a new agent doesn't mean anything. That stuff never came out of my mouth. They're just reaching for a story since I changed my agent."

The 23-year-old point guard dropped agent Bill Duffy in favor of Jeff Schwartz on February 4. Jennings, who will be a restricted free agent this summer, has hinted in the past that he may be eyeing a move to a larger market and some have speculated that he was frustrated he didn't make the All-Star team and may hold Milwaukee's small market status accountable. Jennings refuted that claim on Wednesday.

"Being in Milwaukee wasn't the reason I didn't make the All-Star Game. Guys just had better numbers than me."

12:12pm: While the Bucks insist they're not shopping Brandon Jennings, the team may have to seriously consider fielding offers for Jennings in the next week, according to ESPN.com's Chad Ford. In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Ford reports that Jennings is frustrated with the Bucks and would prefer to play in a bigger market. One source cites "irreconcilable differences" between the two sides.

Jennings, in his fourth season, didn't reach an agreement on a long-term extension with the Bucks last fall, which is one source of his frustration. However, the Bucks will still have the opportunity to retain him this summer by extending a qualifying offer. At that point, Jennings could accept the one-year qualifying offer and be eligible for unrestricted free agency a year later. But the more likely scenario would involve him seeking out a long-term offer sheet with a rival team, then hoping the Bucks don't exercise their ability to match.

Agent Bill Duffy was recently let go by Jennings, who is expected to officially hire Jeff Schwartz as soon as the waiting period for switching agents allows it. Schwartz is a noted proponent of larger markets, and according to Ford, he will be tasked with getting Jennings out of Milwaukee via trade or a large offer sheet this summer. The Mavericks, Magic, and Hawks are considered the most likely suitors for Jennings, says Ford.

The Bucks reportedly told Jennings they expect to match any offer sheet he receives in free agency next summer, so we'll see if that stance still applies, despite the seemingly deteriorating relationship between the two sides. Last summer, we saw restricted free agents like Nicolas Batum and Eric Gordon express some desire to leave their respective teams, but their offer sheets were ultimately matched by the Trail Blazers and Hornets. Like those clubs, the Bucks will have most of the leverage, so their decision this week or this summer will be an interesting one.

Southeast Notes: Magic, Redick, Smith, Wizards

February 12th, 2013 at 10:52am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA's three worst winning-percentages all belong to Southeast teams, but two of those three clubs collected victories last night, as the Bobcats upset the Celtics and the Wizards beat the Bucks for their fourth straight win. Here's the latest out of the division:

The Magic will be able to afford to keep J.J. Redick past this season, but must decide whether it's worth investing long-term money in a role player when they're trying to create cap flexibility, according to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel.
Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld writes that the Magic certainly aren't sitting out the trade deadline, but may ultimately stand relatively pat if there are no deals out there that help them gather long-term assets and flexibility. The price on Redick has been "steep" and many of the offers out there wouldn't help Orlando in the long run, according to Kyler.
Josh Smith tells Jeff Caplan of NBA.com that he has "a lot invested" in his hometown of Atlanta, and that he'll give full consideration to re-signing with the Hawks if he remains on the team through this season.
The Wizards' acquisitions of Nene Hilario and Emeka Okafor are looking better now that the team has gotten healthy, says Tom Ziller of SBNation.com.

Magic Told Redick They Are Not Shopping Him

February 11th, 2013 at 8:31pm CST by Zachary Links

Magic guard J.J. Redick says that he has been told that the Magic “are not actively trying to move” him, according to Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel. Of course, a number of teams are inquiring on the shooting guard and Orlando is certainly listening to offers as the deadline approaches.

There are a number of suitors for Redick including the Celtics, Bucks, Wolves, Pacers, Knicks, and Bulls. With the Magic headed for the lottery this season, it makes sense that Orlando would consider trades for him. The 28-year-old is earning $6MM in the final year of his contract.

Orlando is reportedly looking for a package of expiring contracts and a future first-round pick. A team like the Bucks could conceivably put together an appealing offer with Beno Udrih's expiring contract, a pick, and a young talent like Tobias Harris.

Eastern Links: Ellis, Bargnani, Magic, Pistons

February 11th, 2013 at 12:06pm CST by Luke Adams

As we prepare for an evening schedule that includes the Celtics looking to extend their winning streak to eight in Charlotte and the Wizards looking for their fourth straight win in Milwaukee, let's check in on a few stories out of the Eastern Conference….

Monta Ellis has the opportunity to opt out of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent at season's end, but he insists he's committed to the Bucks and isn't thinking about his contract situation, according to Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Despite the trade rumors surrounding Andrea Bargnani and the Raptors, coach Dwane Casey is moving forward as if Bargnani will be in Toronto for the rest of the season, writes Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld.
Moke Hamilton of Sheridan Hoops explains why he thinks the Knicks ought to consider trading Iman Shumpert.
Considering that Magic GM Rob Hennigan targeted young players such as Nikola Vucevic and Maurice Harkless in the Dwight Howard trade, the team appears to be in good hands when it comes to Hennigan's talent evaluation, says Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel.
The Pistons have already begun recruiting one of their own players, as they attempt to convince Jose Calderon to stay in Detroit beyond this season, writes Terry Foster of the Detroit News.
With Tayshaun Prince now in Memphis, David Mayo of MLive.com wonders if Kyle Singler could be the Pistons' new long-term answer at small forward.

Pacific Rumors: Dwight, Magic, Hill, Kings

February 10th, 2013 at 10:50am CST by Chuck Myron

Dwight Howard's father made news yesterday, weighing in on his son's upcoming free agency and the way he gets along with Mike D'Antoni and Kobe Bryant, among other topics. The younger Howard declined to address Dwight Sr.'s remarks, and Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game is not surprised. Bucher says the relationship between Howard and son is a rocky one, and that Dwight Sr. has given several inaccurate off-the-record stories about his son to reporters over the years (Sulia link). It hasn't been easy to separate fact and fiction with the seemingly mercurial Howard over the past two years of his NBA career, but we're sure to hear plenty more about him between now and the day he inks his next contract this summer.

In the meantime, there's more about D12 and other Pacific Division figures right here:

Howard never wanted to go to L.A., according to Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal, who hears the Magic were threatening to trade him to the Lakers if he didn't decline the early-termination option on his contract at last year's trade deadline.
Though Grant Hill is not ruling out a return to the Clippers, Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel is convinced this is the final season for the 40-year-old, based on Hill's comments to him this week.
If Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson can work with Mark Mastrov and Ron Burkle to mount a credible bid for the Kings, the league will be facing an unprecedented showdown between two cities seeking the franchise, observes Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee.
Fellow Bee scribe Mark Glover examines some of the 20 local investors who've committed $1MM apiece to become minority owners if the Kings stay in Sacramento.

Kyler On Gordon, Lakers, Redick, Expirings

February 10th, 2013 at 9:41am CST by Chuck Myron

HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler took to Twitter for his latest round of trade deadline updates, and we'll round up the highlights here:

We heard Friday that the Hornets are willing to discuss offers for Eric Gordon, but the team says its interest in trading him is overstated, according to Kyler, who adds that New Orleans is looking for "tremendous value" in return for the 24-year-old shooting guard.
The Lakers, winners of seven out of nine games, have an open roster spot, and are without big men Pau Gasol and Jordan Hill because of injury. Still, they're unlikely to make an addition unless they start losing again.
The Bucks, Bulls, Pacers and Knicks have all emerged as suitors for J.J. Redick, but the Magic's price is "very high" because they'd like to retain the sharpshooter.
Answering a question about Cole Aldrich's $2.445MM expiring contract with the Rockets, Kyler says expiring deals aren't as sought-after this season as usual, because most teams that want to clear cap space for the summer have already done so, and teams looking to unload players to avoid the tax wouldn't be able to get under the tax line by dumping anyone in the last year of his deal. It's a trend he expects to continue under the new CBA, with shorter contracts and fewer teams likely to become taxpayers.

Bulls, Pacers Pursuing J.J. Redick

February 9th, 2013 at 10:40pm CST by Sean Highkin

10:40pm: Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork reports that the Knicks are monitoring the market for Redick as well.

8:35pm: Orlando Magic guard J.J. Redick has been one of the most heavily pursued players in the league in the weeks leading up to the February 21 trade deadline, and now Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld adds the Chicago Bulls and Indiana Pacers to the list of teams that are contemplating trading for him.

Kennedy notes that the Bulls signed Redick to an offer sheet in 2010, which Orlando matched. He also cautions that the Magic have not made a decision as to whether they will trade Redick, although he will draw plenty of interest if they do decide to move him.

Latest On Dwight Howard

February 9th, 2013 at 2:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

This week, Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak proclaimed that the team will not trade Dwight Howard before the deadline, and while that means D12 may remain in purple and gold through the end of the season, it doesn't preclude a change of scenery before 2013 is through. Howard will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and though the Lakers are "very confident" he'll re-sign, plenty of other teams figure to be in pursuit, notably the Rockets, Hawks and Mavs. Here's more of what we're hearing:

Howard said he and his father talk every day — just not about basketball — and remains hesitant to address Dwight Sr.'s public comments, as Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News documents. Howard's father called for his son to sit down with Bryant and coach Mike D'Antoni to hash out their problems, but Bryant and D'Antoni don't think there's anything to discuss.

Earlier updates:

The transition from being the unquestioned team leader in Orlando to Kobe Bryant's sidekick with the Lakers has worn on Howard, his father believes, but Dwight Sr. told Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution he thinks his son will still re-sign with L.A.
Dwight Sr. rules out the Nets as a potential destination for his son, who are unlikely to have the cap space to sign him anyway, but seemed to leave the door open for the Hawks, who play in the family's hometown. "Dwight hasn’t said anything about Atlanta, either. But he likes home. I think he would love to end his career here, even though he hasn’t said that publicly," Dwight Sr. said.
Despite last year's "Dwightmare," Howard's father isn't sure that his son truly wanted to leave the Magic, believing he received poor advice from his representatives.
The younger Howard had little response to his father's remarks, telling reporters, including Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register, "I'm not getting into it" (Twitter link).
Rashard Lewis, one of Howard's former teammates with the Magic, offered his prediction for the big man's summer as well, letting Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida know his "gut feeling" is that Howard will re-sign with the Lakers (Sulia link). "He most definitely likes the city, likes the organization," Lewis said. "It’s one of the first-class organizations. The Lakers have a history of winning championships, and that’s what he wants to do is win championships. So we’ll see what happens at the end of the season, but my gut feeling is I think he’ll stay there."

Eastern Notes: Knicks, Heat, Pistons, Harkless

February 9th, 2013 at 12:11pm CST by Sean Highkin

The latest news and notes from around the Eastern Conference on Saturday morning:

Al Iannazzone of Newsday.com talks to a longtime NBA coach about the difficulty of gameplanning for the Knicks because of their depth. The coach cites Amare Stoudemire, J.R. Smith, and Steve Novak as bench players teams have to plan for in addition to New York's starters.
Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel writes that the Heat will be faced with a challenge posed by the new CBA when it comes to keeping their big three together in the future.
David Mayo of MLive.com takes a look at the ways in which the Pistons will compensate for Andre Drummond's absence.
Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel talks to Magic guard Arron Afflalo about rookie Maurice Harkless' impressive play.

Kyler On Randolph, Lakers, Redick, Magic

February 7th, 2013 at 8:14am CST by Luke Adams

With just two weeks remaining until this season's trade deadline, we may not see any deals consummated today, but it's only a matter of time before talks heat up. Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld has the latest on a few teams and players that could be involved in those talks, so let's round up his updates….

Despite some rumblings that Zach Randolph could be a trade candidate, Kyler's sources downplay the possibility of the veteran forward being moved by February 21st, noting that the Grizzlies certainly aren't "shopping" him. While the right offer can change a team's stance, Memphis will likely hang on to Randolph at least through the deadline.
With Pau Gasol expected to miss a significant period of time and Dwight Howard's status up in the air, the Lakers may feel some pressure to add a frontcourt player to the roster. However, Kyler hears from Lakers sources that the club isn't anticipating adding a body via free agency in the short-term.
The Lakers' thinking is that integrating a free agent may be more trouble than its worth, and even if they want to add a player, better options could arise at the trade deadline or at the buyout deadline.
Despite plenty of interest in J.J. Redick, the Magic still seem more inclined to retain the sharpshooter. According to Kyler, Redick has expressed a desire to re-sign or at least work out a sign-and-trade this summer in exchange for not being moved at the deadline, which appeals to Orlando.